TLA
Three capital letters
TLA is an abbreviation for "three-letter acronym"—a self-referential joke since TLA is itself one.
The term pokes fun at the proliferation of abbreviations in technical, corporate, and government contexts: The IT department loves their TLAs.
Sometimes extended to ETLA ("extended three-letter acronym") for four-letter versions.
Spelled-out letter shortening
- abbreviationShortened word form
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- alphabet soupPasta shaped like letters
- jargonSpecialized professional vocabulary
lingo · contraction · notation · code · trigraph · monogram · initials · nomenclature
Pasta shaped like letters
- buzzwordTrendy jargon, often hollow
- technobabbleFake scientific-sounding nonsense
- insider languageSpecialized group vocabulary
- shop talkWork-related conversation
Quality of being brief
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- economySystem of trade and production
- succinctnessQuality of being brief
condensation · terseness · compactness · pithiness · efficiency · laconism · ellipsis · telegraphic
initialism
Spelled-out letter shortening
- abbreviationShortened word form
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- alphabet soupPasta shaped like letters
jargon · lingo · contraction · notation · code · trigraph · monogram · initials · nomenclature · shortening
alphabet soup
Pasta shaped like letters
- buzzwordTrendy jargon, often hollow
- technobabbleFake scientific-sounding nonsense
- insider languageSpecialized group vocabulary
shop talk · military jargon · bureaucratese · specialized vocabulary
conciseness
Quality of being brief
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- economySystem of trade and production
succinctness · condensation · terseness · compactness · pithiness · efficiency · laconism · ellipsis · telegraphic · minimalism