three-letter acronym definition of three-letter acronym in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

three-letter acronym - (TLA) The canonical self-describing abbreviation for the name of a species with which computing terminology is infested. Examples include MCA, FTP, SNA, CPU, MMU, DMU, FPU, TLA. For a complete list of the TLAs in this dictionary, see TLAs.

Sometimes used by extension for any confusing acronym. People who like this looser usage argue that not all TLAs have three letters, just as not all four-letter words have four letters. One also hears of "ETLA" (Extended Three-Letter Acronym) being used to describe four-letter acronyms. The term "SFLA" (Stupid Four-Letter Acronym) has also been reported.

See also YABA.

The self-effacing phrase "TDM TLA" (Too Damn Many...) is often used to bemoan the plethora of TLAs in use. In 1989, a random of the journalistic persuasion asked hacker Paul Boutin "What do you think will be the biggest problem in computing in the 90s?" Paul's straight-faced response: "There are only 17,000 three-letter acronyms." (To be exact, there are 26^3 = 17,576.)

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No references found	In the computer world, three-letter acronyms (TLA) often have multiple meanings, and it is common for one TLA to have several definitions. Remote accessibility revisited. (Letters) by Crowe, Michael F. / Journal of Accountancy Niku Inc is an early player in the professional services automation (PSA) space, a new three-letter acronym to go alongside the familiar ERP and CRM (customer resource management) markets, which overlap this one slightly but not so much that a new niche cannot be carved out, says Niku's VP marketing Anil Gupta. Dibachi's Niku Targets Nascent PSA Market by Computergram International surgeons yelling lines made up almost entirely of three-letter acronyms. JUST WHAT THE DOC ORDERED by Rose, Simon / The Mirror (London, England)	three-decibel coupler three-decision problem three-decker three-dimensional three-dimensional braiding three-dimensional display system three-dimensional flow Three-Dimensional Mechanism three-dimensional sound Three-Dimensional System three-eighths rule three-ended barn Three-Field System three-finger salute three-hinged arch three-hole basin three-index symbols three-input adder three-input subtracter three-j number three-jaw chuck three-junction transistor three-kiloparsec arm three-layer diode three-legged race three-letter acronym three-level laser three-level maser three-level subroutine three-light window three-part window Three-Phase Circuit three-phase current three-phase four-wire system three-phase magnetic amplifier three-phase motor three-phase rectifier three-phase seven-wire system three-phase system three-phase three-wire system three-phase transformer three-piece set three-pinned arch three-plus-one address three-ply three-point bending three-point lock three-point method three-point problem three-point turn three-pointed arch	Three-hole pipe three-hundredth three-hundredth three-in-one technique three-index symbols three-input adder three-input subtracter three-j number three-jaw chuck three-junction transistor Three-Karma Loss three-kiloparsec arm three-lane three-layer diode Three-Layered Services Application Three-leafed Three-Leafed Grass Three-Leafed Grass Three-Leafed Grass three-leaved caper Three-leaved Maple Three-leaved nightshade three-legged three-legged lameness three-legged lameness three-legged lameness three-legged race three-legged race three-legged races three-legged races three-letter acronym Three-Level Contractor three-level laser three-level maser three-level subroutine three-light window three-line whip three-line whips three-lipped Three-lobe beggarticks Three-lobed Three-lobed leaf Three-lobed Malope Three-lobed Malope three-loop pulley suture (3) three-loop pulley suture (3) three-loop pulley suture (3) three-loop pulley suture (3) three-loop tenorrhaphy three-loop tenorrhaphy Three-martini lunch Three-Martini Lunches three-membered Three-mile three-mile limit three-mode factor analysis Three-Mode Plunkett and Fekete Hybrid Three-Mode Thambidurai and Park Hybrid Three-Month Euroyen Futures Contract Three-Month Euroyen Futures Contracts

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In the computer world, three-letter acronyms (TLA) often have multiple meanings, and it is common for one TLA to have several definitions.

Remote accessibility revisited. (Letters) by Crowe, Michael F. / Journal of Accountancy

Niku Inc is an early player in the professional services automation (PSA) space, a new three-letter acronym to go alongside the familiar ERP and CRM (customer resource management) markets, which overlap this one slightly but not so much that a new niche cannot be carved out, says Niku's VP marketing Anil Gupta.