ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS

Yesterday I had a headache grappling with Cascading Style Sheet and html coding trying to come up with a new look for my blog. I am really and truly benok (dense). An old dog trying to learn new tricks. If you see this blog looking and behaving a bit odd, I am redecorating so please excuse the dust. I will clean up in due course. Kohor kohor.

Anyway I powered down the old pc and turned to the Star. After sighing deeply over the fate of Tioman's corals, I spied one item on page 11 of the Lifestyle section titled Acronym angst. The article rued Indonesia's runaway acronym-making binge. This is the country that has Pemilu as an acronym for General Election. It comes from Pemilihan Umum. Pemilu can also mean 'something that makes you sad'. Probably the results of the election.

Acronyms are not new in Indonesia. A long time ago, one Indonesian broadcaster told me what Harmoko (his Minister of Information then) really meant. It was an acronym for 'Hari hari omong kosong' ( empty talk every day).

The acronym bug has hit our shores. Now we see Pulapol, Setpol and Menlu (Pusat Latihan Polis, Setiausaha Politik and Menteri Luar). I am sure you can add more to the list.

Acronym was unheard of when I was growing up in Terengganu except for cakju which was a 'wash-your- mouth-with-chili paste' word. It comes from the word pecat baju (remove shirt). Instead, Terengganu wags had fun with abbreviations.

JKR TR (Jabatan Kerja Raya Trengganu) painted on lorries and other vehicles belonging to the Public Works Dept Trengganu became an exhortation: Jangan Kerja Rajin, Tok Rok (Don't work too hard, you get tired). I can imagine a sarcastic driver of an old Morris Minor skirting potholes thinking this one up.

Before our electricity monopoly became TNB (Tenaga National Berhad) it was once called Lembaga Letrik Negara (National Electricity Board) or LLN for short. To the Terengganu wags, LLN is Lenggok Lenggok Naik (look up and climb up) -aptly describing what they see the wiremen do.

Finally, there is this nightmare haunting parents or wives (sometimes both) of officers from outside Terengganu who served in the state. The ladies pray hard that their sons/husbands don't get SMT. It is not the royal award (Sri Mahkota Terengganu) that they are scared of but rather, unfairly, Sangkut Mek Terengganu (hooked to a Terengganu Maiden).

| 1:07 PM :: ::

7 CommentsOldStyle:

• Mestilah takut SMT..sbb mek ganu comei comei belake..:D

  By  alang, at 2:18 AM  

• The new look for your blog is wonderful Mann. Not too dusty at all. It's nice and neat. lol...Jackie

  By  Anonymous, at 11:45 AM  

• Hmm..reminds me of my GM's stories of how he got SMT-ed. And now even his daughter has Sakut Awang Tranung. Anyway, the abrreviation that stuck in my head is of that bus SKMK. Being a speed demon in their days, we used to call it SKMK - Saloh Konar Mati Kekeng.

  By  lion3ss, at 2:49 PM  

• LOL! Never heard of that one. Thanks!

  By  Bustaman, at 2:57 PM  

• I must say that this new look is oh so Jelita for its cleaner unmessy look.

  By  Hazelinesnow, at 4:17 PM  

• I got both SMT(Setia Mahkota Terengganu) and SMK(Sangkut Mek Kelate):-)
  
  The Reader aka Berisman

  By  Berisman, at 5:02 PM  

• Setia Mahkota Trengganu. Thanks for setting the record straight.

  By  Bustaman, at 5:24 PM  

Post a Comment
<< Home

© Bustaman :: permalink