List of Singapore abbreviations

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This list of Singapore abbreviations sets out abbreviations that are commonly used in Singapore.

Overview[edit]

Abbreviations are of three basic kinds:

  • Clippings, in which a shortened form of a word occurs. Common clippings in Singapore are: air-con (from "air-conditioner"),[1] condo (from "condominium"),[2] sabo (from "sabotage"),[3] and cert (from "certificate").[4]
  • Acronyms, in which the initial letters are formed into a single word, such as scuba, which is derived from "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus". Creation of acronyms such as this is rare in Singaporean English, though TIBS (/ˈtɪbz/, "Trans-Island Bus Service") and CISCO (/ˈsɪskoʊ/, "Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation") are found.[5]
  • Initialisms, in which the individual letters are spelled out. This is by far the most common category in Singapore, including PAP ("People's Action Party") and PIE ("Pan-Island Expressway"), which are pronounced /ˌpiː ˌeɪ ˈpiː/ and /ˌpiː ˌaɪ ˈiː/ respectively and never */ˈpæp/ and */ˈpaɪ/. Some analysts regard initialisms such as these as one kind of acronym,[6] but others prefer to distinguish between the two categories.[7]

Initialisms are extremely common in Singapore, and many have become better known and more widely used than the full form of the words they represent. One example is the Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital, which is more commonly referred to as KKH.!!!

The most important category of Singapore initialisms are those for government departments and public institutions. Among the earliest examples are PUB ("Public Utilities Board") and HDB ("Housing Development Board"). Abbreviations such as these were especially important in the past when most Singaporeans were not educated in English, and their use facilitated communication in the public services where the main administrative language is English. Government departments have therefore promoted the use of these initialisms, so they occur even in non-English publications. Although the younger generation of Singaporeans are now all educated in English, abbreviations remain a major characteristic of Singapore English!!!

There are efforts to maintain some consistency among the initialisms.[citation needed] Three letters are used for government institutions (PUB, HDB, CPF, MOH, CWO) and for expressways (AYE, PIE, KJE), while two letters are used for polytechnics (SP, RP). To maintain this consistency, some abbreviations are not direct initials; for example CTE is used for "Central Expressway" instead of *CE, and NP is used for "Ngee Ann Polytechnic" instead of *NAP. When the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was established in 1991, the name was chosen instead of the alternative "Nanyang University of Technology" because the latter would have resulted in the unsuitable NUT. While Anderson Secondary School has shortened its name to ANDSS instead of ASS!!!

Recently, there have emerged a number of unconventional abbreviations, such as A*STAR for Agency for Science, Technology and Research.) When SAFTI (Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute) was reorganised in 1995, it acquired the name SAFTI Military Institute, further abbreviated as SAFTI MI, which when fully expanded would form a rather awkward title Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute Military Institute!!!

Abbreviations[edit]

0–9[edit]

  • 4D - 4-Digits, a Singapore lottery
  • 5 C's - 5 C's of Singapore: Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, Country club
  • 6 C's - 6 C's of Singapore: Career, Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, Country club

A[edit]

B[edit]

C[edit]

D[edit]

E[edit]

F[edit]

G[edit]

H[edit]

I[edit]

J[edit]

K[edit]

L[edit]

M[edit]

N[edit]

A road sign outside the campus of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), from Singapore English (2007) by David Deterding.

O[edit]

P[edit]

Q[edit]

  • QDL - Qualified Driving Licence
  • QPS - Qihua Primary School

R[edit]

S[edit]

T[edit]

U[edit]

V[edit]

W[edit]

X[edit]

  • XMM - Xiǎo Mèi Mèi (小妹妹，literally 'small girl')
  • XHH - Xiǎo Hùn Hùn (小混混，literally 'young gangster')
  • XMS - Xinmin Secondary School

Y

Z

Abbreviations in the military[edit]

This is a list of abbreviations commonly used in the Singapore Armed Forces, including slang terms. They are often used in place of the expanded form of the words. Some abbreviations are similar to those used in other military. Other abbreviations may be identical to those used outside of military but with differing context.

People[edit]

Ranks[edit]

See also: Singapore Armed Forces ranks

These ranks are arranged in descending order of seniority

Officers[edit]
Army and Air Force Navy
  • LG - Lieutenant General
  • MG - Major General
  • BG - Brigadier General
  • VADM - Vice Admiral
  • RADM - Rear Admiral
  • COL - Colonel
  • SLTC - Senior Lieutenant Colonel
  • LTC - Lieutenant Colonel
  • MAJ - Major
  • CPT - Captain
  • LTA - Lieutenant
  • 2LT - Second Lieutenant
  • OCT - Officer Cadet
Warrant officers[edit]
  • CWO - Chief Warrant Officer
  • SWO - Senior Warrant Officer
  • MWO - Master Warrant Officer
  • 1WO - First Warrant Officer (formerly Warrant Officer Class 1, "WO1" or "WOI")
  • 2WO - Second Warrant Officer (formerly Warrant Officer Class 2, "WO2" or "WOII")
  • 3WO - Third Warrant Officer
Specialists[edit]
  • MSG - Master Sergeant
  • SSG - Staff Sergeant
  • 1SG - First Sergeant
  • 2SG - Second Sergeant
  • 3SG - Third Sergeant
  • SGT - Sergeant (defunct – replaced by "1SG", "2SG" and "3SG")
  • SCT - Specialist Cadet
Enlistees[edit]
  • CFC - Corporal First Class
  • CPL - Corporal
  • LCP - Lance Corporal
  • PFC - Private First Class
  • PTE - Private
  • REC - Recruit

Other Ranks[edit]

Military Domain Experts[edit]
  • ME9 - Military Expert 9
  • ME8 - Military Expert 8
  • ME7 - Military Expert 7
  • ME6 - Military Expert 6
  • ME5 - Military Expert 5
  • ME4 - Military Expert 4
  • ME4(A) - Military Expert 4 (Apprentice)
  • ME4(T) - Military Expert 4 (Trainee)
  • ME3 - Military Expert 3
  • ME2 - Military Expert 2
  • ME1 - Military Expert 1
  • ME1(T) - Military Expert 1 (Trainee)
SAF Volunteer Corps[edit]
  • SV 4 - SAF Volunteer 4
  • SV 3 - SAF Volunteer 3
  • SV 2 - SAF Volunteer 2
  • SV 1 - SAF Volunteer 1
  • SV (T) - SAF Volunteer (Trainee)

Appointments and offices[edit]

  • 2IC - Second-in-charge (see "IC")
  • ASM - Army Sergeant Major
  • BC - Battery Commander
  • BDO - Battery Duty Officer
  • BOS - Battalion Orderly Sergeant or Brigade Orderly Sergeant
  • BSM - Battery Sergeant Major or Brigade Sergeant Major
  • BSO - Battalion Signal Officer
  • BQMS - or "BQ" - Battery Quartermaster Sergeant
  • CAO - Chief Armour Officer
  • CAF - Chief of Air Force
  • CCO - Camp Commandant's Office
  • CDF - Chief of Defence Force
  • CDI - Chief of Digital and Intelligence Service
  • CDO - Company Duty Officer
  • CDS - Company Duty Sergeant
  • CMC - Chief of Medical Corps
  • CNV - Chief of Navy
  • CO - Commanding Officer
  • COA - Chief of Army
  • COS - Company Orderly Sergeant
  • CQMS - or "CQ" - Company Quartermaster Sergeant
  • CSM - Company Sergeant Major
  • DDO - Divisional Duty Officer
  • DO - Duty Officer
  • DOO - Duty Orderly Officer
  • DOS - Duty Orderly Sergeant
  • DS - Duty Sergeant
  • DSM - Division Sergeant Major
  • Dy S1 - Deputy Manpower Officer
  • Dy S2 - Deputy Intelligence Officer
  • Dy S3 - Deputy Training and Operation Officer
  • Dy S4 - Deputy Logistics Officer
  • FDO - Field Duty Officer
  • FS - Fitness Specialist
  • FSM - Formation Sergeant Major
  • IC - (person) in command or in charge (see also "2IC")
  • IO - Intelligence Officer or Investigating Officer
  • MO - Medical Officer
  • MTO - Military Transport Officer
  • NO - Nursing Officer
  • NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer (defunct – replaced by "Specialist")
  • OC - Officer Commanding (Company Commander in other militaries)
  • PC - Platoon Commander
  • PS - Platoon Sergeant
  • PSO - Principal Staff Officer
  • PTI - Physical Training Instructor
  • QM - Quartermaster - usually a commissioned officer or a senior warrant officer
  • RQMS - Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant - usually a warrant officer in the SAF
  • RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major
  • S1 - Manpower Officer
  • S2 - Intelligence Officer
  • S3 - Training and Operation Officer
  • S4 - Logistics Officer
  • SDO - School Duty Officer (use is limited to training schools)
  • SM - Sergeant Major
  • SSM - School Sergeant Major
  • WOSA - Warrant officers, specialists and airmen
  • WOSE - Warrant officers, specialists and enlistees
  • WOSPEC - Warrant officers and specialists

Units and organizations[edit]

Places[edit]

  • 265 - formerly a hill in Marsiling with an elevation of 265 feet which was used for training; it has been levelled for urban development.
  • ATEC - Army Training and Evaluation Center
  • BCTC - Basic Combat Training Center
  • PLC - Pasir Laba Camp
  • PRC - Pasir Ris Camp
  • SAFTI - Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (term now defunct)
  • SAFTI MI - SAFTI Military Institute

Weapons, vehicles and equipment[edit]

Slang[edit]

  • FO - fall out; fuck off
  • LOBO - left out of battle order (refers to a soldier who has not been assigned a fixed vocation)
  • LLST - lan lan suck thumb, meaning to embrace the fact and continue
  • NATO - no action, talk only
  • Pikachu - from the hokkien expression "bai kah bai chew", meaning crippled
  • SBC - simply boh chup – indifferent, not caring (from the abbreviation of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation)
  • WALI - walk around, look important
  • ROC - relax one corner
  • OTOT - own time own target
  • RSAF - rarely seen after five. Also the acronym for the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
  • SOC - siam one corner, that is, to hide somewhere in order to avoid meeting one's superiors, doing work, etc. (from the abbreviation of "Standard Obstacle Course")

Others[edit]

  • 11B - SAF 11B, the military identity card, referring to the eleven pieces of basic information written.
  • 1206 - SAF 1206, a form signed to acknowledge deductions made to a soldier's payroll for damaging or losing equipment, etc. (pronounced "twelve-O-six")
  • 1211 - SAF 1211, an issue and receipt voucher for proof of receiving and issuing of goods.
  • 302 - SAF 302, a form signed to declare own homosexual orientation (pronounced "three-O-two")
  • 15A - SAF 15A, a temporary document used alongside a photo ID card and police report, in place of a lost or stolen 11B
  • ACCT - Advanced Close Combat Training
  • AI - Armoured Infantry troopers
  • AOC - Advanced Obstacle Course
  • ATP - Advanced Trainfire Package
  • Attend B - medical status that allows soldier to perform only light duties
  • Attend C - medical status that exempts soldier from all duties
  • AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave
  • BAC - Battle Assault Course
  • BCCT - Basic Close Combat Training
  • BER - beyond economic repair
  • BIBO - book-in/book-out (book)
  • BIC - Battle Inoculation Course
  • BMT - Basic Military Training
  • BRO - Battalion Routine Order
  • BTP - Basic Trainfire Package
  • BUA - Built-up area (see also "FIBUA")
  • C3 - command, control and communication (pronounced "C-three" or "C-cube")
  • CBRE - Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group
  • CIS - Chartered Industries of Singapore
  • CMTL - Centralised Motor Transport Line
  • COC - Change of Command Parade
  • CP - Command Post
  • CRO - Company Routine Orders
  • CS - Combat Shoot
  • CST - Combat Survival Training
  • DB - detention barracks
  • DIV - division
  • DOD - date of disruption
  • EVAC - evacuation
  • FATEP - Field Artillery Training Evaluation Phase
  • FFE - fire for effect
  • FFF - Fit For Firing certification
  • FFI - Fitness For Instructions
  • FIBUA - fighting in built-up area (see also "BUA")
  • FO - Forward Observer, soldier who corrects artillery fire
  • FOFO - fighting on Fortified objectives
  • FPF - final protective fire
  • G50 - G50, a form submitted for security clearance in military or government sectors
  • GLS - Ground Logistics Support
  • HCC - High Confidence Course
  • HOTO - Hand over take over
  • IA - Immediate Action, a pre-trained drill for responding to a certain situation
  • ICCT - Intermediate Close Combat Training
  • ICT - In Camp Training (also simply known as in-camp)
  • IFC - Individual Field Craft
  • IMT - Individual Marksmanship Trainer
  • IPPT - Individual Physical Proficiency Test
  • IPT - Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) Preparatory Training Programme
  • L/F - live firing
  • LD - medical status that allows soldiers to perform only light duties
  • LOA - letter of authority/authorisation
  • OOC - Out of Course
  • OOT - Out of Training
  • ORD - Operationally Ready Date (formerly "ROD")
  • QI - Quarterly Inspection certification
  • RMJ - medical status that excuses soldiers from running, marching and jumping
  • RO - Routine Orders
  • ROD - Run Out Date (now "ORD")
  • PES - Physical Employment Status
  • SOC - Standard Obstacle Course
  • SOL - stoppage of leave
  • TH - Technical Handling
  • UFF - unfit for firing
  • VOC - Vocation Obstacle Course
  • WH - White Horse marking in medical docket indicative of special treatment required

Abbreviations in transport[edit]

As in most other major cities, abbreviations are commonly used in transport-related matters. The most prominent are the three-letter abbreviations of the expressways in Singapore; all, except one, end with the letter "E":

With the introduction of the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS) in 1998, LED signboards were installed along the expressways to display warning and other informational messages to road users. This led to the increased use of abbreviations, some of which are less common and not easily understood. The following are examples of abbreviations used in the EMAS:[8]

  • NTH RD - North Road
  • STH RD - South Road
  • (CCK) DR - (Choa Chu Kang) Drive
  • TOWN HALL - Jurong Town Hall Road
  • (TP) AVE 10 - (Tampines) Avenue 10
  • LT - left
  • RT - right
  • AFT - after
  • BEF - before
  • LN - lane
  • SH - shoulder

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Low, Ee Ling; Adam Brown (2005). English in Singapore: An Introduction. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education (Asia). p. 69. ISBN 0-07-123975-8.
  2. ^ Brown, Adam (2000). Singapore English in a Nutshell: An Alphabetical Description of its Features. Singapore: Federal Publications. pp. 57–58. ISBN 981-01-2435-X.
  3. ^ Brown, Singapore English in a Nutshell, above, p. 187.
  4. ^ Deterding, David (2007). Singapore English. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7486-2545-1.
  5. ^ Brown, Singapore English in a Nutshell, above, p. 112.
  6. ^ Low & Brown, English in Singapore, above, p. 70.
  7. ^ Deterding, Singapore English, above, p. 77.
  8. ^ "EMAS – Your guide to a safer ride". The Highway. Automobile Association of Singapore. February 2001. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-11. .

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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