– Time For A Tiara: Column by Ginna Young – - What does that even mean?!

We use a lot of acronyms in the newspaper world, but sometimes, I forget that not everyone speaks as fluently in the lingo. For example, we have five newspapers in our company (Central Wisconsin Publications), and instead of spelling them all out or verbally speaking the entire name, we abbreviate, using acronyms. So, we, Courier Sentinel, are CS. There’s also SN ( Star News), TP ( Tribune Phonograph), RR ( Record Review) and TRG ( Tribune Record Gleaner). We also do the same for referencing advertising size – PCI (per column inch) and for Lake Holcombe School (LH), just to name a few. It saves time to say and type. Acronyms are part of life, even though some people don’t realize it. I bet you never even think about saying USDA or FDA, do you? But you’re using acronyms right there, instead of U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Food and Drug Administration. How about CDC? That, of course, stands for the Centers for Disease Control. Then, there’s ASAP (as soon as possible). Some, well, they’re a little more obscure and unless you’re in the line of work, like mine, that deals with them, you might not know what they are. See if you can figure these out: PSC, TIF, LRIP, CDBG. I don’t want anyone to “accidentally” cheat, by looking down, so you get the answers near the end of this column. Anyway, it’s become clear to me, how important it is, that when using acronyms, you need to spell them out, the first time they’re mentioned. I also cover the Gilman Village Board, and one trustee almost always questions what this or that stands for. It’s become a fun joke at the meetings, to carefully and slowly enunciate “DOT – DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, RUSSELL.” We all make fun of the poor guy in jest and being the sweetheart he is, he joins in the merriment. One time, I was texting a friend and I said I’d spent so much time lately, at LH, for PP, they were going to charge me rent for the parking space. She sent back a number of concerned texts, asking if I was OK and did I need to talk? When did this start? Was there something she could do? After I expressed ignorance over what she meant, she hesitantly asked when I’d become hooked on drugs and decided to seek rehabilitation. By the way, where was LH? Was that a center in Eau Claire? Once I got through laughing hysterically, as I thought of me, who’s never even considered doing illegal drugs, I informed her that LH meant Lake Holcombe School and that PP stood for play practice. I thought maybe not knowing acronyms is something that the older generation struggles with, but it turns out, one of “my kids” is also trying to navigate what the heck some acronyms are. He was recently appointed to a school board and is in the dark about some of the abbreviations. So, here are your answers from above: Public Service Commission, Tax Incremental Financing, Local Road Improvement Program, Community Development Block Grant. In the future, if I throw in some acronyms, don’t be alarmed. I’m not having a spasm, nor am I on drugs. I’m just too lazy to spell stuff out.