WHEN TOO MANY LETTERS JUST CONFUSE: THE RISE OF ALPHABET SOUP IN HEADLINES
- Totally get where you’re coming from. If I had to write out “mechanical, electrical, and plumbing” every time instead of just MEP, I’d probably never finish a spec sheet.
- That said, I’ve definitely been on jobs where someone invents a new acronym on the fly and suddenly everyone’s scratching their heads. Had a sub once who kept saying “TSP” for “tile setting prep”—took me two days to figure out what he meant. Not exactly saving time there.
- I think it’s all about balance. Use the common ones everyone knows (HVAC, LEED, etc.), but maybe chill with the custom abbreviations unless you want your emails to turn into codebreaking exercises.
- For clients, I try to explain things up front—nobody wants to feel like they need a decoder ring just to read a project update.
- At the end of the day, if we’re all speaking the same language (or at least the same alphabet soup), it works. But yeah... sometimes it feels like we’re one step away from just communicating in license plates.
WHEN TOO MANY LETTERS JUST CONFUSE: THE RISE OF ALPHABET SOUP IN HEADLINES
I get that abbreviations save time, but from the client side, it sometimes feels like a secret club I’m not invited to. Last year, I got a report full of “RFI,” “ASR,” and “CO,” and I spent half a day Googling just to figure out what I was paying for. Honestly, I’d rather see things spelled out, even if it takes up more space. Clarity over speed, especially when it’s my budget on the line.
WHEN TOO MANY LETTERS JUST CONFUSE: THE RISE OF ALPHABET SOUP IN HEADLINES
“it sometimes feels like a secret club I’m not invited to.”
Totally get this. I’ve had clients stare blankly at “FF&E” or “PO” in my proposals. Now I just write it all out—takes longer, but nobody’s left guessing. Honestly, less confusion means fewer panicked emails later.
WHEN TOO MANY LETTERS JUST CONFUSE: THE RISE OF ALPHABET SOUP IN HEADLINES
I get the urge to spell everything out, but honestly, sometimes the abbreviations are just faster—especially when you’re juggling a dozen projects. If I had to write “furniture, fixtures, and equipment” every time instead of “FF&E,” I’d never get through my emails.
- Industry terms exist for a reason—saves time for those who know them.
- If someone’s confused, quick clarification works. No need to ditch all the shorthand.
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That’s fair, but part of working in any field is picking up the lingo.“it sometimes feels like a secret club I’m not invited to.”
I guess it’s about balance... too much jargon is bad, but over-explaining slows things down.
“it sometimes feels like a secret club I’m not invited to.”
I get that feeling too, especially when I first started out. I remember sitting in meetings where everyone tossed around “RCP,” “GWB,” and “MEP” like it was common knowledge. It took me a while to realize RCP meant “reflected ceiling plan”—not exactly intuitive. I agree, balance is key. Sometimes I’ll add the full term in parentheses the first time, just to keep everyone on the same page.
