The Different Meanings of PDA

From "Personal Digital Assistant" (less commonly known as a "Personal Data Assistant") to "Public Displays of Affection," from "Potato Dextrose Agar" to "Photo-Diode Array" or even "Private Detective Agency," there are a remarkable number of definitions for the abbreviation "PDA." Some are so well known that they now pepper the English lexicon. Others are so obscure that only a scientist or doctor would be able to spell them out correctly, much less know their definitions.
  1. PDA: Personal Digital Assistant

    • In its most common incarnation, the term "PDA" was first used to refer to a "Personal Digital Assistant" by Apple Computers CEO John Sculley in 1992 at that year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Though undeniably revolutionary, at that time the first PDAs were as thick as a brick and little more than glorified electronic datebooks. In the 2000s, however, with capabilities such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and numerous multimedia players, PDAs have morphed into smartphones that can do almost everything people need for organization.

    PDA: Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978

    • "The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978" is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against women on the basis of sex, potential fertility and pregnancy-related issues. Under this act, employers with more than 15 employees must treat women affected by pregnancy the same as any other employee with a temporary disability. The act also prohibits employers from precluding women from certain jobs, from refraining from hiring them, or from disparate treatment due to the potential for, or actuality of, pregnancy.

    PDA: Progressive Democrats of America

    • "The Progressive Democrats of America" is a Democratic organization founded during the 2004 National Convention by Tim Carpenter, Steve Cobble, Mimi Kennedy and many others. Essentially, it is a group of grassroots activists promoting both national and local grassroots activities. As stated on their website, they focus on issues such as healthcare for all, progressive taxation, fair trade, election reform and economic and environmental justice and accountability.

    PDA: Public Displays of Affection

    • The term "Public Displays of Affection" refers to just about any demonstration of intimacy in the view of others. These can range from hand-holding, hugging and kissing to pet names, love-pats and heavy petting. Tolerance of these behaviors varies widely depending on the culture. In most western cultures such as the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, it takes quite a bit to even raise an eyebrow. However, in other more tradition-bound cultures, not only are PDAs considered taboo, sometimes just making eye contact or speaking to a member of the opposite sex without a chaperone can result in family-wide humiliation, imprisonment or even execution.

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