List of Singapore abbreviations

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

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Overview

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"), [cite book|last=Low|first=Ee Ling|coauthor=Adam Brown|title=English in Singapore: An Introduction|location=Singapore|publisher=McGraw-Hill Education (Asia)|year=2005|isbn=0071239758|page=69] "condo" (from "condominium"), [cite book|last=Brown|first=Adam|title=Singapore English in a Nutshell: An Alphabetical Description of its Features|location=Singapore|publisher=Federal Publications|year=2000|isbn=981012435X (pbk.)|pages=57–58] "sabo" (from "sabotage"), [Brown, "Singapore English in a Nutshell", above, p. 187.] and "cert" (from "certificate"). [cite book|last=Deterding|first=David|title=Singapore English|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2007|id=ISBN 0748625445 (hbk.)|isbn=0748625453 (pbk.)|page=77]

*Acronyms, in which the initial letters are formed into a single word, such as "scuba", which is derived from "self-contained underwater breathing aparatus". Creation of acronyms such as this is rare in Singapore English, though "TIBS" (IPA|/tɪbz/) ("Trans-Island Bus Service") and "CISCO" (IPA|/sɪskoʊ/) ("Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation") are found. [Brown, "Singapore English in a Nutshell", above, p. 112.]

*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 as IPA|/pi: eɪ pi:/ and IPA|/pi: aɪ i:/ respectively and never as *IPA|/pæp/ and *IPA|/paɪ/. Some analysts regard initialisms such as these as one kind of acronym, [Low & Brown, "English in Singapore", above, p. 70.] but others prefer to distinguish between the two categories. [Deterding, "Singapore English", above, p. 77.]

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 "KK".

The most important category of Singapore initialisms are those for government departments and public institutions. Among the earliest examples are "PUB" ("Public Utility 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. 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". Anderson Secondary School is one such unfortunate example, where the name upon being shortened becomes "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

0–9

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

A

*A*Star - Agency for Science, Technology and Research
*AA - Asian Aerospace
*ACJS - Anglo-Chinese Junior School
*ACM - Asian Civilisations Museum
*ACPS - Anglo-Chinese Primary School
*ACS - Anglo-Chinese School
*ACSS - Anglo-Chinese Secondary School
*ACJC - Anglo-Chinese Junior College
*AG - Attorney-General
*AGC - Attorney-General's Chambers
*AJC - Anderson Junior College
*AMK - Ang Mo Kio
*AMP - Association of Muslim Professionals
*APP - Assistant Public Prosecutor (see also "DPP" and "PP")
*AR - Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore
*AWARE - Association of Women for Action and Research
*AYE - Ayer Rajah Expressway

B

*BGR - ("slang") boy-girl relationship
*BKE - Bukit Timah Expressway
*BMT - Basic Military Training

C

*CAAS - Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
*CBD - Central Business District
*CCA - Co-curricular activity
*CCC - Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Citizen's Consultative Committee
*CDAC - Chinese Development Assistance Council
*CDC - Community Development Council
*CHIJ - Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
*CHS - Catholic High School, Singapore
*CNB - Central Narcotics Bureau
*CID - Criminal Investigation Department
*CIP - Community Involvement Project
*CJ - Chief Justice
*CJC - Catholic Junior College
*COE - Certificate of Entitlement
*CPF - Central Provident Fund
*CPIB - Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau
*CTE - Central Expressway
*CWO - Corrective Work Order

D

*DART - Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team
*DBS - Development Bank of Singapore (now known as DBS Bank)
*DJ - District Judge
*DPP - Deputy Public Prosecutor (see also "APP" and "PP")
*DR - Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court or the Subordinate Courts of Singapore
*DSO - Defence Science Organisation
*DSTA - Defence Science and Technology Agency (pronounced "")

E

*ECP - East Coast Parkway
*EDB - Economic Development Board
*ERP - Electronic Road Pricing

F

["No entries yet"]

G

*GCE - General Certificate of Education
*GCT - Goh Chok Tong
*GEP - Gifted Education Programme
*GRC - Group representation constituency
*GST - Goods and Services Tax

H

*HCI - Hwa Chong Institution
*HDB - Housing Development Board
*HPB - Health Promotion Board
*HSA - Health Sciences Authority

I

*IC - Identity card, or "In charge"
*IDA - Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
*IP - Integrated Programme
*IR - Integrated Resort
*ISA - Internal Security Act
*ISD - Internal Security Department
*ITE - Institute of Technical Education

J

*J - Judge ("plural": JJ)
*JA - Judge of Appeal ("plural": JJA)
*JB - Johor Bahru, in Johor, Malaysia
*JC - Judicial Commissioner
*JBJ - Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
*JJC - Jurong Junior College
*JTC - Jurong Town Corporation (now known as JTC Corporation)

K

*KIV - Keep In View; refers to items, documents or papers that should be kept around for later consideration
*KJE - Kranji Expressway
*KK - Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital
*KL - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

L

*LKY - Lee Kuan Yew
*LRT - Light Rapid Transit
*LTA - Land Transport Authority

M

*MAS - Monetary Authority of Singapore
*MC - Medical Certificate
*MCD - Ministry of Community Development
*MCS - Methodist Church in Singapore
*MDA - Media Development Authority
*MENDAKI - MENDAKI (Council for the Development of Singapore Muslim Community)
*MGS - Methodist Girls' School
*MINDEF - Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
*MOE - Ministry of Education (Singapore)
*MOH - Ministry of Health (Singapore)
*MOM - Ministry of Manpower
*MRT - Mass Rapid Transit
*MUIS - Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore)

N

*NCC - National Cadet Corps (Singapore)
*NCMP - Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
*NCS - National Computer Systems
*NCSS - National Council of Social Service
*NDP - National Day Parade
*NEA - National Environment Agency
*NETS - Network for Electronic Transfers
*NIE - National Institute of Education
*NJC - National Junior College
*NKF - National Kidney Foundation Singapore
*NLB - National Library Board
*NMP - Nominated Member of Parliament
*NP - Ngee Ann Polytechnic
*NPCC - National Police Cadet Corps
*NRIC - National Registration Identity Card
*NS - National Service in Singapore
*NSF - Full-time National Service
*NSTB - National Science and Technology Board
*NTC - National Technical Certificate
*NTU - Nanyang Technological University
*NTUC - National Trade Union Congress
*NUH - National University Hospital
*NUS - National University of Singapore
*NWC - National Wages Council
*NYP - Nanyang Polytechnic
*NYJC - Nanyang Junior College

O

*OB - Out of Bounds (see OB marker)
*OBS - Outward Bound School
*OCBC - Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
*ORD - Operationally Ready Date, refers to the date on which a National Serviceman completes his 2-year term of service.
*OUB - Overseas Union Bank

P

*PA - People's Association
*PAP - People's Action Party
*PCK - "Phua Chu Kang", a popular TV sitcom
*PE - physical education
*PHS - Presbyterian High School
*PIE - Pan Island Expressway
*POSB - Post Office Savings Bank (now POSBank)
*PP - Public Prosecutor (see also "APP" and "DPP")
*PSA - Port of Singapore Authority (now PSA International)
*PSC - Public Service Commission
*PSLE - Primary School Leaving Examination
*PUB - Public Utilities Board
*PWD - Public Works Department
*PR - Permanent Resident

Q

["No entries yet"]

R

*RC - Residents' Committee
*RCS - Radio Corporation of Singapore
*RGS - Raffles Girls' School
*RI - Raffles Institution
*RJ or RJC - Raffles Junior College
*ROM - Registry of Marriages
*RP - Republic Polytechnic
*RSAF - Republic of Singapore Air Force
*RSN - Republic of Singapore Navy

*SAF - Singapore Armed Forces
*SAIL - Strategies for Active and Independent Learning
*SAJC - St Andrew's Junior College
*SAL - Singapore Academy of Law
*SAM - Singapore Art Museum
*SANA - Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association
*SAP - Special Assistance Plan
*SAR - Senior Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore
*SAWL - Singapore Association of Women Lawyers
*SBS - Singapore Bus Service
*SC - Senior Counsel
*SCDF - Singapore Civil Defence Force
*SCGS - Singapore Chinese Girls' School
*SCS - Science Centre, Singapore
*SCS - Singapore Computer Systems
*SDA - Singapore Democratic Alliance
*SDJ - Senior District Judge
*SDP - Singapore Democratic Party
*SDU - Social Development Unit
*SFI - Singapore Food Industries
*SG - Solicitor-General
*SGH - Singapore General Hospital
*SGSS - Saint Gabriel's Secondary School
*SGX - Singapore Exchange
*SIA - Singapore Airlines
*SICC - Singapore Island Country Club
*SINDA - Singapore Indian Development Association
*SILS - Singapore Institute of Labour Studies
*SJAB - St. John Ambulance Brigade
*SJI - St. Joseph's Institution
*SLC - Student Leaders' Council
*SLF - Singapore Labour Foundation
*SMC - Single Member Constituency
*SMRT - Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Corporation
*SMU - Singapore Management University
*SOS - Samaritans of Singapore; ("slang") struggling in silence
*SP - Singapore Polytechnic
*SPA - School-based Practical Assessment
*SPCA - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
*SPF - Singapore Police Force
*SPH - Singapore Press Holdings
*SPG - Sarong Party Girl
*SRJC - Serangoon Junior College
*SRP - Skills Redevelopment Programme
*SS - Social Studies
*SSC - Singapore Swimming Club
*SSO - Singapore Symphony Orchestra
*ST - Singapore Technologies
*STAR - Special Tactics and Rescue
*SYAS - San Yu Adventist School

T

*TCS - Television Corporation of Singapore
*TIBS - Trans-Island Bus Services
*TJC - Temasek Junior College
*TP - Temasek Polytechnic
*TP - Traffic Police
*TPJC - Tampines Junior College

U

*UOB - United Overseas Bank
*URA - Urban Redevelopment Authority

V

*VJC - Victoria Junior College
*VS - Victoria School
*VWO - Voluntary Welfare Organisation

W

["No entries yet"]

X

["No entries yet"]

Y

["No entries yet"]

Z

["No entries yet"]

Abbreviations in the military

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 militaries.

People

Ranks

These ranks are arranged in descending order of seniority

Officers

*COL - Colonel
*LTC - Lieutenant Colonel
*MAJ - Major
*CPT - Captain
*LTA - Lieutenant
*2LT - Second Lieutenant

Warrant officers

*SWO - Senior Warrant Officer
*MWO - Master Warrant Officer
*1WO - First Warrant Officer (formerly "WO1" or "WOI")
*2WO - Second Warrant Officer (formerly "WO2" or "WOII")

pecialists

*MSG - Master Sergeant
*SSG - Staff Sergeant
*1SG - First Sergeant
*2SG - Second Sergeant
*3SG - Third Sergeant
*SGT - Sergeant (defunct – replaced by "1SG", "2SG" and "3SG")

Enlistees

*CFC - Corporal First Class
*CPL - Corporal
*LCP - Lance Corporal
*PFC - Private First Class
*PTE - Private
*REC - Recruit

Appointments and offices

*2IC - Second-in-Command (see "IC")
*ASM - armskoteman
*BC - Battery commander
*BOS - Battalion Orderly Sergeant
*BOS - Brigade Orderly Sergeant
*BSM - Battery Sergeant Major
*BSO - Battalion Signal Officer
*CAO - Chief Armour Officer
*CCO - Camp Commandant's Office
*CDF - Chief of Defence Force
*CDO - Company Duty Officer
*CDS - Chief Defence Scientist
*CMC - Chief of Medical Corps
*CO - Commanding Officer
*COA - Chief of Army
*COS - Company Orderly Sergeant
*CQMS - or "CQ" - Company Quartermaster Sergeant
*CSM - Company Sergeant Major (unlike many other countries, sergeant majors are appointments, not ranks)
*DDO - Divisional Duty Officer
*DO - Duty Officer
*DOS - Duty Orderly Sergeant
*DSM - duty storeman
*FDO - Field Duty Officer
*FS - Fitness Specialist
*IC - (person) in command "or" in charge (see also "2IC")
*MO - Medical Officer
*MSG - Master Sergeant
*MWO - Master Warrant 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
*SDO - School Duty Officer (use is limited to training schools)
*WOSA - Warrant officers, specialists and airmen
*WOSE - Warrant officers, specialists and enlistees
*WOSPEC - Warrant officers and specialists

Units and organizations

*BMTC - Basic Military Training Centre
*CAD - Combined Arms Division
*CDO - Singapore Commandos
*DISCOM - Division Support Command
*DSMB - Direct Support Maintenance Battalion
*DS Med Bn - Direct Support Medical Battalion
*DSSB - Direct Support Supply Battalion
*DSTA - Defence Science Technology Agency
*FCC - Fitness Conditioning Centre
*FDS - Field Defence Squadron
*GDS - Singapore Guards
*JID - Joint Intelligence Directorate
*JOPD - Joint Operations and Planning Directorate
*MP - Military Police
*MMI - Military Medicine Institute
*NDU - Naval Diving Unit (Singapore)
*OCS - Officer Cadet School
*PDF - People's Defence Force
*RSAF - Republic of Singapore Air Force
*RSN - Republic of Singapore Navy
*SA - Singapore Artillery
*SAF - Singapore Armed Forces
*SAFPU - Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (defunct, reorganised into the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command)
*SAFMPC - Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command
*SAFRA - Singapore Armed Forces Reservists' Association (the term "reservist" has generally been replaced by "Operationally Ready NSmen")
*SCC - SAF Counselling Centre
*SCE - Singapore Combat Engineers
*SI - Signal Institute
*SIB - Singapore Infantry Brigade
*SIB - Special Investigation Branch
*SIR - Singapore Infantry Regiment
*SISPEC - School of Infantry Specialist
*SJAB - St. John Ambulance Brigade
*SMI - School of Military Intelligence
*SMM - School of Military Medicine (reorganised as SMTI in 2006)
*SMTI - SAF Medical Training Institute
*SOC - School of Commandos
*SOF - Special Operations Force
*SPT - School of Physical Training

Places

*265 - formerly, a training hill in Marsiling which had an elevation of 265m, but leveled for urban development.
*ATEC - Army Training and Evaluation Center
*BCTC - Basic Combat Training Center
*SAFTI - Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (term now defunct)
*SAFTI MI - SAFTI Military Institute

Weapons, vehicles and equipment

*A-veh - a heavy vehicle, such as an armoured vehicle
*APC - Armoured Personnel Carrier
*AVLB - Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge
*B-veh - non-"A-veh" vehicles, such as rovers and trucks
*FAD - first aid dressing
*FBO - full battle order (compare "SBO")
*FFR - (with reference to a land rover) fitted for radio
*FH - 2000 - Field Howitzer 2000
*GPMG - General Purpose Machine Gun – refers in particular to the FN MAG used in the Singapore Armed Forces
*HMG - Heavy machine gun
*IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle
*LAW - Light Anti-tank Weapon
*LBV - Load Bearing Vest
*LST - Landing Ship Tank
*MOP - Medic Operational Pouch (previously Medical Orderly Pouch)
*RCK - rifle cleaning kit
*SAW - Section Assault Weapon (usually refers to the Ultimax 100)
*SBO - Standard ("formerly" Skeletal) Battle Order (compare "FBO")
*SSPH 1 - Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer 1 Primus

lang

*FO - fall out; fuck off
*LOBO - left out of battle order (refers to a soldier who has not been assigned a fixed vocation)
*NATO - no action, talk only
*GG - good game
*SBC - simply "boh chup" – indifferent, not caring (from the abbreviation of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation)
*WALI - walk around, look important
*ROC - relax one corner
*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

*11B - SAF 11B, the military identity card.
*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")
*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
*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 - Centralized Motor Transport Line
*COC - Change of Command Parade
*CP - command post
*CRO - Company Routine Orders
*CST - Combat Survival Training
*DB - detention barracks
*DIV - division
*DOD - date of disruption
*EVAC - evacuation
*FFF - Fit For Firing certification
*FFI - Free From Injury, a medical evaluation performed prior to training (the abbreviation is often erroneously believed to stand for "Fit for Instruction", or "Fit for Infantry")
*FIBUA - fighting in built-up area (see also "BUA")
*FO - Forward Observer, soldier who corrects artillery fire
*FOFO - fighting on Fortified objectives
*GLS - Ground Logistics Support
*HCC - High Confidence Course
*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
*L/F - live firing
*LOA - letter of authorization
*OOC - Out of Course
*OOT - Out of Training
*ORD - Operationally Ready Date (formerly "ROD")
*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

Abbreviations in transport

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":

*AYE - Ayer Rajah Expressway
*BKE - Bukit Timah Expressway
*CTE - Central Expressway
*ECP - East Coast Parkway
*KJE - Kranji Expressway
*KPE - Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway
*PIE - Pan Island Expressway
*SLE - Seletar Expressway
*TPE - Tampines Expressway

With the introduction of the Electronic 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: [citation|title=EMAS – Your guide to a safer ride|url=http://www.aas.com.sg/features/archive/otr02012.htm|journal=The Highway|publisher=Automobile Association of Singapore|date=February 2001|accessdate=2008-03-11.]

*BEDOK NTH - Bedok North Road
*BEDOK STH - Bedok 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

ee also

*Singlish

Notes

References

*cite book|last=Brown|first=Adam|title=Singapore English in a Nutshell: An Alphabetical Description of its Features|location=Singapore|publisher=Federal Publications|year=2000|isbn=981012435X (pbk.)
*cite book|last=Deterding|first=David|title=Singapore English|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2007|id=ISBN 0748625445 (hbk.)|isbn=0748625453 (pbk.)
*cite book|last=Low|first=Ee Ling|coauthor=Adam Brown|title=English in Singapore: An Introduction|location=Singapore|publisher=McGraw-Hill Education (Asia)|year=2005|isbn=0071239758

External links

* [http://www.talkingcock.com/html/lexec.php?op=LexPKL&lexicon=lexicon The Coxford Singlish Dictionary @ Talkingcock.com]
* [http://www.singlishdictionary.com A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English]