Like everyone else, Quakers have their own set of abbreviations and acronymns they use. Many of these stand for Quaker organizations. Others are more generic.
This list is compiled mainly for the benefit of those using the various Internet forums devoted to Quakerism - email lists, Web-based forums and one Usenet news group. In addition to specifically Quaker abbreviations and acronyms, I also include some of the most common acronyms used in such forums by everyone. (Note: you may see these in either upper case or lower case on forums.) The latter ones are identified by being on a colored background.
The organizations whose acronyms are included are weighted towards those in the affluent world where computer use is most common, and towards the English-speaking world. This is because these are the most widely used in Internet Quaker forums. With the understanding that I do not intend for this list to be at all exhaustive, I welcome people to email me with suggestions of additional ones to add.
AFAIK |
as far as I know |
AFSC |
American Friends Service Committee |
AVP |
Alternatives to Violence Program |
AYM |
Australia Yearly Meeting or Alaska Yearly Meeting |
BG |
big grin |
BTW |
by the way |
BYM |
Baltimore Yearly Meeting or Britain Yearly Meeting |
BrYM |
Britain Yearly Meeting |
CFSC |
Canadian Friends Service Committee |
CYM |
Canadian Yearly Meeting |
EFCER or EFC-ER |
Evangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region |
EFCSW |
Evangelical Friends Church Southwest |
EFI |
Evangelical Friends International |
EFM |
Evangelical Friends Mission |
EMES |
Europe & Middle East Section (of FWCC) |
EOD |
end of discussion |
F&P |
Faith and Practice |
FAHE |
Friends Association for Higher Education |
FAQ |
frequently asked questions |
FCE |
Friends Council on Education |
FCL |
Friends Committee on Legislation (a state version of FCNL) |
FCNL |
Friends Committee on National Legislation |
FCRP |
Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology |
FCUN |
Friends Committee on Unity with Nature |
FDS |
Friends Disaster Service |
FGC |
Friends General Conference |
FHA |
Friends Historical Association |
FJ |
Friends Journal |
FUM |
Friends United Meeting |
FUP |
Friends United Press |
FWCC |
Friends World Committee for Consultation |
IMHO |
in my humble opinion |
IMO |
in my opinion |
IYM |
Illinois Yearly Meeting or Indiana Yearly Meeting or Intermountain Yearly Meeting or Iowa Yearly Meeting or Ireland Yearly Meeting |
IYM (C) |
Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) |
IYM (FUM) |
Iowa Yearly Meeting (Friends United Meeting) |
LEYM |
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting |
LOL |
laughing out loud |
M&C |
Ministry and Counsel |
M&O |
Ministry and Oversight |
MAYM |
Mid-America Yearly Meeting |
MM |
Monthly Meeting |
NCYM (C) |
North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Conservative) |
NCYM
(FUM) |
North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Friends United Meeting) |
NEYM |
New England Yearly Meeting |
NFF |
New Foundation Fellowship |
NPYM |
North Pacific Yearly Meeting |
NWYM |
Northwest Yearly Meeting |
NYM |
Northern Yearly Meeting |
NYYM |
New York Yearly Meeting |
OTOH |
on the other hand |
OVYM |
Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting |
OYM |
Ohio Yearly Meeting |
PFF |
Piedmont Friends Fellowship |
PhYM |
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting |
PM |
Preparative Meeting |
PMFJI |
pardon me for jumping in |
PYM |
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting or Pacific Yearly Meeting |
QCEA |
Quaker Council on European Affairs |
QL |
Quaker Life |
QM |
Quarterly Meeting or Quaker Men |
QPSW |
Quaker Peace and Social Witness (Britain) |
QRT |
Quaker Religious Thought |
QTDG |
Quaker Theological Discussion Group |
QUF |
Quaker Universalist Fellowship |
QUIP |
Quakers United in Publications |
QUNO |
Quaker United Nations Office |
RSWR |
Right Sharing of World Resources |
RMYM |
Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting |
ROTFL
or ROFL |
rolling on the floor laughing |
SAYMA |
Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association |
SCYM |
South Central Yearly Meeting |
SEYM |
Southeastern Yearly Meeting |
TIA |
thanks in advance |
USFW |
United Society of Friends Women |
USFWI |
United Society of Friends Women International |
VBG |
very big grin |
WYM |
Western Yearly Meeting or Wilmington Yearly Meeting |
WYSIWYG |
what you see is what you get |
YM |
Yearly Meeting |
YMMV |
your mileage may vary |