Later on in life, I had a child with autism. She was formerly diagnosed with PDD/NOS, which is an ASD. In order for her to gain an IEP, she needed a MFE. You get the picture! And every few years, they change the names of some of this stuff, just because it wasn't confusing enough.
Now we've entered the age of texting and again, I thought I was on top of things. My kids could throw me a LMFAO and I could tell them I didn't like their language. But now teachers think it's hip to throw acronymns around and I'm sorry, but you can't just make crap up and expect the average person to understand any of this.
Middle Child comes home with Algebra 2 homework listed as "p.329, E#LC" I have to ask her for a translation so that I can check her work. That's 'even numbers, left column' if you are like me and clueless. Oh, and this teacher also doesn't use the term, 'homework' or 'HW' as I've grown familiar with. It's YOTL. Yeah. That's 'Your Opportunity to Learn.'
Now I've got her British Lit teacher joining in the madness. My kids have had him for a few different subjects and I've come to think of him as Mr. Sarcasm, which I'm sure is necessary when dealing with high school students. So, when I picked up her Beowolf/Canterbury Tales study guide and saw 'Big AS Test' across the top, I chuckled to myself and thought haha, he's a funny one. We call things big ass around here a lot. Later, while studying with Middle Child, I said something like, "Oh, that Mr. H is funny, isn't he? Calling this a Big As test!" She just looks at me with her blank stare. I continue on, "You know, Big AS.........Big ASS?" She rolls her eyes and says, "Um, Mom, that stands for Anglo-Saxon."
I think I like my translation better!
Yeah, I like your version better, too. . .
ReplyDeleteI recall some humorous bit from back in the 80s, when the whole acronym business first started getting out of hand, about 'The Proper Use of TLAs', in which TLA stood for 'Three Letter Acronym'. . .
I've been known to use TLAs in which the first two letters are 'BF', for 'Big F***ing'. Like when we used to say that such-and-such a machine was 'BFH-adjustable', where the 'H' was for 'Hammer'. Or Rambo (or Dirty Harry; take your pick) used to carry a BFG (Crocodile Dundee had a BFK). And so on, mutatis mutandis. . . ;)
" I continue on, "You know, Big AS.........Big ASS?" She rolls her eyes and says, "Um, Mom, that stands for Anglo-Saxon."
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! Oh how funny!
And I have to agree...I like YOUR translation better!
Ironic that you shared this post because waaaaaay back in my blog archives, I wrote a post similar to this one about acronyms. I had the worst time when I first started blogging, trying figure out what bloggers meant when they used LMFAO!?!?
NOW, I know - HA!
A very close and dear friend of mine in Florida also has a child with autism, so I'm familiar with a few of those acronyms.
Fun post, Bijoux! I always enjoy stopping by here!
Sometimes acronyms make sense (I sure don't want to write out Not Otherwise Specified every time I need it in a diagnosis), but often they are just plain silly. I especially like all the laughing derivatives. I mean, come on - how often are you literally laughing out loud as you type LOL? But there are some unofficial clinical ones I use - like BFB (big fucking baby).
ReplyDeleteCraig - See? I had no idea what a TLA was and we never use BF to mean anything around here besides Best Friend. I'm really slipping!
ReplyDeleteRon - My kids think I'm so clueless at times! It's esp. funny when my child with autism has to correct me on some sort of social cue!
Agent - Ok, I really did LOL when I read what a BFB meant! That's hilarious! Do you write that in someone's file?????
I'm getting my indoctrination into those acronyms with Mr. B in speech therapy. It sounds like it just keeps going.
ReplyDeleteI try to avoid internet shorthand, but then I am just one big stick in the mud.
'Course, back when I was in HS, all the girls signed my yearbook with 'TLA' for 'True Love Always'. . . (OK, maybe not ALL of 'em. . .)
ReplyDeleteRuss - Yes, I forgot about the days of going to the SLP and the OT! More fun with letters.
ReplyDeleteCraig - In my day, it was basically BYOB.
I'm with you BYOB was the most important one when I was younger, the ones coming out today do no more than confuse me.
ReplyDeleteBig AS Test, I would have read it the same as you Ha Ha
In my early days at Huuge Inc everything had an acronym. They actually published an employee handbook a couple times solely devoted to detailing them!!
ReplyDeleteTrue story: At our (former) church they had an Assistant Sunday School director and every year would show it as:
'John Doe A.S.S. Director'
on the voting slip at the annual business meeting.
They claimed to have never noticed the obvious when someone finally pointed it out. True story.
Jimmy - I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who read it that way.
ReplyDeleteXavier - People can be clueless. I often wonder if they named that warehouse club BJ's on purpose or if really, no one in the conference room connected it to anything!
thats one nice article... there is a small joke ..it goes on that there was a man and he thought that LOL meant Lot of Love..so when father of his girlfriend died, he text her that "heard about the death of your father..its so sad..LOL".... mobile and internet have added to this madness...cant imagine 20years from now and we might find these acronyms type things in text books..
ReplyDeleteMI - Oh, that would be a horrible faux pas! But 'Lots of Love' does seem like it would fit LOL!
ReplyDeletecocote...yes this is it..with so many abbreviations and acronyms, we are more confused than before and such thiings are not uncommon like this LOL ...
ReplyDelete