What Everyday Acronyms Actually Stand For (And Where They Come From)
Vote up the acronyms and initialisms with the most unexpected words behind them.
We all use acronyms and initialisms every day. We see them, we read them, we write them - you get the idea.
A lot of what we consider to be acronyms are initialisms that pronounce the letters from individual words to represent them. Acronyms, on the other hand, create entire words out of those letters. “Radar” and “scuba” are acronyms. What they have in common is that we often use them without knowing what they stand for or how they came to exist at all. It's okay to say “PIN number” and SOS means “save our souls” or something along those lines, right?
Wrong.
Knowing what an acronym means comes in pretty handy and makes it even more useful. See for yourself.
- 1
SOS
What It Stands For: Nothing
Origin: Despite assertions that SOS means “save our ship” or “save our souls,” the Morse Code has no specific meaning. The application of those terms is what's called a backronym.
The use of SOS came in 1906 after the International Radio Telegraphic Convention decided which Morse Code sequence would be used by seafarers to signal being in distress.
- 2
SCUBA
What It Stands For: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
Origin: The word SCUBA was first used in 1952 by US Major Christian J. Lambertsen when he patented his free-swimming oxygen rebreather.
Nine years earlier, Jacques Cousteau invented a similar device. As a result, he's also credited as inventing SCUBA.
- 3
Laser
What It Stands For: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Origin: The predecessor of the laser was an “optical maser,” with the “m” standing for microwave. Laser was used by physicist Gordon Gould as early as 1957, but he was unable to receive credit for his device until 1977.
- 4
QR Code
What It Stands For: Quick Response code
Origin: QR codes were developed by Masahiro Hara in 1994 as a way to convey information. The employee of Denso Wave realized a QR code was more efficient than a barcode because it could hold more data and allow for a quicker response as a result.
- 5
CARE Package
What It Stands For: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere package
Origin: The first CARE packages were sent by the Cooperative for American Remittance to Europe after WWII. They were intended to provide needed assistance in war-torn Europe.
The organization changed its name to the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere in 1953 as it extended its reach worldwide.
- 6
What It Stands For: Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, Baluchistan
Origin: Believed to have been proposed during the 1930s by the Muslim intellectual and founder of the Pakistan National Movement Chaudhury Rahmat Ali, Pakistan is an acronym for the land upon which the nation sits.
