Vocabulary and Acronyms

Some books and other sayings have become so popular around here that readers may talk about them using acronyms. Some of the more common ones are below:
  • AAM = Ask a Manager is a blog created and run by Alison Green, who regularly answers readers’ career questions.
  • BHLDN = BHLDN, Anthropologie‘s wedding brand, offers dresses from designers like Anna Sui and Nicole Miller.
  • C25K = Couch to 5K, a training program that can (gradually) turn couch potatoes into 5K runners.
  • DINK = “Double income no kids.” Used to describe a household where both partners work and there are no children in the mix.
  • DH = Dear Husband. As in, “DH and I haven’t had an LGP for a long time because he’s been working too much — what do you recommend?” Also sometimes used for referencing children — DC (dear child), DS (dear son), DD (dear daughter).
  • ETA = Edited to Add, an abbreviation used to preface text that’s been added to a previously published comment.
  • FWIW = For What It’s Worth, as in, “FWIW, I’ve always had good luck using Rent the Runway for formal events.”
  • Having it all / Women can’t have it all = Refers to a well known 2012 Atlantic piece by Anne-Marie Slaughter (the first woman director of policy planning at the State Department), “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.”
  • IMHO = “in my humble opinion.” As in:  “IMHO, you should definitely not do that.” Sometimes people will say IMO instead, meaning “in my opinion.”
  • IIRC = If I Recall Correctly, as in, “IIRC, that sale ended yesterday.”
  • Intern with a Birkin = refers to this post, in which Kat answered a question from a BigLaw intern in Singapore who wondered if bringing her Birkin (fabled handbag from Hermès, named after actress and singer Jane Birkin) was appropriate.
  • JSFAMO = “Just say ‘fooey’ and move on.” What started as a quote from our resident troll, Ellen, has become a quick and easy acronym among commenters whenever it’s time to end a relationship, a job, or something else that is disappointing in life.
  • KYO = “Know your office” — some things are appropriate in Office A, but inappropriate in Office B. It depends in part on what part of the country you’re located, what kind of office/industry it is, and more — but a lot of workwear fashion advice comes down to this important concept that you should know your office. Note that if you’re young/new in the office, you should wait to wear trendier, riskier pieces (which may be as simple as knee-high boots, peep toes, or bare arms or legs) until you see a superior do it first. If you fail to “read” your office and its fashion culture, it may speak negatively about your judgment — which may affect how much/the quality of work you get.
  • Lady Day Coat = The classic Lady Day coat from J.Crew is a Corporette-reader favorite.
  • LGP =  “Lady garden party” — sometimes used to discuss sex in the comments section.
  • Lucky Sizes = Indicates that only a few sizes are in stock for a certain item; if you’re lucky, your size will be one of them.
  • MLBB  = “My lips but better.” Often used when describing almost nude lipstick or tinted lip balms.
  • The Moms Site = CorporetteMoms is often referred to this way in comments made on Corporette.
  • NAS = Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (highlighted annually on Corporette).
  • N.B. = “Nota bene.” As in, please note. This Latin phrase may be familiar to those of you who did law review or are otherwise familiar with academic journals.
  • NGDGTCO = Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office = a book beloved by Corporette readers. Read an excerpt here from Lois P. Frankel’s follow up book, Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It.
  • NROLFW = The New Rules of Lifting for Women — readers love this book! See our more complete discussion of lifting for women.
  • NSFW = “Not suitable for work.” As in, “Here’s a hilarious YouTube video, but note — it’s NSFW.”
  • O.G., O.M.G., T.T. = The O.G. (Overnight & Gym Bag), O.M.G (Overnight & Medium Gym Bag), and T.T. (Carryall Laptop Tote) are Corporette-reader favorites offered by Lo & Sons.
  • OP = Original poster, used to indicate the person who asked a question that other readers have answered in subsequent comments.
  • OTK = Over the knee, as in over-the-knee boots.
  • SA = Summer Associate; a law student with a summer internship at a firm. Check out our 2014 summer associate series, which gives advice on ending an internship in a positive way, business etiquette and business lunch etiquette, what to wear to fun-but-wacky office functions and what to wear to your internship.
  • The Skirt = The Halogen Seamed Pencil Skirt from Nordstrom, a reader favorite. (Halogen is a Nordstrom brand)
  • TJ = Threadjack; to start a discussion about a topic unrelated to the content of a post. For our Tuesday and Thursday midday posts, we ask that readers please keep their comments on topic.
  • “TTC” – “trying to conceive.” As in: “DH and I have started TTC, and the LGPs are wearing me out.” (Wherever you are in your parenting journey, come check out CorporetteMoms — the pregnancy newsletter may be of particular interest to you.)
  • TTS = True to size; in other words, the brand’s/designer’s sizing is accurate.
  • YMMV = “Your mileage may vary.” As in: this worked for me, but YMMV — basically, the idea that what works for one person (or one body) doesn’t work for everyone.
  • YNAB = Budget management software that’s been mentioned by many Corporette readers.