Why WX is the abbreviation for Weather.
If you are reading this blog, follow me on social media or follow weather at all you likely know what WX means and stands for. Social media has kinda made WX go mainstream after being mainly confined to weather geeks, ham radio operators, news people and military members. You have likely seen my name wxbrad or hashtags like #cltwx #ncwx and #scwx, if you spend anytime on-line.
If you don’t already know WX is morse code shorthand for the word weather. So it is commonly used as the abbreviation for the word weather.
Brief history lesson here: In 1836, Samuel Morse(pictured left) demonstrated the ability of a telegraph system to transmit information over wires. The information was sent as a series of electrical signals. Short signals are referred to as dits (represented as dots). Long signals are referred to as dahs (represented as dashes). With the advent of radio communications, an international version of Morse code became widely used. Back when the only form of communication was the telegraph and radio. People used morse code and they used lots of shorthand or abbreviations.
Kinda like today’s texting when people use BRB, LOL or the countless other texting and chat shorthand. To save time and characters, telegraph operators would use shorter versions of full words. Imagine trying to wait for whole sentences when each morse code character looks like this in morse code.
MORSE CODE
So in many ways our modern social media, chat and texting has kinda created a whole new version of shorthand similar to when morse code and the telegraph became the first long-range form of communication. Today morse code and it’s shorthand are still used in the military and among many amateur radio operators.
Even though, not many people use morse code the abbreviation stuck. So WX means weather and my Twitter name and blog are wxbrad which really is shorthand for Weather Brad.
Commonly used morse code shorthand or abbreviations.
| AA – All after AB – All before ABT – About ADEE – Addressee ADR – Address AGN – Again AM – Amplitude Modulation ANT – Antenna BCI – Broadcast Interference BCL – Broadcast Listener BCNU – Be seeing you BK – Break, Break in BN – All between; Been BT – Separation (break) between addr & text; between txt & signature BTR – Better BUG – Semi-Automatic key B4 – Before C – Yes, Correct CFM – Confirm; I confirm CK – Ckeck CKT – Circuit CL – I am closing my station; Call CLBK – Callbook CLD – Called CLG – Calling CNT – Can’t CONDX – Conditions CQ – Calling any station CU – See You CUL – See You later CUM – Come CW – Continuous wave DA – Day DE – From, This Is DIFF – Difference DLD – Delivered DLVD – Delivered DN – Down DR – Dear EL – Element ES – AndDX – Distance ES – And FB – Fine Business, excellent FER – For FM – Frequency Modulation: From GA – Go ahead; Good Afternoon GB – Good bye, God Bless GD – Good GE – Good Evening GESS – Guess GG – Going GM – Good morning GN – Good night GND – Ground GUD – Good GV – Give GVG – Giving HH – Error in sending HI – The telegraph laugh; High HPE – Hope HQ – Headquarters HR – Here; Hear HV – Have HW – How, How Copy? IMI – Repeat, Say Again INFO – Info LID – A poor operator LNG – Long LTR – Later; letter LV – Leave LVG – Leaving MA – Millamperes MILL – Typewiter MILS – Millamperes MSG – Message; Prefix to radiogram N – No, Negative, Incorrect, No More NCS – Net Control Station ND – Nothing Doing NIL – Nothing; I have nothing for you NM – No more NR – Number NW – Now; I resume transmission | OB – Old boy OC – Old chap OM – Old man OP – Operator OPR – Operator OT – Old timer; Old top PBL – Preamble PKG – Package PSE – Please PT – Point PWR – Power PX – Press R – Received as transmitted; Are; Decimal Point RC – Ragchew RCD – Received RCVR – Receiver RE – Concerning; Regarding REF – Refer to; Referring to; Reference RFI – Radio frequency interference RIG – Station equipment RPT – Repeat, Report RTTY – Radio teletype RST – Readability, strength, tone RX – Receive, Receiver SASE – Self-addressed, stamped envelope SED – Said SEZ – Says SGD – Signed SIG – Signature; Signal SINE – Operator’s personal initials or nickname SKED – Schedule SRI – Sorry SS – Sweepstakes SSB – Single Side Band STN – Station SUM – Some SVC – Service; Prefix to service message T – Zero TFC – Traffic TMW – Tomorrow TKS – Thanks TNX – Thanks TR – Transmit T/R – Transmit/Receive TRIX – Tricks TT – That TTS – That is TU – Thank you TVI – Television interference TX – Transmitter; Transmit TXT – Text U – You UR – Your; You’re URS – Yours VFB – Very fune business VFO – Variable Frequency Oscillator VY – Very W – Watts WA – Word after WB – Word before WD – Word WDS – Words WID – With WKD – Worked WKG – Working WL – Well; Will WPM – Words Per Minute WRD – Word WUD – Would WX- Weather XCVR – Transceiver XMTR – Transmitter XTAL – Crystal XYL – Wife YL – Young lady YR – Year 30 – I have no more to send 73 – Best Regards 88 – Love and kisses 161 – 73+88=161 |
