BS = Blue Star CC = Capital Culinarian OTR = over the range (microwave) ABB = all but the backsplash (common problem for finishing remodeling) ABT = all but the trim (see ABB) DH = dear husband DS = dear spouse DW = dear wife TKO = total kitchen obsession

In an attempt to alleviate the sense of bewilderment often expressed by newcomers to this rather technical and in-depth Forum, the following FAQ article provides definitions for some of the terms and abbreviations employed in the discussion threads hereabouts. This list will probably always be a "work in progress", as the laundromania meme continues to evolve and ever more-inclusive reference works are needed to truly understand the denizens of this site. :) If there is a particular term or piece of information anyone would like to see included in this mini-dictionary, please let me know! --Tom. ------------------------------ First, to help bring true computer neophytes up to speed with these types of online discussion boards, here are some of the more commonly-seen acronyms, not specific to the Laundry Room Forum, which have been used on many online message sites and chat rooms for years (predating the Web itself): AFAIK - As Far As I Know BIL - Brother-In-Law BTW - By The Way DD - Dear Daughter (Also, in the Appliances Forum, used as an abbreviation for "Dish Drawer", a type of dishwasher manufactured by F&P.) DH - Dear Husband DIL - Daughter-In-Law DP - Dear Partner DS - Dear Son DW - Dear Wife (Also, in the Appliances Forum, used as an abbreviation for "Dishwasher". It is highly recommended that husbands not use the two meanings interchangeably, LOL!) FAQ - Frequently Asked/Answered Questions FIL - Father-In-Law FWIW - For What It's Worth IIRC - If I Recall/Remember Correctly IMHO - In My Humble Opinion IMO - In My Opinion IRL - In Real Life (i.e. not via a computer/online connection or search) ISO - In Search Of JMHO - Just My Humble Opinion JMO - Just My Opinion LOL - Laughing Out Loud OT - Original Topic, or conversely, Off Topic OTOH - On The Other Hand ROFL or ROTFL - Rolling on (the) Floor Laughing SIL - Sister-In-Law SO - Significant Other SWMBO - She Who Must Be Obeyed (see "DW") TIA - Thanks In Advance YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary (i.e. this was my experience, but you might get different results) ------------------------------ And here are some of the acronyms, abbreviations, and unusual or otherwise unfamiliar nomenclature seen in the Laundry Room Forum proper: AEG - Allgemeine Elektricits-Gesellschaft. German manufacturer of frontloading washers. AEG washers are of very high quality (a close second to Miele) and tend to have similarly high prices in North America. As of this writing (January 2005), not sold directly in the USA, but can be ordered from Canada. Asko - Swedish manufacturer of quality frontloading washers. Bosch - German manufacturer of quality frontloading washers. As of this writing (January 2005), Bosch offers two series of frontloading washers, the smaller "Axxis" machines which run on 240V power, and the larger "Nexxt" machines which run on 120V power. Combo washer/dryer or Combo WD or Combo - A single machine which can both wash and dry clothes in a single drum, without transferring the load between a separate washer and dryer. Not to be confused with a washer/dryer STACK or PAIR, which refers to a separate washer and dryer installed together as a unit. Danby - North American company selling relatively inexpensive appliances. The Danby frontloading washer is manufactured by Gorenje, in Slovenia. Duet - A large frontloading washer manufactured by Whirlpool in Germany. Closely related to the Kenmore HE3/HE4 machines. Equator - An American company which sells frontloading combo washer-dryers. F&P - Fisher&Paykel. New Zealand based manufacturer of high-efficiency toploading washers (and, as of late 2004, also a unique toploading dryer). FL (or FL washer or FLer) - A washing machine that is loaded and unloaded from a front-mounted access door. Frigmore or FriGEmore - Forum term first coined by Rich (spambdamn_rich) to refer to the Frigidaire-built frontloading washers sold under various labels, such as GE and Kenmore. See the FAQ article "What is a FriGEmore?". H-axis - Refers to clothes washers which tumble/spin clothes about a horizontal or nearly horizontal axis. The category includes frontloading washers, as well as some toploaders like the Staber (which are known as "H-axis toploaders"). HE - "High Efficiency". Refers to clothes washers which use much less energy and/or water and/or detergent than conventional American toploaders. Usually means a frontload washer, but there are also HE toploaders. Also see the FAQ article on "HE Detergent". HE3, HE3t, HE4, HE4t - Large frontloading washers made by Whirlpool in Germany, and sold at Sears under the Kenmore label. Closely related to the Whirlpool-branded Duet washers. Known as "Hetties" in the Forum. Hettie - Forum term first coined by Amy (GatorGirlinTX) to refer to the Whirlpool-built Kenmore HE3(t) frontloading washers. Sometimes also used to refer to the similar Whirlpool-branded Duet washers. Laundromania - A condition characterized by an obsession with the latest and greatest laundry appliances and/or old classic laundry appliances and/or the fine details of the operation of all laundry appliances, a desire to watch clothes washers while they're running through their cycles, a desire to custom-formulate one's own laundry detergents, and a general fascination with ultra-clean fabrics. Contagious in direct proportion to the length of time spent on this Forum. Usually viewed here as a positive trait. :) Laundromaniac - A person afflicted with laundromania. Descriptive of many of this Forum's regular participants, who are willing to spend long hours writing detailed posts in thread after thread to help others make informed laundry appliance purchasing decisions and use optimal techniques in their own laundry rooms. Kenmore - A brand of appliances sold at Sears and Sears subsidiaries, such as the "Hettie" and "Frigmore" frontloading washers. Note that Kenmore does not manufacture any of their own appliances, so all of these machines are re-badged from other companies (often Whirlpool and Frigidaire). LG - Korean manufacturer of large frontloading washers and combo washer-dryers. Formerly known as "Goldstar", but renamed and moved toward the more upscale appliance market. LCB - Liquid Chlorine Bleach. Miele - German manufacturer of frontloading washers. Miele washers are typically sold by high-end retailers, tend to be very expensive, require 240V power to operate, and are generally regarded in this Forum as the most durable and reliable residential frontloading washers available. Neptune - Large frontloading washer produced by Maytag. OxiClean - Trade name of one brand of oxygen bleach, containing sodium percarbonate as the active ingredient. There are now numerous "Oxi" or "Oxy" type cleaners on the market, which are very similar chemically. Persil - Laundry detergent manufactured in Europe (by two different manufacturers: Henkel in Germany, and Unilever in UK), popular with owners of Euro-branded frontloading washers like Miele. Originally named after two of the major ingredients, sodium PERborate and sodium SILicate. RMC - Remaining Moisture Content, a measurement of the amount of water remaining in fabrics after a clothes washer's spin cycle. Expressed as a percentage: a load of fabrics which weighs 5 pounds when bone dry, and 7 pounds when removed from the washer, has an RMC of ((7-5)/5)(100) = 40%. RPM - Revolutions Per Minute, a measurement of the speed of a washer's spin cycle. Higher speeds will extract more water from fabrics, thus leaving a lower RMC or Remaining Moisture Content, which translates into greater energy efficiency as less work is required in the dryer. Sodium perborate - An oxygen bleach used in some laundry detergent formulas. Only provides bleaching action at higher temperatures, so a chemical activator is usually included in detergent blends that use perborate as a bleaching agent. Sodium Percarbonate - An oxygen bleach used in some laundry detergent formulas. Can be purchased separately in various "Oxy" cleaning products, or as the pure substance from chemical supply houses. Effective on stains as a soaking solution, and much safer on colors than chlorine bleach. SS - Stainless steel. Not to be confused with "SxS", which means side-by-side, a term used in the Appliances Forum to refer to a particular refrigerator/freezer combination. Staber - An American manufacturer of H-axis TL washers. STPP - Sodium TriPolyPhosphate. A complex phosphate which functions as a water softener and "builder" in some laundry detergent formulas. Improves cleaning performance, particularly in hard water conditions or in loads with soil deposits. Can be purchased separately (i.e. not as part of a detergent mix) from chemical supply houses, or in laundry "booster" products like White King. See the separate FAQ article on "STPP". TL (or TL washer or TLer) - A washing machine that is loaded and unloaded from a top-mounted access door. Usually a V-axis machine, although there are also H-axis TLers, like the Staber. V-axis - Refers to clothes washers which spin clothes about a vertical axis. The category includes conventional American toploaders as well as some HE machines like the Calypso. ------------------------------ [first added to Laundry Room FAQ: 2 January 2005] [last edited: 2 January 2005]

Years ago, when partner was popular here for unmarried sharing a bed (it could be same or opposite, but lent itself to opposite because of the ambiguity), a professional lecturer was talking about her partner and had the whole audience wondering. I was at a meal with her later and she was marveling that so many people assumed she meant gay partner rather than business partner (she hadn't said anything that would make us know she meant business, so I think her marvel was disingenuous and she liked the ambiguity). I DON'T CARE! But I really find the games difficult. I spent half a year in an "It's Pat!" quandary about a young lady's SO. I didn't care what the physical/social gender was, but I wanted a pronoun! Remember POOSSLQ? And POSSSLQ?

"BFF" can be "Best Female Friend". There was one rather complicated one (something like six letters or so) that I saw on here a few minutes ago that I have no idea what it may mean: can't remember what it was, either. As for this "forever" relating to loving dogs (that live about 10 years or so), or other issues relating to the passage of years maybe changing things ... let's not for-get that "for-ever" is a really long time - like infinite ... longer than the millions of years that this earth has been around, or something. ole joyful