Comments on: Abbreviation Nation

By: Abbreviation Nation (via amastyleinsider) « rite2communicate

Abbreviation Nation (via amastyleinsider) « rite2communicate — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:21:02 +0000

[...] Very true. We certainly all embrace alphabet soup. While I agree that texting is a valid and efficient method of communicating, it will create more and more challenges for the future of the writing and editing fields. Of the reference books I use while editing the Archives journals, my favorite by far is MEDical ABBREViations: 28,000 Conveniences at the Expense of Communication and Safety, 13th Edition, by Neil M. Davis. Not only does it have the most wonderfully snarky title I’ve ever seen on a reference book, but it is the Great Decoder, the book that allows me to make sense of the myriad abbreviations I run across in my daily work. As much as we are a natio … Read More [...]

By: Suzanne S. Barnhill

Suzanne S. Barnhill — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:44:46 +0000

While “Mac” and “PC” are undeniably abbreviations, I’m not sure that expanding them would be helpful. Would anyone who doesn’t know what a Mac is know what a Macintosh is? And “personal computer” is a very broad and general term that could certainly include Macs, whereas “PC” has come to mean (as I understand it), any system running some version of a Microsoft Windows operating system–or, even more generally–”not a Mac.”

By: Katharine O'Moore-Klopf

Katharine O'Moore-Klopf — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:31:05 +0000

Good news! There is a newer edition of the great reference book that you mentioned: MEDical ABBREViations: 32,000 Conveniences at the Expense of Communication and Safety, 15th edition; http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Abbreviations-Conveniences-Expense-Communication/dp/0931431158/

By: Mary Ann Branagan

Mary Ann Branagan — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:24:58 +0000

Thanks for providing another value resource for my reference shelf!