Episode 20 • Acronyms
FYI
OMG
TMI
ASAP
NBD
Story
Last weekend I celebrated my birthday. It took me months to plan it, oh and, FYI, the guy I like was going to be there. Well, I wake up in the morning, super excited. I look in the mirror and OMG. I see this huge pimple, right in the middle of my forehead. I swear it was the biggest pimple I had ever seen. In the afternoon, right before getting ready for the party, I checked again and it was twice as big and even redder. Sorry, I know this is probably TMI. Anyway, I called my doctor’s office and asked the secretary to have the doctor call me back ASAP. When he did and I explained the situation to him, he said it was NBD, I just had to wait and it would go away. He couldn’t understand. There was only one thing I could do: I took a pair of scissors and cut my hair so it would hide my forehead. Nobody noticed my pimple at the party, only how ridiculous I looked with that terrible new haircut.
Questions
Okay. Raise your hand if that has never happened to you. You have to go to this huge party, you're super excited about it, and bam, you wake up, you got a huge pimple. It always happens. It's always like that. Let's take a look at today's acronyms.
FYI
'And, FYI, the guy I like was going to be there.'
• What does the acronym FYI stand for?
FYI, For Your Information.
• Is FYI used in formal or informal communications?
FYI can be used both in informal and formal communications.
OMG
'OMG, I see this huge pimple.'
• What does the acronym OMG stand for?
I'm sure you've heard this before. It's Oh My Gosh or Oh My Goodness.
• Is OMG used in formal or informal communications?
Okay, this one's different from the previous one. Absolutely, and strictly only in informal communications. You can not go to the Queen of England and be like, "OMG, I'm so happy to see you." No, no, no, no, no.
• When do you use OMG? Is it when you're bored or surprised?
It's usually used to show surprise. Imagine I tell you, "I just saw Leonardo DiCaprio drive by." Like, "OMG. Are you serious?" Careful when using it, because depending on the way you say it, you may not sound the smartest. It's something that's mostly associated with like shallow girls, so just be aware of how you use it. It can be used in a jokingly manner, but again, definitely not in formal situations.
TMI
'I know this is probably TMI.'
This acronym has become very popular, especially thanks to social media.
• What does it mean? What does it stand for?
TMI stands for, Too Much Information.
• Is TMI used in formal or informal communications?
It's usually used in informal communications, especially, again, on social media, YouTube, Instagram, all of these platforms.
• Why do you use the acronym TMI? Because what you’ve said is appropriate or inappropriate?
If you think something is too much information, that means that you think it's inappropriate, and especially for the people, you're talking to. If you're going to the doctor and you describe, for example, your symptoms. You say how many times you go to the bathroom. It's fine, okay? It's not TMI because you have to say it. But if you're, let's say, shooting a YouTube video and you start talking about how many times you go to the bathroom or that one time that you threw up, some people may think that that's not necessary and it's inappropriate and that's TMI. You could warn your audience by saying, "This is going to be TMI," or you can apologize later by saying, "Sorry, this is probably TMI."
• What topics would you consider TMI?
I personally think if I'm watching a story on Instagram or watching a YouTube video and someone starts talking about their health issues to the point where they describe in detail everything that's wrong with them, in great detail, that really grosses me out and I think it's TMI. I don't need to know that.
ASAP
'I asked the secretary to have the doctor call me back ASAP.'
• What does the acronym ASAP stand for?
This is a very popular one. It means as soon as possible.
• Is ASAP used in formal or informal communications?
ASAP has become incredibly popular and can be used both in informal and formal communication, so pretty much all the time.
• If someone tells you to call them or text them ASAP, do you actually do it?
I'm hoping you would say yes, because if someone says they need to talk to you ASAP, that means that it's probably urgent, so you might want to call them or text them right away. ASAP, as soon as possible.
NBD
'He said it was NBD.'
• What does the acronym NBD stand for?
This is a tricky one. NBD, No Big Deal.
• Is NBD used in formal or informal communications?
Absolutely, 100%, informal. You can only use it with your friends. I'm sure the doctor from the story, he didn't actually use the word NBD because if you call your doctor to tell him about a problem you have and he says, "Oh, it's NBD." Then they’re probably not the most qualified doctors. If I were you, I'd look for another one.
• Is it used to say something is important or not important?
The expression no big deal means that something is not important. Think about the story, a pimple on the forehead.
• Do you think a pimple on the forehead in NBD?
Well, I think my answer is very different now from when I was a teenager because when I was a teenager, I definitely thought that a pimple on my forehead was a big deal but now, I think it's NBD. You know, just throw on some makeup and forget about it. Nobody cares about your pimple at the end of the day.
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