It’s not just the three letter ones, acronyms and abbreviations of all kinds make me angry and, I’ll admit, irrational on occasion.

Friends and family regularly rejoice in spotting my inconsistencies. For example, I will often say ‘HR’ rather than Human Resources, but my defence is I detest the term (and pretty much any other used to describe my profession since ‘personnel’ fell out of favour). Also, the irony is not lost on me that I am using a blog (a truncation of the expression weblog) to vent my frustrations.

I once attended a meeting, back when satellite navigation systems first came in, where strong views were exchanged about whether they should be provided to all sales reps (with a tracker). I couldn’t process the arguments put forward as all I could focus on was the incessant use of the abbreviation SAT NAV. Even now it makes my skin crawl, but I begrudgingly use it so that I am not ostracised from society.

If I’m honest it’s not just abbreviations that get my goat (oops I’ve just used an idiom… I did admit I’m not consistent) it’s any language or terminology that may exclude some people from understanding what is being said and is designed (initially at least) to make the communicator seem ‘in the know’ at the expense of others.

I was once sent an email containing a three-letter acronym which meant I didn’t understand the message. I politely responded to the sender asking for an explanation, who copied me in on an email sent back to the person who had sent them the email, asking the same. The email went back through two more people before the answer was found! I was astounded that no-one in the chain had queried the message upon receipt and a little relieved that I was not the village idiot after all.

So if you are a prolific user of acronyms, abbreviations, jargon or other forms of ‘business speak’ (don’t get me started on ‘blue Sky’  and ‘out of the box’ thinking) don’t be surprised if your intended message gets lost or misinterpreted (for example STD means both dialling codes and Sexually Transmitted Disease). If you receive a message you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to ask what it means and certainly don’t repeat it, unless you don’t mind being the village idiot. TTFN, LOL.