Initialism Title

"I've given it lots of thought, and think the most fun job in the world must be coming up with the acronyms for Kids Next Door episode titles."

— Chuggaaconroy

A title which is solely an initialism — uses big letters, optionally also dots.

Historically, while the practice of shortening words has been around for a long time (think "SPQR"), it has become very common among companies since the late 19th century; thus, such titles tend to be set in the modern era, and often have a vague suggestion of some powerful organization or government involved somewhere.

This appears to be especially popular for video games.

If such a title has a subtitle, more often than not it will be simply an expansion of the initialism in question.

Note that acronyms written as one normally capitalized word, such as "Scuba" or "Gestapo", do not count as example of this trope. Titles that simply include an initialism (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) don't fit in here either.

Often overlaps with Team Title or Vehicle Title. Sometimes also with Fun with Acronyms, though usually it's because the initialism in the title is already the name of something within the work itself.

This is so common for names of companies, organizations, software and industry products that there's no point in listing them, apart from when they're repurposed as names of works.

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Examples:

Anime & Manga

• BNA: Brand New Animal
• D.I.C.E.: DNA Integrated Cybernetic Enterprises
• FLCL
• IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix
• Q.E.D.
• R.O.D the TV
• Str.A.In.: Strategic Armored Infantry

Comic Books

• B.P.R.D.
• FBP: The Federal Bureau of Physics
• JLA and JSA.
• L.E.G.I.O.N. (DC Comics) and its successor, R.E.B.E.L.S.
• W.H.A.D.A.L.O.T.T.A.J.A.R.G.O.N., a story by Don Rosa
• W.I.T.C.H., and its Animated Adaptation.
• S.H.I.E.L.D.: Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.
  • Lampshaded in the first episode of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. tv-series based on the agency, while discussing the full name of the agency:
    Maria Hill: What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for, Agent Ward?
    Grant Ward: Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
    Hill: And what does that mean to you?
    Ward: It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out "shield."

Film — Animated

• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• WALL•E: Waste Allocation Load Lifter — Earth-class

Film — Live-Action

• A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
• A.C.O.D.: Adult Children of Divorce
• B.A.P.S. Black American Princesses
• C.H.O.M.P.S.: Canine HOMe Protection System
• C.H.U.D.: Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers/Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal
• CODA (2021): Child of Deaf Adults
• C.R.A.Z.Y.
• C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
• D.A.R.Y.L.
• D.E.B.S.
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• F.I.S.T.
• The FP, which is revealed to stand for Frazier Park, a sleepy mountain town in California.
• G.B.F.
• JCVD (stars Jean-Claude Van Damme As Himself)
• K-9
• L.I.E.
• LOL: Laughing Out Loud
• M*A*S*H
• Melody (S.W.A.L.K.)
• M.F.A.
• P.O.E.: Poetry of Eerie, and its sequel POE (2): Project of Evil
• R.I.P.D.
• R.O.T.O.R.
• R.P.M.: Revolutions Per Minute
• S.O.B.
• S.W.A.T. (2003)
• THX 1138
• UHF
• Z.P.G.: Zero Population Growth

Literature

• COLD
• Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: The two parts of the book are titled "GEB" and "EGB" respectively, and the cover art is an artistic rendering of the title's initials. The title's initials are further played with in sundry references to an alleged book, Giraffes, Elephants, Baboons: an Equatorial Grasslands Bestiary by Egbert B. Gebstadter.
• MASH
• RDG: Red Data Girl
• SPQR
• WaR: Wizards and Robots

Live-Action TV

• Used in-universe for 30 Rock with T.G.S. (which was formerly known as The Girly Show until Tracey Jordan was brought on).
• ALF: Alien Life Form
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
• CSI: NY (see page image above)
• Cucumber: Children's Underground Club of United Moose and Beaver for Enthusiastic Reporters
• FBI
• The F.B.I.
• FUBAR
• M*A*S*H, as well as the film on which it was based, as well as the novel on which that was based. All of which stand for the Army term "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital".
• M.A.N.T.I.S.
• JAG, its successor NCIS, and that show's spinoff NCIS: LA (another double initialism!)
• NTSF:SD:SUV:: ("National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle"; a parody of the Police Procedural genre)
• P.J.
• Q.E.D. (a short-lived 80s adventure series)
• RBT (a reality show about motorist stopped for a Random Breath Test)
• RPA (a reality show set at the Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Sydney)
• Skithouse parodied this with commercials for RSVP ("If you're gonna watch it, make sure you let us know!") and BYO.
• S.W.A.T. (1975)
• S.W.A.T. (2017)

Music

• "EMI" (the music label) by Sex Pistols, which immediately leads to Public Image Limited, often known as PIL.
• Front 242's "W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G."
• The Finnish band HIM (formerly known as "His Infernal Majesty")
• Korean Pop Music has a Girl Group called I.O.I which stands for "Ideal Of Idol"
• Kelela has "LMK", which, as the lyrics reveal, stands for "Let Me Know".
• Mark Klem's song "GNA".
• Madonna's MDNA
• Korn's "A.D.I.D.A.S. (All Day I Dream About Sex)"
• Suprême NTM ("Nique Ta Mère")
• "T.S.O.P." (The Sound of Philadelphia) by MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother)
• WASP
• Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M." (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)
• "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." (country song made famous by Tammy Wynette)

Newspaper Comics

• B.C.

Professional Wrestling

Professional Wrestling is all over this trope. Nearly every company uses its initials as part of its branding and advertising.

• AEW: All Elite Wrestling
• AJPW: All Japan Pro Wrestling
• AWA: American Wrestling Association
• JCP: Jim Crockett Promotions
• NJPW: New Japan Pro Wrestling
• NWA: National Wrestling Alliance
• UWF: Universal Wrestling Federation
• WCCW: World Class Championship Wrestling
• WCW: World Championship Wrestling
• WWWF, then WWF, then WWE: World Wide Wrestling Federation, then World Wrestling Federation, then World Wrestling Entertainment, then WWE, Inc.

Tabletop Games

• GURPS - Generic Universal Role Playing System
• GURPS IOU — Illuminati University. Don't ask what the O stands for. You aren't cleared to receive that information.
• SPANC Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirls

Theatre

• J.B., a Setting Update of the book of Job by Archibald MacLeish
• R.U.R.
• SQS (SolidS and Quell on Stage).
  • From the same franchise, Alivestage episode 4: WYD.

Video Games

• A.C.E. - Another Century's Episode
• ADOM - Ancient Domains of Mystery
• ADS: Advanced Destroyer Simulator
• A.I.M.: Artificial Intelligence Machine
• A.L.C.O.N. ("Allied League of Cosmic Nations")
• A.M.C.: Astro Marine Corps
• A.P.B. - All Points Bulletin
• ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat
• A.S.O.: Armored Scrum Object
• A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol
• ATR: All Terrain Racing
• B.A.T. ("Bureau of Astral Troubleshooters")
• B.I.O.T.A. is a metroidvania from the author of Ghostly Matter, though it's never revealed what the initials stand for.
• BCV: Battle Construction Vehicles
• B.O.T.S.S.: Battle Of The Solar System
• B.U.T.T.O.N.: Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now!
• D.I.P.R.I.P.: Die in Pain, Rest in Peace (Half-Life 2 Game Mod)
• DmC: Devil May Cry
• D.N.A.: Dark Native Apostle
• D.R.O.D.: Deadly Rooms of Death
• E.D.F. - Earth Defense Force
• EGG: Elemental Gimmick Gear
• EOE: Eve of Extinction
• E.S.S. ("European Space Simulator")
• F/A (Fighter & Attacker)
• F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon
• FOFT: Federation of Free Traders
• FTL: Faster Than Light
• GTR: FIA GT Racing Game
• GWNN, actually meaning "Game With No Name".
• H.A.T.E.: Hostile All Terrain Encounter
• H.A.W.X.
• H.E.R.O.
• H.U.R.L. (Hardcore Union of Radical Litterbugs)
• I=MGCM (stands for I AM MAGICAMI).^note Previously, the title was MGCM or just MAGICAMI.
• I.S.S.: Incredible Shrinking Sphere
• JASF: Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters
• KGB
• KKND: Krush, Kill 'N' Destroy
• K.O.L.M.: Kind Of Like Metroid
• L.O.L.: Lack of Love
• MAG: Massive Action Game
• M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault & Exploration
• MDK
• M.I.A.: Missing In Action
• MRC: Multi-Racing Championship
• M.U.D.S. - Mean Ugly Dirty Sport
• M.U.L.E.
• M.U.S.H.A. (Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor)
• N.O.M.A.D.
• N.U.D.E.@ Natural Ultimate Digital Experiment
• NYR: New York Race
• O.D.T.: Escape... Or Die Trying
• O.R.B.: Off-World Resource Base
• P.O.D.: Planet Of Death
• P.O.D.: Proof Of Destruction
• P.O.W. - Prisoners of War
• P.T.O.: Pacific Theater of Operations
• R.A.D: Robot Alchemic Drive
• RUSE, which doesn't actually stand for anything.
• S.A.R. - Search and Rescue
• SBK: Snowboard Kids
• S.C.A.R.S.
• S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
• S.C.I.: Special Criminal Investigation
• SDI: Strategic Defense Initiative
• S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International
• SLASH'EM ("Super Lotsa Added Stuff Hack - Extended Magic")
• S.P.Y.: Special Project Y
• SRC: Sprint Robot Championship
• SRD: Super Real Darwin
• SSX
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
• STrike Gunner - S.T.G
• S.W.I.N.E.
• S.W.I.V.
• TERA: The Exiled Realm of Arborea
• TFX: Tactical Fighter Experiment
• T.L.L.: Tornado Low Level
• T.R.A.G. - Tactical Rescue Assault Group
• V.R.: Virtua Racing. Its lesser-known arcade sequel was titled V.F.: Virtua Formula.
• WTF: Work Time Fun
• XDR: X-Dazedly-Ray

Visual Media

• THD by Ian Miller

Web Animation

• RWBY: The story is about a team of four girls and the title is the name their headmaster gives their team. Team names are always acronyms formed from the first letter of the names of the team-members (either personal name or family name). The first letter is always the name of the team leader. RWBY stands for Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang.
• TP: The short is about a living roll of toilet paper.

Webcomics

• DDG (Drop Dead Gorgeous)
• UC the authors are keeping it a secret what UC stands for, for now.
• xkcd does not stand for anything, but since anyone's first question is "What does xkcd stand for", one can let go this aversion.

Western Animation

• C.L.Y.D.E.
• C.O.P.S. (Animated Series)
• Every single episode of Codename: Kids Next Door has one of these titles.
• M.A.S.K.
• M-U-S-H, an Animated Parody of M*A*S*H with an all-animal cast. MUSH stands for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Heroes.
• Parodied on The Wrong Coast with S.W.A.T.A.W.A.T.A.T.A.A. (Special Weapons And Tactics As Well As The Ability To Appraise Antiques), a cross between S.W.A.T. and Antiques Roadshow.
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • "F.U.N.". As per the song SpongeBob sings, F is for friends who do stuff together, U is for U and me, and N is for N-ywhere and anytime at all (down here in the deep blue sea!)
  • "C.H.U.M.S" revolves around Plankton coming across a group of sentient chum beings who let him rule them. The group calls themselves C.H.U.M., or Collective Hive Under Master.

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