General Chat

I'm used to acronyms and indeed have worked in many organisations where such 'words' were constantly in use.

However, until recently I had never heard the acronym POTUS.

Strange, considering how long the USA has had Presidents, and I've been alive for sixty nine of those years. :-(

To me POTUS sounds like the sort of vessel formerly kept under the bed before indoor toilets became the norm.

It also seems somehow to diminish the actual Office of the President

I think that I must be turning into a Victor Meldrew

I too had never heard it before, I suppose as many dislike the current President they don't worry about disrespect.

I wouldn't want Donald Trump applied to any boil of mine.

Hmm, the person occupying that position may not be respected, but I think that the Office itself should be :-|

POTUS ( and FLOTUS) was around before Trump. In respect of Obama I have only seen it used online on Facebook in the context of complimentary posts, videos etc but then I only have links to pro-Obama people :-)

In general though I am heartily sick of acronyms, there are a lot of business acronyms that my son uses, and I say 'what's that in English?' :-) It's symptomatic of our times perhaps that we don't have time to use the full phrase?and with the MOAB ( mother of all bombs) under Trump's control maybe we actually DON'T have time. Say it all quickly while we're still here. :-0

The problem with acronyms is that two different organisations can have the same acronym for their respective areas...as I found to my cost in Germany whilst with the Army Reserve.

We were just told to go to an LAD; the Engineers in the unit said that it was a Light Aid Detachment (Engineering area) while others said no, it was a Light Air Defence Regiment (Infantry).

By the time we had travelled all around the countryside visiting various infantry and engineering units when we did eventually find the right one everyone had locked up and gone home

Acronyms!!!! The bane of my life at the moment :-|
My current job is in Education - acronym after bl**dy acronym. I have to go through reports, and write the acronym in full the first time it's used.
I have a 'cheat sheet', 20 pages long of the most commonly used ones - which I have added to - yet still have to shout across the office at least once a week, when 'googling' has failed - 'Anyone know what 'XYZ' stands for?

I have been a guider with the brownies for almost 17 years and the number of acronyms that guiding uses is quite incredible. Trying to remember them all is terrifying for a newbie.

LOL I've seen POTUS but only on this thread have I sussed what it is meant to be



Bob

:-D :-D :-D @Sharron and Bob

Do you think the Prime Minister should be referred to as the PRIMUK?
It sounds like a vomit.......................... :-D

Probably better then PRIMAUS which sounds like a portable stove for cooking... :-D

:-D :-D :-D :-D

I don't know, though, they both produce a lot of hot air! :-D :-D :-D

POTUS has been used since the days of the telegraph where reducing the number of characters in a message was important.

I worked for the MOD (MInistry of Defence) and that is how we always had to use acronyms. The first time in a document the acronym followed by the meaning, or the other way round, the remainder of the document we could use the acronym alone.

Which is more correct ER II or Windsor 1 ?

POTUS and FLOTUS have long been the acronyms given to the President and First Lady by the US Secret Service detail

It began as an acronym given by telegraph code operators before 1900 (Merriam-Webster dictionary). The earliest known usage is 1895


another acronym for you, devised by the same telegraphic code was SCOTUS ..... or Supreme Court of the United States

Sylvia, the acronyms may have been around for over a century, but it is only recently, and on this site, that I have been aware of them :-D :-D

I'm probably like you, Allan. acronyms - whoosh - right over my head.
Just say what it means, and if it's too long and 'farty', use fewer words!!!