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Mar 30, 1999

This week's theme
Words that go out of their way to not apply to themselves

This week's words
phonetic
abbreviation
monosyllabic
hemidemisemiquaver
descender
diminutive
opuscule

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abbreviation

abbreviation (uh-bree-vee-AY-shuhn) noun

1. The act or product of shortening.

2. A shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing to represent the complete form, such as Mass. for Massachusetts or USMC for United States Marine Corps.

3. Music. Any of various symbols used in notation to indicate that a series of notes is to be repeated.

[Middle English abbreviaten, from Late Latin abbreviare, abbreviat- : ab- (variant of ad-) + breviare, to shorten, from brevis, short.]

"(Beavis and Butt-Head) spend every moment of what passes for waking life on their duffs watching rock videos on TV and saying either `This sucks!' or `Cool!' They are, in short, embryonic film critics, and as a mark of respect to their firstfull-screen adventure - see below - I shall indicate with a system of simple B&B- inspired abbreviations which films are distinguished (C), which are undistinguished (S), which are provocative if flawed (C/S) and which are profoundly dismaying save for certain redemptive elements (S/C)."
Kevin Jackson, America, can we have your votes, please?, Independent on Sunday, 25 May 1997.

Why is abbreviation such a long word?

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