6.1. What is an "OB"?
OB is an acronym invented in Japan which means "old boy". In Japan this has acquired the meaning of a male company retiree. Some other acronyms were invented in Japan and do not have the same meaning in English. See also 5.4. What are these pseudo English words like salaryman?.| Acronym | "English" | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| CM | Commercial Message | TV commercial, TV advertisement |
| NG | No Good | Opposite of OK |
| OB | Old boy | Retiree |
| OL | Office Lady | Female office worker |
Another recent trend is to use acronyms as a kind of secret word, with the letters standing for Japanese words. For example "KY" means kuuki ga yomenai (空気がよめない), "unaware", and "DQN" stands for dokyun (ドキュン), "stupid, unaware, uneducated, violent, thuggish".
sci.lang.japan FAQ / 6. Word meanings
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