History Main / AcronymConfusion

* S.F. is either UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco or the initials and an alias of Creator/{{Konami}} in-house musician Sota Fujimori. Or you could be talking about Science Fiction, although God help you if you dare to use the initials around Creator/HarlanEllison. Fighting game fans will think of ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Nintendo fans will think of ''VideoGame/StarFox'' and old-school Sega fans will think of ''VideoGame/ShiningForce''. A certain niche of RPG fans will think of ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier''.

* MC could mean "main character", "Master of Ceremonies", "Medical Corps", "Member of Congress", "Maine Coon" (a breed of cat), "media card", "master chief", "master card", "multiple choice", "motor control", "memory card", or "''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''".

* "TT" could refer to Creator/TelltaleGames or Creator/TravellersTales, although Telltale is more often abbreviated as "TTG". It could also potentially be the character from ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' that's ''named'' "T.T.", or the character from the also Rare-developed ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' named "Trophy Thomas", of which both are associated with something else starting with the same initials, Time Trials. Some people also use it to mean "toilet training", and on this website, it can mean "Troper Tales" (a defunct part of the site). Among motorcycle racing fans, TT stands for "Tourist Trophy", referring to a famed annual series of races on the UsefulNotes/IsleOfMan. Finally, there's the Franchise/TeenTitans to add on.

* "TT" could refer to Creator/TelltaleGames or Creator/TravellersTales, although Telltale is more often abbreviated as "TTG". It could also potentially be the character from ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' that's ''named'' "T.T.", or the character from the also Rare-developed ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' named "Trophy Thomas", of which both are associated with something else starting with the same initials, Time Trials. Some people also use it to mean "toilet training", and on this website, it can mean "Troper Tales" (a defunct part of the site). Finally, there's the Franchise/TeenTitans to add on.

* '''SD''' is an initialism that may need a bit of context in a conversation about anime and manga -- are we talking about ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays''? ''Anime/StarDriver''? ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain''? Or perhaps the "SuperDeformed" character art style (or any number of titles based on it, like ''Anime/SDGundamForce'' or ''Series/KamenRiderSD'')? It can also stand for ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' or, on this website, SelfDemonstrating. Not to mention that it's the US postal code for UsefulNotes/SouthDakota.

* BHM: Black History Month or ''VideoGame/BulletHellMonday''.

* A.A. can stand for Alcoholics Anonymous. Or you could be talking about the Argentium Astrum, a magical order founded by Creator/AleisterCrowley. The latter is spelled A∴A∴ for some mystical reason, or to avoid the confusion -- take your pick. In the UK, AA can also stand for the Automobile Association[[labelnote:*]]though it no longer legally uses that name, and simply goes by "The AA" these days[[/labelnote]], a motoring organisation.
* In America, AAA means American Automobile Association--or Anti-Aircraft Artillery, or the Archives of American Art. It can also mean a triple-A battery (the "A" stands for "alkaline") or, on ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', Aristotle A. Avinroo or Almost Abandoned Attic.

* BC usually stands for "Before Christ", but on ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', it means "beauty contest". Then there was the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Ugh", which joked that it stood for "Before Comedy".

* BLM: "Bureau of Land Management" or "Black Lives Matter"? The former manages the land for 1/8 of the United States landmass (government-owned public land), while [[UsefulNotes/BlackLivesMatterMovement the latter]] is an activist movement. It also could refer to the the minor activist group Bacon Lettece Moms from Literature/{{Shimoneta}} but this one happens way less.

* American universities tend to get this in spades (with the "GSU" entry above as an extreme example). The University of Southern California is rarely referred to by anything ''other'' than "USC", but alumni of the University of South Carolina always insist that they're "the real USC". Likewise, Oregon State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State all use the "OSU" initialism, "UNH" is both the University of New Hampshire and the University of New Haven (Connecticut), and "MSU", um...yeah. That could be Michigan State[[note]]the most common meaning outside of relatively local regions around the others, and msu.edu belongs to them[[/note]] or Mississippi State... or Montana State, Morehead State, Morgan State, Missouri State[[note]]formerly SMS (Southwest Missouri State)[[/note]], Murray State, or [=McNeese=] State... or Minnesota State, Mountain State (now defunct), Montclair State, Metropolitan State (completely separate schools in UsefulNotes/{{Denver}} and [[UsefulNotes/TwinCities St. Paul]]), or Minot State. And that's just in the United States; there's also the Russian universities Maritime State and Moscow State, as well as the Indian Maharaja Sayajirao and Manonmaniam Sundaranar. Or UsefulNotes/{{Moldova}} State University, the Mahendra Sanskrit University in UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}, the Mindanao State University in the Philippines, the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, the Mahasarakham University in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Turkey, and UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}'s Midlands State University. In a similar vein, UM could refer to the University of Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Maine, or Montana. (This is why the "M" will sometimes be followed by a few more letters, like "U-Mich" or "[=UMass=]".[[note]]Or, another term can be used. Mississippi will use "UM" in some academic contexts, but more often uses "Ole Miss", which is the athletic department's ''only'' approved term. Missouri uses UM in some contexts, officially calls its athletic program "Missouri", but affectionately uses "Mizzou".[[/note]]) As noted above, {{averted|Trope}} by the University of Kansas, which calls itself "KU" and leaves "UK" to the University of Kentucky.

* Among film award circles, HFCS is the initialism used for both the [[http://hifilmcriticssociety.org/ Hawaii Film Critics Society]] and the [[https://houstonfilmcritics.com/ Houston Film Critics Society]].

* KOR can stand for either ''Manga/KimagureOrangeRoad'' or the UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball abbreviation for South Korea's national team.

* When you say you play MK, this could mean that you like playing ''Franchise/MortalKombat''. Or ''VideoGame/MarioKart''. Or that you like to play as Meta Knight in ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games and/or ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''. Aside from video games, it could also refer to [[Ride/WaltDisneyWorld Magic Kingdom.]] In ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense 6'', it could refer to [[SkillScoresAndPerks Monkey Knowledge]]

* NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is not ambiguious; but the agency has ''produced'' a large number of ambiguious acronyms, due to a tendency to come up with contrived acronyms for everything. Examples include "CM", which could be the Command Module of the Apollo spacecraft or something's center-of-mass, and "FM", which could be a Failure Mode of the space shuttle or the more usual Frequency Modulation.

* NFC can either stand for '''N'''ear-'''F'''ield '''C'''ommunication, a protocol for electronic devices and smart-tags to communicate with each other with, or '''N'''orwegian '''F'''orest '''C'''at, a breed of cat. If you need a way for people to identify your NFC in case it gets lost, you can put a collar with an NFC tag on it.

* PAL can refer to "Phase Alternating Line", an analogue television standard used in Europe, Australia and the eastern half of South America, among other regions. Perhaps it's a good thing the Philippines is among the countries that used the NTSC standard instead of PAL, because PAL also stands for '''P'''hilippine '''A'''ir'''l'''ines.
* A common joke in speedrun streams is PB: personal best, ''or'' peanut butter. It's also the chemical symbol for lead, and on ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', it means "paintbrush".

* '''SD''' is an acronym that may need a bit of context in a conversation about anime and manga -- are we talking about ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays''? ''Anime/StarDriver''? ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain''? Or perhaps the "SuperDeformed" character art style (or any number of titles based on it, like ''Anime/SDGundamForce'' or ''Series/KamenRiderSD'')? It can also stand for ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' or, on this website, SelfDemonstrating.

* During the UsefulNotes/SovietInvasionOfAfghanistan, a group of German forwarding agents was captured and killed by a Mujaheddin militia after they were MistakenForSpies. The reason? They were driving lorries with UsefulNotes/{{Bonn}} number plates, all of which read "SU" (which stands for the district of '''S'''iegb'''u'''rg, not ''''S'''oviet '''U'''nion').

* SWAT, as in "Surface Water Assessment Team," came into the public eye after the 2010 BP Oil Spill.

* FF: ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' or ''VideoGame/FatalFury''? Or maybe ''VideoGame/FatalFrame''? Or ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''? Or '''f'''ront-engine, '''f'''ront-wheel drive vehicles? Or {{fanfiction}}? Or (on ''Website/{{Neopets}}'') Future Fashions? Or Firefox? On TV Tropes, it used to stand for the now-deprecated trope Fetish Fuel.

* GB: Gigabyte, goodbye, or ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}''?

* GTA is either the Greater UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} Area or [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto a crime-oriented action game series]]. ''[[https://soundcloud.com/wearegta Or]]'' a DJ duo from Miami whose name means Good Times Ahead.

* MP: When referring to games, this could be ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' or ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Metroid Prime]]''. It could also just refer to a game being multiplayer. If you're talking role-playing games, it could refer to magic points or something similar.
* MS could stand for "multiple sclerosis" or "Mary Sue" (slang for an over-idealised fanfiction character).

* PC can mean "politically correct" or "personal computer". On ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', it can also mean "Pound Chat", "Plot Chat" (two forums on the site), or "prize check".

* A.A. can stand for Alcoholics Anonymous. Or you could be talking about the Argentium Astrum, a magical order founded by Creator/AleisterCrowley. The latter is spelled A∴A∴ for some mystical reason, or to avoid the confusion -- take your pick. In the UK, AA can also stand for the Automobile Association[[labelnote:*]]though it no longer legally uses that name, and simply goes by "The AA" these days[[/labelnote]], a motoring organisation. Conversely, in America, AAA means American Automobile Association--or Anti-Aircraft Artillery, or the Archives of American Art.

* CBT: If you get a suggestion that somebody can help you improve your life through CBT, you should probably make sure they mean Cognitive Behavioral Therapy rather than [[GroinAttack Cock and Ball Torture]]. Jokes about C&B torture also abound whenever a major video game has a Closed Beta Test.

* FF: ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' or ''VideoGame/FatalFury''? Or maybe ''VideoGame/FatalFrame''? Or ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''? Or '''f'''ront-engine, '''f'''ront-wheel drive vehicles?

* '''IP''': In the English-speaking world, especially in the U.S., it's the legal speech for ''Intellectual Property'', while in Mexico it means ''Iniciativa Privada'' (literally as "Private Initiative", translated context-wise as "Private (non-government owned) enterprises"). However, to computer geeks, this means ''Internet Protocol'' instead.

* MD can refer to the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Mega Drive]], ''VideoGame/MuseDash'', or ''VideoGame/MusicDiver'' (the arcade game by Creator/{{Taito}}). The latter two can be a sore point for RhythmGame players, as those two games are rhythm games.

* NA: North America, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturally_aspirated_engine naturally aspirated (engine)]], or a Night Auditor in a hotel.

* A common joke in speedrun streams is PB: personal best, ''or'' peanut butter.

* In the United States, "SC" refers to the state of South Carolina. Within Northern California, it means the city of Santa Cruz...unless you're in the Silicon Valley area, in which case it refers to the city of Santa Clara. Gets even more fun among fans of ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'', as it can stand for 'Softcore' (to differentiate from hardcore) or 'Seal Clubber', one of the classes. So you can be an SC SC from SC.
* '''SD''' is an acronym that may need a bit of context in a conversation about anime and manga -- are we talking about ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays''? ''Anime/StarDriver''? ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain''? Or perhaps the "SuperDeformed" character art style (or any number of titles based on it, like ''Anime/SDGundamForce'' or ''Series/KamenRiderSD'')?

* "TT" could refer to Creator/TelltaleGames or Creator/TravellersTales, although Telltale is more often abbreviated as "TTG". It could also potentially be the character from ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' that's ''named'' "T.T.", or the character from the also Rare-developed ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' named "Trophy Thomas", of which both are associated with something else starting with the same initials, Time Trials. Finally, there's the Franchise/TeenTitans to add on.

* Among film award circles, the HFCS is the initialism used for both the [[http://hifilmcriticssociety.org/ Hawaii Film Critics Society]] and the [[https://houstonfilmcritics.com/ Houston Film Critics Society]].

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', when the duo commandeer a submarine, Brain has Pinky alter the acronym signal it gives out so no one will know it has been stolen. Pinky therefore changes the signal to say [[CatchPhrase N.A.R.F]]. Unfortunately, the Pentagon thinks it stands for Nuclear Attack Readiness Formation and has the sub bombed with depth charges.

[[folder:Fan Work]]

* BLM: "Bureau of Land Management" or "Black Lives Matter"? The former manages the land for 1/8 of the United States landmass (government-owned public land), while [[UsefulNotes/BlackLivesMatterMovement the latter]] is an activist movement. It also could refer to the the minor activist group Bacon Lettece Moms from LightNovel/{{Shimoneta}} but this one happens way less.

* IPA can stand for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_pale_ale India Pale Ale]] (a kind of beer), the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet International Phonetic Alphabet]] (an international phonetic transcription system), or the package filename extension for [[Creator/Apple iOS]] apps (standing for iPhone Application).

* In the medical field, DNR stands for "Do Not Resuscitate", meaning that for one reason or another, medical staff are ordered not to try to revive a patient if their heart stops beating. People in this field thus get very confused when hotel workers talk about putting a particularly problematic guest on DNR, which in hospitality-speak means [[PersonaNonGrata "Do Not Rent"]]. And gods forbid you have to put someone on either DNR status in Ukraine or Russia, where "DNR" stands for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk_People%27s_Republic Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika]] (Donetsk People's Republic). It can also stand for Digital Noise Reduction, a form of digital processing that is often used to make films look more modern, [[DigitalDestruction often to awful results]], or Department of Natural Resources.

* In the medical field, DNR stands for "Do Not Resuscitate", meaning that for one reason or another, medical staff are ordered not to try to revive a patient if their heart stops beating. People in this field thus get very confused when hotel workers talk about putting a particularly problematic guest on DNR, which in hospitality-speak means [[PersonaNonGrata "Do Not Rent"]]. And gods forbid you have to put someone on either DNR status in Ukraine or Russia, where "DNR" stands for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk_People%27s_Republic Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika]] (Donetsk People's Republic). It can also stand for Digital Noise Reduction, a form of digital processing that is often used to make films look more modern, [[DigitalDestruction often to awful results]].

* In the Polish comic ''ComicBook/KajkoIKokosz'', an important official comes to visit the town. The whole book consists of the two knights performing all kinds of whacky hijinks to impress him (all the while hiding the fact, that most people in town have been cursed with sloth) only to find out that... he wasn't quite so important. The acronym was the same... N.I.K. (Which in Poland is ''Najwyższa Izba Kontroli'' (Supreme Chamber of Control) but here interpreted as ''Najwyższa Inspekcja Kaszteli'' (Highest Inspector of Castles). Turned out to be ''Niższy Instruktor Konkursów'' (Junior Instructor of Competitions)).

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Duffless"

* BLM: "Bureau of Land Management" or "Black Lives Matter"? The former manages the land for 1/8 of the United States landmass (government-owned public land), while [[UsefulNotes/BlackLivesMatterMovement the latter]] is an activist movement. It also could refer to the the minor activist group Bacon Lettece Moms from LightNovel/{{Shimoneta}} but this one happenes way less.
* BMS can refer to either the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be-Music_Source Be-Music Source]] file format used widely for chart files for ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}}'' and ''beatmania IIDX'' simulators, or Battle Music Stages in ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy''. Yeah that's right, it stands for two different things within [[RhythmGame the same genre]].
* CBT: If you get a suggestion that somebody can help you improve your life through CBT, you should probably make sure they mean Cognitive Behavioral Therapy rather than [[GroinAttack Cock and Ball Torture]]. Detractors have also jokingly proposed this as the new nickname for the Cleveland Baseball Team (which ultimately ended up as the Cleveland Guardians). And jokes about C&B torture abound whenever a major video game has a Closed Beta Test.

* MAP: Can stand for either '''M'''ulti '''A'''nimator '''P'''roject ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin an animation project]] composed of segments drawn by different people) or '''M'''inor '''A'''ttracted '''P'''erson (a pedophile). The online animation community has debated whether to change their acronym to avoid [[MistakenForPedophile being mistaken for perverts]], or keep it and try to supplant the other meaning.

* MD can refer to the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Mega Drive]], ''VideoGame/MuseDash'', or ''VideoGame/MusicDiver''. The latter two can be a sore point for RhythmGame players, as those two games are rhythm games.

* For some reason, a character from ''Film/{{ROTOR}}'' uses "C.O.D."[[note]]"Cash On Delivery" or, alternatively, "Collect On Delivery"[[/note]] as a BondOneLiner, even though it makes no sense in context. One would surmise they had intended "D.O.A."[[note]]Dead On Arrival[[/note]]
** Not having seen the movie, I have no idea as to context, etc, but C.O.D. can also mean "cause of death," among police and other emergency services.