Who knew?
People are only now learning what Durex stands for.
As it turns out, Durex, is in fact an acronym.
The condom-making company’s name is a portmanteau of three different words: Durable, reliable and excellent.
It turns out they aren’t the only company who’s name is an acronym.
IKEA is another one hidden in plain sight. The Swedish furniture company’s name tells the founder’s story.
The ‘I’ and the ‘K’ are the initials of the founder Ingvar Kamprad.
The ‘E’ stands for Elmtaryd, which is the farm that he grew up on and the ‘A’ is for the village he grew up in called Agunnaryd.
Odeon, is another company name with a surprising meaning.
The cinema chain is dotted around the UK and Ireland but have you ever thought about where it’s name comes from.
Its name originates from founder Oscar Deutsch’s favourite motto, which is: “Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.”
The name also has Greek origins, as Ōideion is translated to ‘a place for singing’, which usually referred to amphitheatres in Ancient Greece and Rome.
As it turns out, several English words are also acronym.
Did you ever sit and wonder what the word scuba means?
Probably not, but it turns out that it does actually stand for something.
“Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus” is what the word means in full, referring to the device that allows divers to breathe underwater.
Another word most people have probably never given a second thought to is taser.
It’s generally a device you wouldn’t want to come into contact with, but it actually stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle.”
Despite the fact that a man named Jack Cover invented it in the 1970s, it is named after a book from the Tom Swift adventure series.
One last acronym that you may have never thought of is the word GIF.
We use them quite frequently on social media or WhatsApp but what does the word actually stand for?
The answer is, “Graphics Interchange Format.”
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