Frustrations with acronyms

I have one problem with my Freelancers Writers and Editors group on Yahoo. Often, someone will use an abbreviation or acronym for something that he or she assumes that's obvious to me.

Sure, I could figure out what WIP (work in progress) means, but I've had to ask about SIL (sister-in-law or son-in-law) and similar acronyms. And when they go into medical jargon, I'm usually lost.

I guess I'll just have to say "Please spell out things for us not-so-sophisticated folk."

Contact: Reach me at tgilli52@gmail.com or nc3022@yahoo.com.

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Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

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More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

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• Links to TG's stories online

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• What I do when I'm editing

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

• Wipeout at Death Valley

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• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer outta there!

EVP Parcells

HEADLINE FOUND ONLINE: Former Dolphins EVP Parcells, WR Carter Voted Into Pro Football Hall of Fame

I have a problem with EVP. I realize Bill Parcells was an executive vice president for the Miami Dolphins, but most people wouldn't. The headline writer might have said Former Dolphins exec Parcells..., as headline writers use exec for executive all the time.

Or they could have said Former Dolphins boss Parcells...

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK.

More EDITOR@WORK blog entries

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

Entries from The Dog Blog

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer outta there!