Acronym

Translation

ASFAICS

As Far As I Can See

AFAIK

As Far As I Know

APAR

Authorized Program Analysis Report

ALGOL

ALGOrithmic Language

BASIC

Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code

BIOS

Basic Input Output System

BSOD

Blue Screen of Death (may you never see it)

CEC

Central Electronic Complex

CICS

Customer Information Control System

Constantly Is Corrupting Storage

CMG

Computer Measurement Group

COBOL

Common Business Oriented Language

CODEC

COde, DECode

CPU

Central Processing Unit

CSTOR

Central STORage

DASD

Direct Access Storage Device

DIMM

Dual Inline Memory Module

EPROM

Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory

ESTOR

Expanded STORage

FLIH

First Level Interrupt Handler

FORTRAN

FORmula TRANslation

FTP

File Transmission Protocol

GIGO

Garbage In, Garbage Out

GIM

General Information Manual

IBM

International Business Machines

I've Been Moved

IEEE

Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers

IMHO

In My Humble Opinion

JARS

Johnson Account Receivable System

JES

Job Entry Subsystem

LAN

Local Area Network

LOL

Laughing Out Loud

MIH

Missing Interrupt Handler

MIPS

Millions of Instructions Per Second

Meaningless Indicator of Processor Speed

MFLOPS

Millions of FLOating Point operations Per Second

MODEM

MOdulate, DEModulate

PARS

Performance Analysts Relaxation Sessions

POTS

Plain Old Telephone Service

POWER

Priority Output Writers, Execution processors & input Readers (IBM VSE job entry and spooling program)

PROM

Programmable Read-Only Memory

PTF

Program Temporary Fix

PUT

Program Update Tape

RAM

Random Access Memory

ROM

Read-Only Memory

ROTFL

Rolling On The Floor Laughing

RSCS

Remote Spooling Communication Subsystem (IBM VM remote output distribution system)

SAA

Systems Application Architecture

SCIDS

Session on Common Information DiscussionS (informal discussion sessions at SHARE)

SIMM

Single Inline Memory Module

SLIH

Second Level Interrupt Handler

SMP

Systems Maintenance Program

SNA

Systems Network Architecture

SNOBOL

StriNg Oriented symBOlic Language (Programming Language)

SPOOL

Simultaneous Peripheral Operations On-Line

TCPIP

Transmission Control Protocol -- Internet Protocol

VESA

Video Electronics Standards Association

VSAM

Virtual Sequential Access Method

VTAM

Virtual Telecommunications Access Method

WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get

Acronym

Description

ASDIC

Anti-Submarine Detection In Combat

BENELUX

BElgium, NEtherlands, LUXembourg. A European trade organization

Canora

CAnadian NOrthern RAilway (town in Saskatchewan)

COSCO

Chinese Overseas Shipping COmpany

DERV

Diesel-Engined Road Vehicle

DIN

Deutsche Industrie Norm

EPCOT

Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow

FLAK

FLieger Abwehr Kanone (pilot defence gun)

FRED

Flashing Rear-End Device, also F***ing Rear-End Device

GESTAPO

GEheime STAats POlizei (Secret police in Nazi Germany 1934-1945)

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

LASER

Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation

MASER

Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation

MIRV

Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

OPEC

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

OTAN

Organization Treate de l'Atlantique du Nord (NATO in French)

PLUTO

PipeLine Under The Ocean

RADAR

Radio Detection And Ranging

SAE

Society of Automotive Engineers

SALT

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

SCUBA

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

SEATO

South-East Asia Treaty Organization

SONAR

SOund Navigation and Ranging

START

STrategic Arms Reduction Talks

TOW

Tube-launched, Optically-guided Weapon

Acronym

Description

BOHICA

Bend Over Here It Comes Again

FUBAR

F***ed Up Beyond All Repair

RTFM

Read the F***ing Manual

SNAFU

Situation Normal, All F***ed Up

SOL

S**t Outta Luck

SWANK

Sealed With A Nice Kiss

TTFN

Ta-Ta For Now