F

ACCOUNTING TERMS - F
face value /_feis _v_lju_/ noun the value written on a coin, banknote or share certificate travellers cheques cost 1% of their face value some banks charge more for small amounts [Sunday Times] facility /f|_siliti/ noun the total amount of credit which a lender will allow a borrower facility fee /f|_siliti fi_/ noun a charge made to a borrower by a bank for arranging credit facilities facility-sustaining activities /f|_siliti s|_steini _k|_tivitiz/ plural noun activities undertaken to support the organisation as a whole, which cannot be logically linked to individual units of output. Accounting is a facility-sustaining activity. _ hierarchy of activities factor /_f_kt/ noun 1. something which is important, or which is taken into account when making a decision _ The drop in sales factoring charges /_f_ktri _t_diz/ plural noun the cost of selling debts to a factor for a commission factors of production /_f_ktz v pr| _d_kn/ plural noun land, labour and capital, i.e. the three things needed to produce a product factory gate price /_f_kt()ri __eit prais/ noun the actual cost of manufacturing goods before any mark-up is added to give profit (NOTE: The factory gate price includes direct costs such as labour, raw materials and energy, and indirect costs such as interest on loans, plant maintenance or rent.) factory overhead /_f_kt()ri _vhed/ noun same as production overhead FAE abbreviation Final Admitting Exam fail /feil/ verb to be unsuccessful _ The

is an important factor in the companys lower profits. _ Motivation was an important factor in drawing up the new pay scheme. 2. a number used in multiplication

to produce another number _ by a factor of ten ten times 3. a person or company which is responsible for collecting debts for companies, by buying debts at a discount on their face value 4. a person who sells for a business or another person and earns a commission _ verb to buy debts from a company at a discount factors buy invoices from a company, which then gets an immediate cash advance representing most of their value. The balance is paid when the debt is met. The client company is charged a fee as well as interest on the cash advanced [Times] factorial /f_k|_t_ril/ noun the product of all the numbers below a number _ example: 4 factorial = 1x2x3x4 = 24 (NOTE: 4 factorial is written 4!) factoring /_f_ktri/ noun the business of buying debts from a firm at a discount and then enforcing the payment of the debt

prototype failed its first test. failure /_feilj/ noun an act of breaking down or stopping _ the failure of the negotiations failure costs /_feilj ksts/ plural noun

costs that include external failure costs as well as associated costs, e.g. the cost of running a complaints department fair /fe/ adjective reasonable, with equal treatment fair dealing /_fe _di_li/ noun the legal buying and selling of shares fair market value /_fe _m_kit _v_lju_/ noun same as fair value fair price /_fe _prais/ noun a good price for both buyer and seller fair trade /_fe _treid/ noun an international business system where countries agree not to charge import duties on some items imported from their trading partners fair value /_fe _v_lju_/ noun 1. a price paid by a buyer who knows the value of what he or she is buying, to a seller who also knows the value of what is being sold, i.e., 93 Federal Reserve neither is cheating the other 2. a method of valuing the assets and liabilities of a business 1

based on the amount for which they could be sold to independent parties at the time of valuation fair wear and tear /_fe wer n _te/ noun acceptable damage caused by normal use _ The insurance policy covers most

the share price to their advantage falsification /_f_lsifi|_kei()n/ noun the act of making false entries in accounts falsify /_f_lsifai/ verb to change something to make it wrong _ They were accused

damage but not fair wear and tear to the machine. fall /f_l/ noun a sudden reduction or loss of value _ a fall in the exchange rate _ a fall in the price of gold _ a fall on the Stock Exchange _ Profits showed a 10% fall. _ verb 1. to be reduced suddenly to a lower price or value _ Shares fell on the market today. _ Gold shares fell 10% or fell 45 cents on the Stock Exchange. _ The price of gold fell for the second day running. _ The pound fell against the euro. 2. to happen or to take place _ The public holiday falls on a Tuesday.
market analysts described the falls in the second half of last week as a technical correction to the market [Australian Financial Review] for the first time since mortgage rates began falling in March a financial institution has raised charges on homeowner loans [Globe and Mail (Toronto)] interest rates were still falling as late as June, and underlying inflation remains below the governments target of 2.5 per cent [Financial Times] fall behind phrasal verb to be late in doing something _ They fell behind with their

of falsifying the accounts.

family company /_f_m()li _k_mp()ni/ noun a company in which most of the shares are owned by members of a family f. & f. abbreviation fixtures and fittings FASB abbreviation Financial Accounting Standards Board favourable trade balance /_feiv()rb()l _treid _b_lns/ noun a situation where a country exports more than it imports _ The country has had an adverse

balance of trade for the second month running.

favourable variance /_feiv()rb()l _verins/ noun variance which shows that the actual result is better than expected fax /f_ks/ noun a system for sending the exact copy of a document via telephone lines _ Can you confirm the booking by fax? _ verb to send a message by fax _ The details

of the offer were faxed to the brokers this morning. _ Ive faxed the documents to our New York office. FCA abbreviation Fellow of the Institute of

mortgage repayments. falling /_f_li/ adjective becoming smaller

or dropping in price falling profitability means falling share prices [Investors Chronicle] false /f_ls/ adjective not true or not correct _ to make a false claim for a product _ to

Chartered Accountants in England and Wales FCCA abbreviation Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants FCR abbreviation full cost recovery FD abbreviation financial director feasibility study /_fi_z|_biliti _st_di/ noun the careful investigation of a project to see whether it is worth undertaking _ We

make a false entry in the balance sheet

will carry out a feasibility study to decide whether it is worth setting up an agency in North America. federal /_fed()rl/ adjective 1. referring

false accounting /_f_ls |_kanti/ noun the criminal offence of changing, destroying or hiding accounting records for a dishonest purpose false market /_f_ls _m_kit/ noun a market in shares caused by persons or companies conspiring to buy or sell and so influence

to a system of government where a group of states are linked together in a federation 2. referring to the central government of the United States _ Most federal offices are in

Washington.

federal examiners will determine which of the privately-insured savings and loans qualify for federal insurance [Wall 2

Street Journal]

since 1978 America has freed many of its industries from federal rules that set prices and controlled the entry of new companies [Economist] Federal Funds /_fed()rl _f_ndz/ plural noun deposits by commercial banks with the Federal Reserve Banks, which can be used for short-term loans to other banks Federal Reserve /_fed()rl ri|_z__v/, Federal Reserve System /_fed()rl ri| _z__v _sistm/ noun the system of federal government control of the US banks, where the Federal Reserve Board regulates money Federal Reserve Bank 94 supply, prints money, fixes the discount rate and issues government bonds Federal Reserve Bank /_fed()rl ri| _z__v _b_k/ noun any one of the twelve federally-owned regional banks in the US, which are directed by the Federal Reserve Board. Abbreviation FRB Federal Reserve Board /_fed()rl ri| _z__v b_d/ noun a government organisation which runs the central banks in the US. Abbreviation FRB pressure on the Federal Reserve Board to ease monetary policy mounted yesterday with the release of a set of pessimistic economic statistics [Financial Times] federation /_fed|_rei()n/ noun a group of societies, companies or organisations which have a central organisation which represents them and looks after their common interests _ a federation of trades unions _

charge a small fee for our services. _ The consultants fee was much higher than we expected. fee work /_fi_ w__k/ noun any work on a

project carried out by independent workers or contractors, rather than by the organisations employees fellow /_fel/ noun a title given to senior members of a professional association. Junior members are usually called associates. fiat money /_fi__t _m_ni/ noun coins or notes which are not worth much as paper or metal, but are said by the government to have a value and are recognised as legal tender fictitious assets /fik|_tis __sets/ plural noun assets which do not really exist, but are entered as assets to balance the accounts fiddle /_fid()l/ (informal) noun an act of cheating _ Its all a fiddle. _ verb to cheat _ He tried to fiddle his tax returns. _ The

salesman was caught fiddling his expense account. fiduciary /fi|_dju_jri/ noun, adjective (a person) in a position of trust _ Directors have fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the company.

the employers federation

Fdration des Experts-Comptables Europen noun same as European Federation of Accountants Fed Funds /_fed f_ndz/ plural noun US same as Federal Funds (informal) fed funds rate /_fed f_ndz _reit/ noun the rate charged by banks for lending money deposited with the Federal Reserve to other banks fee /fi_/ noun money paid for work carried out by a professional person such as an accountant, a doctor or a lawyer _ We

fiduciary deposits /fi|_dju_ri di| _pzitz/ plural noun bank deposits which are managed for the depositor by the bank FIFO /_faif/ abbreviation first in first out fifty-fifty /_fifti _fifti/ adjective, adverb half figure /_fi_/ noun 1. a number, or a cost written in numbers _ The figure in the accounts for heating is very high. 2. _ his income runs into six figures or he has a six-figure income his income is more than 100,000 figures /_fi_z/ plural noun 1. written numbers 2. the results for a company _ the figures for last year or last years figures file /fail/ noun 1. documents kept for reference 2. a section of data on a computer, e.g. payroll, address list, customer accounts _ How can we protect our computer files? _ verb 1. to make an official request 2. to register something officially _ to file an application for a patent _ to file a return to the

tax office

file copy /_fail _kpi/ noun a copy of a document which is kept for reference in an office filing date /_faili deit/ noun the date by which income tax returned must be filed with the Inland Revenue final accounts /_fain()l |_kants/ plural noun the accounts produced at the end of an accounting period, including the balance sheet and profit and loss account Final Admitting Exam /_fain()l d| _miti i_|_z_m/ noun a final examination set by the ICAEW to admit student accountants as chartered accountants. Abbreviation FAE final closing date /_fain()l _klzi deit/ noun the last date for acceptance of a takeover bid, when the bidder has to announce how many shareholders have accepted his or her offer final demand /_fain()l di|_m_nd/ noun a last reminder that payment of a debt is due, after which a supplier normally sues for payment final discharge /_fain()l _dist_d/ noun a final payment the completes the repayment of a debt final dividend /_fain()l _dividend/ noun a dividend paid at the end of a years trading, which has to be approved by the shareholders at an AGM finalise /_fainlaiz/, finalize verb to agree final details _ We hope to finalise the agreement tomorrow. _ After six weeks of negotiations

the loan was finalised yesterday.

final settlement /_fain()l _set()lmnt/ noun the last payment which settles a debt finance /_fain_ns/ noun 1. money used by a company, provided by the shareholders or by loans _ Where will they get the necessary finance for the project? (NOTE: The US term is financing) 2. money (used by a club, local authority, etc.) _ She is the secretary of the local authority finance committee. _ verb to provide money to pay for something _ They plan to finance the operation with

the flow of money used to finance these loans diminished [Globe and Mail] Finance Act /_fain_ns _kt/ noun an annual Act of Parliament which gives the government the power to obtain money from taxes as proposed in the Budget Finance and Tax Tribunals /_fain_ns n _t_ks _traibju_n()lz/ plural noun a collective name for four tribunals established in 2006 to hear appeals against decisions of HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue and to adjudicate on matters relating to certain decisions of the Financial Services Authority and the Pensions Regulator Finance Bill /_fain_ns bil/ noun 1. a bill that lists the proposals in a Chancellors budget and that is debated before being voted into law as the Finance Act 2. US a short-term bill of exchange which provides credit for a corporation so that it can continue trading finance controller /_fain_ns kn| _trl/ noun an accountant whose main task is to manage the companys monetary resources finance lease /_fain_ns li_s/ noun a lease which requires the lessee company to show the asset acquired under the lease in its balance sheet and to depreciate it in the usual way finance leasing /_fain_ns _li_si/ noun leasing a property under a finance lease finance market /_fain_ns _m_kit/ noun a place where large sums of money can be lent or borrowed finances /_fain_nsiz/ plural noun money or cash which is available _ the bad state of

the companys finances

short-term loans.

an official said that the company began to experience a sharp increase in demand for longer-term mortgages at a time when

financial /fai|_n_nl/ adjective relating to money Financial Accountant /fai|_n_n()l | _kantnt/ noun a qualified accountant, a member of the Institute of Financial Accountants, who advises on accounting matters or who works as the financial director of a company financial accounting /fai|_n_n()l | _kanti/, financial accountancy /fai| _n_n()l |_kantnsi/ noun 1. the form of 4

accounting in which financial reports are produced to provide investors or other external parties with information on a companys financial status. Compare management accounting 2. the process of classifying and recording a companys transactions and presenting them in the form of profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and cash flow statements for a given accounting period Financial Accounting Standards Board Financial Accounting Standards Board /fai|_n_n()l |_kanti _st_nddz _b_d/ noun the body which regulates accounting standards in the USA. Abbreviation FASB financial adviser /fai|_n_nl d|_vaiz/ noun a person or company that gives financial advice to clients for a fee financial aid /fai|_n_nl _eid/ noun monetary assistance given to an individual, organisation or nation. International financial aid, that is from one country to another, is often used to fund educational, healthrelated or other humanitarian activities. financial analysis software /fai| _n_nl |_n_lsis _sftwe/ noun software that can produce information on trends and calculate ratios using information from an online database financial assistance /fai|_n_nl | _sistns/ noun help in the form of money financial calendar /fai|_n_nl _k_lind/ noun a list of significant events and dates in a companys financial reporting year financial correspondent /fai|_n_nl _kris|_pndnt/ noun a journalist who writes articles on money matters for a newspaper financial director /fai|_n_nl dai| _rekt/ noun the member of a board of directors who is responsible for a companys financial operations. Abbreviation FD financial engineering /fai|_n_nl _endi|_niri/ noun the act of converting one type of financial instrument into another financial futures /fai|_n_nl _fju_tz/, financial futures contract /fai|_n_nl

financial futures market 96 _fju_tz _kntr_kt/ noun a contract for the purchase of gilt-edged securities for delivery at a date in the future. Also called financials financial futures market /fai|_n_nl _fju_tz _m_kit/ noun the market in giltedged securities for delivery at a date in the future financial information system /fai| _n_nl _inf|_mei()n _sistm/ noun a computer-based system that analyses and gathers financial information for use in running a business financial institution /fai|_n_nl _insti| _tju_()n/ noun a bank, investment trust or insurance company whose work involves lending or investing large sums of money instrument /fai|_n_nl _instrmnt/ noun 1. a document showing that money has been lent or borrowed, invested or passed from one account to another, e.g. a bill of exchange, share certificate, certificate of deposit or IOU 2. any form of investment in the stock market or in other financial markets, e.g. shares, government stocks, certificates of deposit or bills of exchange financial intermediary /fai|_n_nl _int|_mi_diri/ noun an institution which takes deposits or loans from individuals and lends money to clients financial leverage /fai|_n_nl _levrid/ noun _ gearing financially /fi|_n_nli/ adverb regarding money _ a company which is financially sound a company which is profitable and has strong assets financial management /fai|_n_nl _m_nidmnt/ noun the management of the acquisition and use of long- and shortterm capital by a business financial position /fai|_n_nl p| _zi()n/ noun the state of a persons or companys bank balance in terms of assets and debts financial projection /fai|_n_nl pr| _dekn/ noun business planning that deals

with budgets and estimates of future financing needs financial report /fai|_n_nl ri|_p_t/ noun a document which gives the financial position of a company or of a club, etc. Financial Reporting Council /fai| _n_n()l ri|_p_ti _kans()l/ noun the UKs independent regulator for corporate reporting and governance Financial Reporting Review Panel /fai|_n_n()l ri|_p_ti ri|_vju_ _p_n()l/ noun a UK body that receives and investigates complaints about the annual accounts of companies in which it is claimed that the accounting requirements of the Companies Act have not been fulfilled. Abbreviation FRRP Financial Reporting Standards /fai| _n_n()l ri|_p_ti _st_nddz/ plural noun a series of accounting standards issued by the Accounting Standards Board outlining common accounting practice. Abbreviation FRSs financial resources /fai|_n_nl ri| _z_siz/ plural noun the supply of money for something _ a company with strong financial

Financial Services Authority /fai| _n_n()l _s__visiz _|_rti/ noun an independent non-governmental body formed in 1997 as a result of reforms in the regulation of financial services in the United Kingdom. The Securities and Investments Board (SIB) became responsible for the supervision of banking and investment services and changed its name to become the Financial Services Authority. The FSAs four statutory objectives were specified by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: maintaining market confidence; increasing public knowledge of the finance system; ensuring appropriate protection for consumers; and reducing financial crime. Abbreviation FSA financial statement /fai|_n_nl _steitmnt/ noun a document which shows the financial situation of a company _ The 97 fiscal year

accounts department has prepared a financial statement for the shareholders.

resources

financial review /fai|_n_nl ri|_vju_/ noun an examination of an organisations finances financial risk /fai|_n_nl _risk/ noun the possibility of losing money _ The company

is taking a considerable financial risk in manufacturing 25 million units without doing any market research. _ There is always some financial risk in selling on credit. financials /fai|_n_nlz/ plural noun same

as financial futures financial services /fai|_n_nl _s__visiz/ plural noun services such as banking and insurance the main business of which is the management and transfer of money Financial Services Act /fai|_n_nl _s__visiz _kt/ noun an Act of the British Parliament which regulates the offering of financial services to the general public and to private investors

financial statement analysis /fai| _n_nl _steitmnt |_n_lsis/ noun any of various methods used for evaluating the past, current and projected performance of a company financial supermarket /fai|_n_nl _su_pm_kit/ noun a company which offers a range of financial services, e.g. a bank offering loans, mortgages, pensions and insurance as well as the usual personal banking services Financial Times /fai|_n_n()l _taimz/ noun an important British financial daily newspaper (printed on pink paper). Abbreviation FT financial year /fai|_n_nl _ji/ noun the twelve-month period for which a company produces accounts. A financial year is not necessarily the same as a calendar year. financier financier /fai|_n_nsi/ noun a person who lends large amounts of money to companies or who buys shares in companies as an investment financing /_fain_nsi/ noun the act of providing money for a project _ The financing 6

of the project was done by two international banks. finders fee /_faindz fi_/ noun a fee paid
to a person who finds a client for another, e.g., someone who introduces a client to a stockbroking firm fine /fain/ noun money paid because of something wrong which has been done _ She was asked to pay a $25,000 fine. _ We

had to pay a 50 parking fine. fine-tuning /_fain _tju_ni/ noun the act

of making of small adjustments in areas such as interest rates, tax bands or the money supply, to improve a nations economy finished goods /_finit __dz/ plural noun manufactured goods which are ready to be sold fire insurance /_fair in|_rns/ noun insurance against damage by fire firm /f__m/ noun a company, business or partnership _ a manufacturing firm _ an important publishing firm _ She is a partner in a law firm. _ adjective 1. unchangeable _ to make a firm offer for something _ to place a firm order for two aircraft 2. not dropping in price and possibly going to rise _ Sterling

goods first in first out /_f__st in _f__st _at/ phrase an accounting policy in which it is assumed that stocks in hand were purchased last, and that stocks sold during the period were purchased first. Abbreviation FIFO. Compare last in first out first option /_f__st _opn/ noun allowing someone to be the first to have the possibility of deciding something first quarter /_f__st _kw_t/ noun the period of three months from January to the end of March _ The first quarters rent is

payable in advance.

was firmer on the foreign exchange markets. _ Shares remained firm. _ verb to remain at a price and seem likely to rise _ The shares firmed at 1.50.
some profit-taking was noted, but underlying sentiment remained firm [Financial Times] firm up phrasal verb to agree on the final details of something _ We expect to firm up

the deal at the next trade fair. firmness /_f__mns/ noun the fact of exchanges

being steady at a particular price, or likely to rise _ the firmness of the dollar on foreign Toronto failed to mirror New Yorks firmness as a drop in gold shares on a falling bullion price left the market closing on a mixed note [Financial Times] firm price /_f__m _prais/ noun a price which will not change _ They are quoting a

firm price of $1.23 a unit. firm sale /_f__m _seil/ noun a sale which
does not allow the purchaser to return the

first year allowance /_f__st jir | _lans/ noun an allowance which can be claimed on capital expenditure by a business or self-employed person during the year in which the purchase was made. After the first year, the written-down allowance (WDA) applies. Abbreviation FYA fiscal /_fiskl/ adjective referring to tax or to government revenues fiscal drag /_fiskl _dr__/ noun 1. the effect of inflation on a governments tax revenues. As inflation increases so do prices and wages, and tax revenues rise proportionately. Even if inflation is low, increased earnings will give the government increased revenues anyway. 2. the negative effect of higher personal taxation on an individuals work performance fiscal measures /_fiskl _mez/ plural noun tax changes made by a government to improve the working of the economy fiscal year /_fiskl _ji/ noun a twelvemonth period on which taxes are calculated. In the UK this is April 6th to April 5th. fittings 98 last fiscal year the chain reported a 116% jump in earnings [Barrons] fittings /_fitiz/ plural noun items which are sold with a property but are not permanently fixed, e.g. carpets or shelves. _ fixtures fixed assets /_fikst __sets/ plural noun property or machinery which a company owns and uses, but which the company does 7

not buy or sell as part of its regular trade, including the companys investments in shares of other companies fixed asset turnover /_fikst __set _t__nv/ noun a measure of how efficient a companys property and equipment is in generating revenue fixed asset unit /_fikst __set _ju_nit/ noun a single item of the fixed assets of a company, e.g. a specific piece of equipment fixed budget /_fikst _b_dit/ noun a budget which refers to a specific level of business, i.e., a sales turnover which produces a specific level of profit fixed capital /_fikst _k_pit()l/ noun capital in the form of buildings and machinery fixed charge /_fikst _t_d/ noun a charge over a particular asset or property fixed costs /_fikst _ksts/ plural noun business costs which do not change with the quantity of the product made fixed deduction /_fikst di|_d_kn/ noun a deduction agreed by the Inland Revenue and a group of employees, such as a trade union, which covers general expenditure on clothes or tools used in the course of employment fixed deposit /_fikst di|_pzit/ noun a deposit which pays a stated interest over a set period fixed exchange rate /_fikst iks|_teind _reit/ noun a rate of exchange of one currency against another which cannot fluctuate, and can only be changed by devaluation or revaluation fixed expenses /_fikst ik|_spensiz/ plural noun expenses which do not vary with different levels of production, e.g. rent, staff salaries and insurance fixed income /_fikst _ink_m/ noun income which does not change from year to year, as from an annuity fixed-interest /_fikst _intrst/ adjective having an interest rate which does not vary fixed-interest investments /_fikst _intrst in|_vestmnts/ plural noun investments producing a level of interest which does not change fixed-interest securities /_fikst

_intrst si|_kjritiz/ plural noun securities such as government bonds which produce a level of interest which does not change fixed-price /_fikst _prais/ adjective having a price which cannot be changed fixed-price agreement /_fikst _prais | __ri_mnt/ noun an agreement where a company provides a service or a product at a price which stays the same for the whole period of the agreement fixed rate /_fikst _reit/ noun a rate, e.g. an exchange rate, which does not change fixed rate loan /_fikst reit _ln/ noun a loan on which the rate of interest stays the same for the duration of the loan fixed scale of charges /_fikst skeil v _t_diz/ noun a set of charges that do not vary according to individual circumstances but are applied consistently in all cases of a particular kind fixed yield /_fikst _ji_ld/ noun a percentage return which does not change fixtures /_fikstz/ plural noun items in a property which are permanently attached to it, e.g. sinks and lavatories fixtures and fittings /_fikstz n _fitiz/ plural noun objects in a property which are sold with the property, both those which cannot be removed and those which can. Abbreviation f. & f. flash report /_fl_ ri|_p_t/ noun an interim financial report produced before the full accounts have been drawn up, and used to identify or resolve potential problems flat /fl_t/ adjective 1. used to describe market prices which do not fall or rise, because of low demand _ The market was flat today. 2. not changing in response to different conditions _ a flat rate the government revised its earlier reports for July and August. Originally reported as flat in July and declining by 0.2% in August, industrial production is now seen to have risen by 0.2% and 0.1% respectively in those months [Sunday Times] flat rate /_fl_t _reit/ noun a charge which always stays the same _ a flat-rate increase

of 10% _ We pay a flat rate for electricity each quarter. flat tax /_fl_t _t_ks/ noun a tax levied at

one fixed rate whatever an individuals income flat yield /_fl_t _ji_ld/ noun an interest rate as a percentage of the price paid for fixedinterest stock flex /fleks/ verb to adjust figures in order to reflect changes in circumstances since the original figures were produced _ flexing a

by this period to the drawer of a cheque _ verb to let a currency settle at its own exchange rate on the international markets and not be fixed _ The government has let sterling float. _ The government has

decided to float the pound. floating /_flti/ adjective not fixed _ floating exchange rates _ the floating pound

budget

flexibility /_fleksi|_biliti/ noun the ability to be easily changed _ There is no flexibility

in the companys pricing policy.

they calculate interest on their flexible mortgage on an annual basis rather than daily. Charging annual interest makes a nonsense of the whole idea of flexibility which is supposed to help you pay off your mortgage more quickly [Financial Times] flexible /_fleksib()l/ adjective possible to alter or change _ We try to be flexible where the advertising budget is concerned. _ The

company has adopted a flexible pricing policy.

flexible budget /_fleksib()l _b_dit/ noun a budget which changes in response to changes in sales turnover or output flight of capital /_flait v _k_pit()l/ noun a rapid movement of capital out of one country because of lack of confidence in that countrys economic future flight to quality /_flait t _kwliti/ noun a tendency of investors to buy safe blue-chip securities when the economic outlook is uncertain float /flt/ noun 1. cash taken from a central supply and used for running expenses _ The sales reps have a float of 100 each. 2. the process of starting a new company by selling shares in it on the Stock Exchange _

in a world of floating exchange rates the dollar is strong because of capital inflows rather than weak because of the nations trade deficit [Duns Business Month] floating capital /_flti _k_pit()l/ noun the portion of capital invested in current assets, as distinct from that invested in fixed assets or capital assets floating charge /_flti t_d/ noun a charge linked to any of the companys assets in a category, but not to any specific item floating rate /_flti reit/ noun 1. same as variable rate 2. an exchange rate for a currency, which can vary according to market demand, and is not fixed by the government floating-rate notes /_flti reit _nts/ plural noun Eurocurrency loans arranged by a bank which are not at a fixed rate of interest. Abbreviation FRNs floor /fl_/ noun the bottom level of something, e.g. the lowest exchange rate which a government will accept for its currency or the lower limit imposed on an interest rate _

The government will impose a floor on wages to protect the poor. floor price /_fl_ prais/ noun the lowest

price, a price which cannot go any lower floor space /_fl_ speis/ noun an area of floor in an office or warehouse _ We have

The float of the new company was a complete failure. 3. the process of allowing a
currency to settle at its own exchange rate, without any government intervention 4. the period between the presentation of a cheque as payment and the actual payment to the payee, or the financial advantage provided

3,500 square metres of floor space to let. flop /flp/ noun a failure, or something which has not been successful _ The new model was a flop.

flow chart /_fl t_t/, flow diagram /_fl _dai_r_m/ noun a chart which shows the arrangement of work processes in a series fluctuate /_fl_ktueit/ verb to move up and down _ Prices fluctuated between 1.10 and 1.25. _ The pound fluctuated all day 9

on the foreign exchange markets. fluctuation /_fl_ktu|_ei()n/ noun an up and down movement _ the fluctuations of the yen _ the fluctuations of the exchange rate FOB, f.o.b. abbreviation free on board folio /_fli/ noun a page with a number,

especially two facing pages in an account book which have the same number _ verb to put a number on a page forced sale /_f_st _seil/ noun a sale which takes place because a court orders it or because it is the only way to avoid a financial crisis force majeure /_f_s m_|___/ noun something which happens which is out of the control of the parties who have signed a contract, e.g. a strike, war, or storm forecast /_f_k_st/ noun a description or calculation of what will probably happen in forecast dividend 100 the future _ The chairman did not believe

the sales directors forecast of higher turnover.

forecast dividend /_f_k_st _dividend/ noun a dividend which a company expects to pay at the end of the current year. Also called prospective dividend forecaster /_f_k_st/ noun a person who says what he or she thinks will happen in the future forecasting /_f_k_sti/ noun the process of calculating what will probably happen in the future _ Manpower planning will

depend on forecasting the future levels of production. foreclose /f_|_klz/ verb to sell a property
because the owner cannot repay money which he or she has borrowed, using the property as security _ to foreclose on a

mortgaged property

foreclosure /f_|_kl/ noun an act of foreclosing foreign banks /_frin _b_ks/ plural noun banks from other countries which have branches in a country foreign branch /_frin _br_nt/ noun a branch of a company in another country. The accounts of foreign branches may cause problems because of varying exchange

rates. foreign company /_frin _k_mp()ni/ noun a company that is registered in a foreign country foreign currency /_frin _k_rnsi/ noun money of another country foreign currency account /_frin _k_rnsi |_kant/ noun a bank account in the currency of another country, e.g. a dollar account in a UK bank foreign currency reserves /_frin _k_rnsi ri|_z__vz/ plural noun foreign money held by a government to support its own currency and pay its debts. Also called foreign exchange reserves, international reserves the treasury says it needs the cash to rebuild its foreign reserves which have fallen from $19 billion when the government took office to $7 billion in August [Economist] foreign earnings /_frin ___niz/ plural noun earnings received from employment in a foreign country foreign entity /_frin _entiti/ noun a person or incorporated company based in a foreign country foreign exchange /_frin iks|_teind/ noun 1. the business of exchanging the money of one country for that of another 2. foreign currencies the dollar recovered a little lost ground on the foreign exchanges yesterday [Financial Times] foreign exchange broker /_frin iks| _teind _brk/, foreign exchange dealer /_frin iks|_teind _di_l/ noun a person who deals on the foreign exchange market foreign exchange dealing /_frin iks| _teind _di_li/ noun the business of buying and selling foreign currencies foreign exchange market /_frin iks| _teind _m_kit/ noun 1. a market where people buy and sell foreign currencies _ She trades on the foreign exchange market. 2. dealings in foreign currencies _ Foreign

exchange markets were very active after the dollar devalued.

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foreign exchange reserves /_frin iks| _teind ri|_z__vz/ plural noun same as foreign currency reserves foreign exchange transfer /_frin iks| _teind _tr_nsf__/ noun the sending of money from one country to another foreign income /_frin _ink_m/ noun income derived from sources in a foreign country foreign investments /_frin in| _vestmnts/ plural noun money invested in other countries foreign money order /_frin _m_ni __d/ noun a money order in a foreign currency which is payable to someone living in a foreign country foreign tax credit /_frin _t_ks _kredit/ noun a tax advantage that applies in the case of taxes paid to or in another country foreign trade /_frin _treid/ noun a trade with other countries forensic /f|_rensik/ adjective referring to the courts or to the law in general forensic accounting /f|_rensik | _kanti/ noun the scrutinisation of an entitys past financial activities in order to discover whether illegal practices have been used at any time forensic partner /f|_rensik _p_tn/ noun a partner in an accountancy firm who deals with litigation foreseeable loss /f_|_si_b()l _ls/ noun a loss which is expected to occur during a long-term contract forfaiting /_f_fiti/ noun the action of providing finance for exporters, where an agent or forfaiter accepts a bill of exchange 101 fraction from an overseas customer; he or she buys the bill at a discount, and collects the payments from the customer in due course forfeit /_f_fit/ verb to have something taken away as a punishment _ to forfeit shares to be forced to give back shares if money called up is not paid on time forfeit clause /_f_fit kl_z/ noun a clause in a contract which says that goods or a deposit will be taken away if the contract

is not obeyed forfeiture /_f_fit/ noun the act of forfeiting a property form /f_m/ noun 1. _ form of words words correctly laid out for a legal document _ receipt in due form a correctly written receipt 2. an official printed paper with blank spaces which have to be filled in with information _ a pad of order forms _ You have to fill in form A20. _ Each passenger was given a customs declaration form. _

The reps carry pads of order forms. formal /_f_m()l/ adjective clearly and legally written _ to make a formal application _ to send a formal order _ Is this a formal job offer? _ The factory is prepared for the formal inspection by the government inspector.

formal documents /_f_m()l _dkjmnts/ plural noun documents giving full details of a takeover bid formality /f_|_m_liti/ noun something which has to be done to obey the law form letter /_f_m _let/ noun a letter which can be sent without any change to several correspondents, e.g. a letter chasing payment forward /_f_wd/ adjective in advance or to be paid at a later date forward accounting /_f_wd | _kanti/ noun the practice of using accounting procedures to forecast a businesss future performance forwardation /_f_wd|_ei()n/ noun a situation in which the cash price is lower than the forward price (NOTE: The opposite is backwardation.) forward contract /_f_wd _kntr_kt/ noun a one-off agreement to buy currency, shares or commodities for delivery at a later date at a specific price forward cover /_f_wd _k_v/ noun an arrangement to cover the risks on a forward contract forward delivery /_f_wd di|_liv()ri/ noun a delivery at some date in the future which has been agreed between the buyer and seller forward exchange rate /_f_wd iks| 11

_teind reit/ noun a rate for purchase of foreign currency at a fixed price for delivery at a later date _ What are the forward rates for the pound? Also called forward rate forward financial statement /_f_wd fai|_n_n()l _steitmnt/ noun an estimate of a companys future financial position forwarding agent /_f_wdi _eidnt/ noun a person or company which arranges shipping and customs documents forward integration /_f_wd _int| __rei()n/ noun a process of expansion in which a company becomes its own distributor or takes over a company in the same line of business as itself _ Forward integration

fourth quarter /_f_ _kw_t/ noun a period of three months from 1st October to the end of the year fraction /_fr_kn/ noun a very small amount _ Only a fraction of the new share

issue was subscribed.

will give the company greater control over its selling. _ Forward integration has brought the company closer to its consumers and has made it aware of their buying habits.
Compare backward integration forward margin /_f_wd _m_din/ noun the difference between the current price and the forward price forward market /_f_wd _m_kit/ noun a market for purchasing foreign currency, oil or commodities for delivery at a later date forward price /_f_wd prais/ noun a price of goods which are to be delivered in the future forward rate /_f_wd reit/ noun same as forward exchange rate forward sales /_f_wd seilz/ plural noun sales of shares, commodities or foreign exchange for delivery at a later date forwards spreading /_f_wdz _spredi/ noun the act of spreading lump sum income over several years in the future forward trading /_f_wd _treidi/ noun the activity of buying or selling commodities for delivery at a later date founder /_fand/ noun a person who starts a company 401(k) plan /_f_ w_n _kei pl_n/ noun US a personal pension plan arranged by an employer for a member of staff, invested in bonds, mutual funds or stock (the employee contributes a proportion of salary, on which tax is deferred; the employer can also make contributions)

fractional 102 fractional /_fr_knl/ adjective very small fractional certificate /_fr_knl s| _tifikt/ noun a certificate for part of a share franc /fr_k/ noun 1. a former unit of currency in France and Belgium _ French francs or Belgian francs 2. a unit of currency in Switzerland and several other currencies _ It costs twenty-five Swiss francs. franchise /_fr_ntaiz/ noun a licence to trade using a brand name and paying a royalty for it _ Hes bought a printing franchise or a pizza franchise. _ verb to sell licences for people to trade using a brand name and paying a royalty _ His sandwich bar was so

successful that he decided to franchise it.

many new types of franchised businesses will join the ranks of the giant chains of fast-food restaurants, hotels and motels and rental car agencies [Franchising Opportunities] franchisee /_fr_ntai|_zi_/ noun a person who runs a franchise franchiser /_fr_ntaiz/ noun a person who licenses a franchise franchising /_fr_ntaizi/ noun the act of selling a licence to trade as a franchise _

She runs her sandwich chain as a franchising operation. franco /_fr_k/ adverb free franked /fr_kd/ adjective on which tax
has already been paid fraud /fr_d/ noun the act of making money by making people believe something which is not true _ He got possession of the property by fraud. _ She was accused of

frauds relating to foreign currency. fraudulent /_fr_djlnt/ adjective not honest, or aiming to cheat people _ a fraudulent transaction fraudulently /_fr_djlntli/ adverb not honestly _ goods imported fraudulently
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fraudulent misrepresentation /_fr_djlnt mis|_reprizen|_tei()n/ noun the act of making a false statement with the intention of tricking a customer fraudulent trading /_fr_djlnt _treidi/ noun the process of carrying on the business of a company, knowing that the company is insolvent FRB abbreviation 1. Federal Reserve Bank 2. Federal Reserve Board free /fri_/ adjective, adverb 1. not costing any money _ I have been given a free ticket to the exhibition. _ The price includes free delivery. _ All goods in the store are delivered free. _ A catalogue will be sent free on request. 2. with no restrictions _ free of tax with no tax having to be paid _ Interest is paid free of tax. _ free of duty with no duty to be paid _ to import wine free of duty _ verb to make something available or easy _

The governments decision has freed millions of pounds for investment.

American business as a whole is increasingly free from heavy dependence on manufacturing [Sunday Times] free cash flow /_fri_ _k_ _fl/ noun the level of cash flow after the deduction of interest payments, tax payments, dividends and ongoing capital expenditure free competition /_fri_ _kmp|_ti()n/ noun the fact of being free to compete without government interference free currency /_fri_ _k_rnsi/ noun a currency which is allowed by the government to be bought and sold without restriction free enterprise /_fri_ _entpraiz/ noun a system of business free from government interference freeholder /_fri_hld/ noun a person who owns a freehold property freehold property /_fri_hld _prpti/ noun property which the owner holds for ever and on which no rent is paid free issue /_fri_ _iu_/ noun same as bonus issue free market /_fri_ _m_kit/ noun a market in which there is no government control of supply and demand, and the rights of individuals and organisations to physical and

intellectual property are upheld free market economy /_fri _m_kit i| _knmi/ noun an economic system where the government does not interfere in business activity in any way free on board /_fri_ n _b_d/ adjective 1. including in the price all the sellers costs until the goods are on the ship for transportation. Abbreviation f.o.b. 2. including in the price all the sellers costs until the goods are delivered to a place free reserves /_fri_ ri|_z__vz/ plural noun the part of a banks reserves which are above the statutory level and so can be used for various purposes as the bank wishes free-standing additional voluntary contribution /_fri_ _st_ndi |_di()nl _vlnt()ri _kntri|_bju_()n/ noun a payment made by an individual into an independent pension fund to supplement an occupational pension scheme. The anticipated benefits from the two schemes together must be less than the maximum 103 full permitted under the rules laid down by the Inland Revenue. Abbreviation FSAVC free trade /_fri_ _treid/ noun a system where goods can go from one country to another without any restrictions free trade area /_fri_ _treid _eri/ noun a group of countries practising free trade free trader /_fri_ _treid/ noun a person who is in favour of free trade free trade zone /_fri_ _treid _zn/ noun an area where there are no customs duties freeze /fri_z/ noun _ a freeze on wages and prices period when wages and prices are not allowed to be increased _ verb to keep something such as money or costs at their present level and not allow them to rise _ to freeze wages and prices _ to freeze credits _ to freeze company dividends _ We

have frozen expenditure at last years level.

(NOTE: freezing froze frozen) freight /freit/ noun the cost of transporting goods by air, sea, or land _ At an auction, 13

the buyer pays the freight. freightage /_freitid/ noun the cost of

transporting goods freight costs /_freit ksts/ plural noun money paid to transport goods freight forward /_freit _f_wd/ noun a deal where the customer pays for transporting the goods friendly society /_frendli s|_saiti/ noun a group of people who pay regular subscriptions which are used to help members of the group when they are ill or in financial difficulties fringe benefit fringe benefit /_frind _benifit/ noun an extra item given by a company to employees in addition to a salary, e.g. company cars or private health insurance _ The fringe benefits make up for the poor pay. _ Use of the

company recreation facilities is one of the fringe benefits of the job. FRNs abbreviation floating-rate notes front /fr_nt/ noun _ money up front payment in advance _ They are asking for 10,000 up front before they will consider the deal. _ He had to put money up front before he could clinch the deal. front-end /_fr_nt _end/ adjective referring
to the start of an investment or insurance front-end loaded /_fr_nt end _ladid/ adjective used to describe an insurance or investment scheme in which most of the management charges are incurred in the first year of the investment or insurance, and are not spread out over the whole period. Compare back-end loaded front-end loading /_fr_nt end _ldi/ noun the practice of deducting commission and administrative costs relating to an investment or insurance plan from the early payments the customer makes frozen /_frz()n/ adjective not allowed to be changed or used _ Wages have been

frozen assets /_frz()n __sets/ plural noun a companys assets which by law cannot be sold because someone has a claim against them frozen credits /_frz()n _kreditz/ plural noun credits in an account which cannot be moved FRRP abbreviation Financial Reporting Review Panel FRSs abbreviation Financial Reporting Standards frustrate /fr_|_streit/ verb to prevent something, especially the terms of a contract, being fulfilled FSA abbreviation Financial Services Authority FSAVC abbreviation free-standing additional voluntary contribution FT abbreviation Financial Times FTASI abbreviation FTSE Actuaries Share Indices FTSE 100 /_ftsi w_n _h_ndrd/ noun an index based on the prices of one hundred leading companies (this is the main London index) the benchmark FTSE 100 index ended the session up 94.3 points [Times] FTSE Actuaries Share Indices /_ftsi __ktjriz _e _indisiz/ plural noun several indices based on prices on the London Stock Exchange, which are calculated by and published in the Financial Times in conjunction with the Actuaries Investment Research Committee. Abbreviation FTASI. _ Financial Times full /fl/ adjective 1. with as much inside it as possible _ The train was full of commuters. _ Is the container full yet? _ We sent a lorry full of spare parts to our warehouse. _ a tax-free lump sum can be taken partly in lieu of a full pension [Investors Chronicle] full cost recovery 104 full cost recovery /_fl _kst ri|_k_vri/ noun the practice by which organisations such as charities seek enough funding to cover all their costs, including overheads.

When the disk is full, dont forget to make a backup copy. 2. complete, including everything

frozen at last years rates.

frozen account /_frz()n |_kant/ noun a bank account where the money cannot be moved or used because of a court order

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Abbreviation FCR full cover /_fl _k_v/ noun insurance cover against a wide range of risks full employment /_fl im|_plimnt/ noun a situation where all the people who can work have jobs full price /_fl _prais/ noun a price with no discount _ She bought a full-price ticket. full production costs /_fl pr|_d_kn _ksts/ plural noun all the costs of manufacturing a product, including both fixed and variable costs full rate /_fl _reit/ noun the standard charge for a service, with no special discounts applied full repairing lease /_fl ri|_peri _li_s/ noun a lease where the tenant has to pay for all repairs to the property full-service banking /_fl _s__vis _b_ki/ noun banking that offers a whole range of services including mortgages, loans, pensions, etc. full-time /_fl taim/ adjective, adverb working all the usual working time, i.e. about eight hours a day, five days a week _ Shes in full-time work or She works fulltime or Shes in full-time employment. _ He

/_f_kn()l ri|_p_ti v ik|_spensiz/ noun the element of functional accounting that deals with expenses function cost /_f_kn kst/ noun the category of item for which costs are incurred fund /f_nd/ noun 1. money set aside for a special purpose 2. money invested in an investment trust as part of a unit trust, or given to a financial adviser to invest on behalf of a client. _ funds _ verb to provide money for a purpose _ The company does

not have enough resources to fund its expansion programme.

the S&L funded all borrowers development costs, including accrued interest [Barrons] fund accounting /_f_nd |_kanti/ noun the preparation of financial statements for an entity such as a non-profitmaking organisation, in order to show how money has been spent rather than how much profit has been made fundamental analysis /_f_ndment()l |_n_lsis/ noun an assessment of how the external and internal influences on a companys activities should affect investment decisions fundamental assumptions /_f_ndment()l |_s_mp()ns/ plural noun the basic assumptions on which the preparation of accounts depends (NOTE: These assumptions are: that the company is a going concern, that the principles on which the accounts are prepared do not change from year to year, that revenues and costs are accrued (i.e., they are written into the accounts when they occur, not when they are received or paid).) fundamental issues /_f_ndment()l _iu_z/ plural noun matters relating to a companys profits or assets fundamental research fundamental research /_f_ndment()l ri|_s__t/, fundamental analysis /_f_ndment()l |_n_lsis/ noun an examination of the basic factors which affect a market fundamentals /_f_nd|_ment()lz/ plural noun the basic realities of a stock market or of a company, e.g. its assets, profitability 15

is one of our full-time staff.

fully diluted earnings per share /_fli dai|_lu_tid ___niz p _e/, fully diluted EPS /_fli _dailu_tid _i_ pi_ _es/ plural noun earnings per share calculated over the whole number of shares assuming that convertible shares have been converted to ordinary shares fully paid-up capital /_fli peid _p _k_pit()l/ noun all money paid for the issued capital shares function /_f_kn/ noun a mathematical formula, where a result is dependent upon several other numbers functional accounting /_f_kn()l | _kanti/ noun a form of accounting that classifies accountancy items according to the function they perform in an organisation functional budget /_f_kn()l _b_dit/ noun a budget relating to a specific function such as marketing or personnel functional reporting of expenses

and dividends funded /_f_ndid/ adjective backed by long-term loans _ long-term funded capital funded scheme /_f_ndid _ski_m/ noun a pension scheme where money is invested in securities to create a fund from which the pension is later paid funding /_f_ndi/ noun 1. money for spending _ The bank is providing the funding for the new product launch. 2. the act of changing a short-term debt into a long-term 105 FYA loan _ The capital expenditure programme

requires long-term funding.

fund management /_f_nd _m_nidmnt/ noun the business of dealing with the investment of sums of money on behalf of clients funds /f_ndz/ plural noun 1. money which is available for spending _ The company has

no funds to pay for the research programme.

shows the amount of funds (cash and working capital) which have come into a business during the last financial period, the sources of these funds, and the use made of the funds (see FRS1, formerly SSAP10) fungibility /_f_nd|_biliti/ noun a measure of how easily an asset can be exchanged for something similar fungible /_f_ndb()l/ adjective referring to a security which can be exchanged for another of the same type funny money /_f_ni _m_ni/ noun an unusual type of financial instrument created by a company future delivery /_fju_t di|_liv()ri/ noun delivery at a later date futures /_fju_tz/ plural noun shares, currency or commodities that are bought or sold for now for delivery at a later date _ Gold

_ non-sufficient funds _ to convert funds to your own use to use someone elses money for yourself 2. _ the Funds government stocks and securities. _ Federal Funds small innovative companies have been hampered for lack of funds [Sunday Times] the company was set up with funds totalling NorKr 145m [Lloyds List] funds flow /_f_ndz fl/ noun _ budgeted funds flow statement a plan of anticipated incoming funds and the use to which they will be put _ funds flow method of budgeting preparing a budget of funds flow, as opposed to a budget of expenditure _ funds flow statement a statement which

rose 5% on the commodity futures market yesterday.

cocoa futures plummeted in November to their lowest levels in seven years [Business in Africa] futures contract /_fju_tz _kntr_kt/ noun a contract for the purchase of commodities for delivery at a date in the future futures exchange /_fju_tz iks| _teind/ noun a commodity market which only deals in futures future value /_fju_t _v_lju_/ noun the value to which a sum of money will increase if invested for a certain period of time at some rate of interest. Abbreviation FV FV abbreviation future value FYA abbreviation first year allowance

COMPUTER TERMS F
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F
facilitated chat In a facilitated chat, a host or facilitator controls the messages that appear on the chat screen. Usually used when there is a guest speaker. Facilitated chats provide an orderly environment for the guest speaker and ensure that she is not overwhelmed with dozens of questions all being asked at once. See also chat. failover This is a new (mid 1999) data processing term, though the conceptual idea has been around since day one. Everyone who has ever depended on a computer has known that it would fail, in one way or another, at the the worst possible time. Most of us that have been around since IBM 360 days (old timers or veterans, depending on your point of view) have actually experienced that critical failure. This term and idea is the concept of disaster planning, or at least failure planning, in an automated fashion. It is the process of an alternative action taking over in the event of some specific failure. The failure can be in hardware or software; there can be multiple specifics. The idea is that once a specific failure is detected, the key to the whole process, a secondary action, identical or at least very similar to the first action, comes to life and offers a way to do whatever process failed. The most common current applications are for database operations on a conventional network or on the Internet, a server failure or a specific piece of hardware failure. The term was actually coined by Adaptec in a reference to a plan for a SCSI controller alternative in the event the primary controller failed. The idea was carried much beyond by other organizations but the concept remains the same. It is my personal feeling that the concept was pressed to issue by Internet stock brokerage houses that needed a way to push online traders to alternative servers in the event of failure or excessive demand on a particular brokerage database. Hardware component failure is detected by a trigger in the driver and overhead control program. Server and software failures are detected and triggered to alternative by the overhead operations of the client software that allows full functionality of that software or server. The technology is young but it is for certain that the demand for it will increase and that the technology will mature. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 1. FAQ is a commonly used abbreviation for "Frequently Asked Questions." Most Internet sites and many ISP areas will have a "FAQ" section to explain what is in the area and how to use its features. While many FAQ areas are true compilations of users' questions, some are attempts at anticipated questions. Both are sources of wonderful information. 2. These are lists of questions that occur frequently on Usenet newsgroups; they are posted at regular intervals and archived at several sites. You should always read the FAQ (if there is one) for a group before posting a message (or risk being flamed). farad Capacitor electron storing ability; (the capacitance) is measured in farads (F). One farad is actually a huge number of electrons (6,280,000,000,000,000,000 electrons to be exact), so we usually rate capacitors in microfarads (uF) and picofarads (pF). One uF is equal to 0.000,001F and one pF is equal to 0.000,000,000,001F. fast-page mode 1. A common DRAM data-access scheme. Accessing DRAM is similar to finding information in a book. First, you turn to a particular page (a location in memory), then you select information from the page. Fast-page mode enables the CPU to access new data in half the normal access time, as long as it is on the same page as the previous request. 2. A timing option that permits several bits of data in a single row on a DRAM to be accessed at an accelerated rate. Fast Page Mode involves selecting multiple column addresses in rapid succession once the row address has been selected. Each time a column address is selected and CAS becomes active, the data output drivers are activated; each time CAS goes high, the 17

data output drivers are deactivated. fault A service interrupting event occurring on an electric system or electronic circuit such as a short circuit, a broken wire, or an intermittent connection. fault indicator A device which indicates fault current by sensing the magnetic field caused by current flowing through the conductor. Once the current is above the fault indicator's current rating, the fault indicator will trip. fault tolerant 1. The ability of a system to respond reasonably intelligently or at least gracefully to an unexpected hardware or software failure. There are many levels of fault tolerance, the lowest being the ability to continue operation, or at lest shut down in an anticipated manner in the event of a power failure. Many fault tolerant computer systems mirror all operations, that is, every operation is performed on two or more duplicate systems, so if one fails the other can take over. See MSCS and Novell. 2. A husband in a marriage of 20 years or more; not to be confused with wife. Favorite Places A Favorite Place (or bookmark) is an easy way to find your way back to an area of an ISP's services or a web site, just like a real bookmark helps you keep your place in a book you are reading. Usually, this is a function of the browser. Fax Short for Facsimile, a fax is a scanned document that is sent over phone lines to a fax machine or computer with fax capabilities. America Online's software can send E-Mail as a fax. There is often a charge involved for such options. Each ISP has something similar and if you would like to know more details, ask for "just the FAX, ma'am". For another FAX option, see FAXLink for FAX provide help on AOL connectivity problems. SeeGroup 3 and Group 4. Also see CNG and CCCITT. You may also wish to view some of the V designations concerning telephony protocols. FC An abbreviation for Fibre Channel. The Fibre Channel Standard (FCS) [1] defines a high-

speed data transfer interface that can be used to connect together workstations, mainframes, supercomputers, storage devices and displays. The standard addresses the need for very fast transfers of large volumes of information and could relieve system manufacturers from the burden of supporting the variety of channels and networks currently in place, as it provides one standard for networking, storage and data transfer. FC ports can be connected as point-topoint links, in a loop or to a switch. The ports in a point-to-point connection are called N_Ports; if they can work in a loop they are called NL_Ports. An FC switch, or a network of switches, is called a fabric. The ports of it are called F_Ports. Both optical and electrical media are supported, working from 133 Megabits/sec up to 1062 Megabits/sec, while distances up to 10 km are possible. Information can flow between two ports in both directions simultaneously. Exchange is the name of the mechanism for coordinating the exchange of information between two N_Ports. The port starting the Exchange is called the Originator, the port that answers is called the Responder. The data is sent in frames that are maximum 2148 bytes long. Frames have a header and a checksum. A set of related frames for one operation is called a Sequence. For flow control the Fibre Channel standard uses a look-ahead, sliding-window scheme that also provides a guaranteed delivery capability. FC has the ability to carry multiple existing protocols including IP and SCSI. FCC An abbreviation of the Federal Communications Commission. The mission of this independent government agency is to encourage competition in all communications markets and to protect the public interest. In response to direction from the Congress, the FCC develops and implements policy concerning interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. FCIP An acronym for Fibre Channel Internet Protocol, though the acronym iFCP seems to be more popular. FDDI

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Abbreviation of Fibre Distributed Data Interface, a set of ANSI protocols for sending digital data over fiber optic cable. FDDI networks are token-passing networks, and support data rates of up to 100 Mbps (100 million bits) per second. FDDI networks are typically used as backbones for wide-area networks. A current technology extension to this is called FDDI II or FDDI-2. Another variation of FDDI called FFDT uses the same network infrastructure but can potentially support enhanced capabilities. FDDI II Abbreviation of Fibre Distributed Data Interface 2, a set of ANSI protocols. An extension to FDDI, called FDDI-2, supports the transmission of voice and video information as well as data. femtosecond A measurement of time. There are 1,000,000,000,000,000 (a thousand trillion) femtoseconds in a second. For more information on both common and uncommon timely tidbits, see our displays of time and time zone conversions on our listing of various converters and calculators. FEP An acronym for Front-End Processor; a telephony and computer term. A FEP communications computer associated with a host computer that manages the lines and routing of data through the network. In large networks, FEP is a loose term to describe the firewall. FET An acronym for Field Effect Transistor. It is a bipolar transistor is a current amplifying device. An input current results in an amplified output current Hfe=Ic/Ib, where Ic is the output or collector current and Ib is the input or base current. The FET on the other hand is a transconductance device, that is an input voltage results in an output current G=Id/Vg, where Id is the output or drain current and Vg is the input or gate voltage. This assumes a common emitter connection for the bipolar transistor and a common source connection for the FET. FEXT

An abbreviation for Far End Cross (X) Talk. This is a term used in network cable troubleshooting. It is a displayed symptom of electrons traveling the network and bouncing around there for lack of anywhere else to go. FFDT An acronym for FDDI Full Duplex Technology. This is an extension of FDDI that yields greatly enhanced speeds of data rates up to 200 Mbps. Fiber optics 1. Transmission technology developed using fiberglass strands and light pulses to transmit information. Fiber optic cable is a type of data cable which employs light pulses which are guided along fiberglass strands to relaydata. Fiber optics are slowly replacing copper coaxial cable in today's high speed networks for the simple reason that they can maintain a larger number of users at a higher speed then copper coaxial can. The downside is that fiber optics fail in atmospheric temperature extremes, and perform poorly in situations where the line must be cut and relinked elsewhere. 2. A transmission medium composed of glass or plastic fibers; pulses of light are emitted from a laser-type source. Fiber optic cabling is the present cabling of choice for all interexchange networks, and increasingly for the local exchange loops as well; it is high security, high bandwidth, and takes up little conduit space. Considered the physical medium of all future land based communications. FidoNet A worldwide hobbyist network of personal computers started in 1984 that exchanges mail, discussion groups, and files. field This is a designation for a group of data. For instance, a program that asks for your name keeps that data in a field, stored on a disk drive, in a file, within the file within a record. A field does not have any restrictions as to how large or small it can be. FIFO This is an acronym used in accounting, inventory control and computer server buffering and cache technology, First In First Out. In the world of computers, it means that instructions first in the Queue are handled in an order that is

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on a first come first served basis, oldest taken first. The opposite is LIFO, which is seldom used in computer technology. file A collection of data stored on a disk with a unique filename. Anything you see in File Manager, Explorer, or on the Macintosh desktop is a file. file compression Reducing the size of files for ease of storage and transfer. WinZip is an example of an application that compresses files; the UNIX compress utility is another. Filegrabber AOL's automatic Newsgroup UUdecoder. When you click on a Newsgroup item that has been UUencoded, this feature will automatically decode the file and present it to you for download. This term belongs to AOL but most other services have a similar service. Filesearch All ISPs have a software search utility. This is a rapid way to see what files are available or are present. Often they are searchable by subject, content or category, but most often, by name. file transfer The process of moving or transmitting a file from one location to another, as between two programs or from one computer to another. filter 1. A process, usually in database searches, to segment out or in, a selected set of parameters. In the case of searching on the Internet, the filter process is usually used to describe the process of eliminating pornographic returns from the search. See Parental Control. 2. A hardware screen or mesh to purify air entering power supplies or computers. 3. See line filter. 4. An electronic trap to disallow certain signals of certain frequencies, noise and unwanted harmonics, from contaminating the wanted signal. You might want to see our Active Audio Filter Calculator. finger 1. A UNIX utility that reports information about other users who have UNIX accounts. Finger can tell you, for example, where and when a person last logged in to the system. It can also be used

on a single host or across the Internet. It functions also VIA E-Mail information. The actual information returned is limited to the parsing capability of the information supplier. 2. A Unix command that provides information about users logged in; and it can also be used to retrieve the .plan and .project files from a user's home directory. 3. A gesture by a programmer to another person that has ripped off his code without even recognition. firewall 1. A set of security procedures that separates and protects data on a LAN from crackers who might access the LAN from the Internet. A firewall is a method of protecting one network from another network, yet allowing restricted access of desired users. 2. A firewall is used on some networks to provide added security by blocking access to certain services in the private network from the rest of the Internet or other networks. A computer firewall operates in the same way that a firewall in a building keeps fire from spreading. An Internet firewall keeps hackers from spreading. 3. Router or access server, or several routers or access servers, designated as a buffer between any connected public networks and a private network. A firewall router uses access lists and other methods to ensure the security of the private network. 4. A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. Certainly all of the major networking companies have excellent firewall technology but here are a couple of providers that we suggest that are low end proxy providers. There are several types of firewall techniques:

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Packet filter: Looks at each packet entering or leaving the network and accepts or rejects it based on user-defined rules. Packet filtering is fairly effective and transparent to users, but it is difficult to configure. In addition, it is susceptible to IP spoofing. Application gateway: Applies security mechanisms to specific applications, such as FTP and Telnet servers. This is very effective, but can impose a performance degradation. Circuit-level gateway: Applies security mechanisms when a TCP or UDP connection is established. Once the connection has been made, packets can flow between the hosts without further checking. Proxy server: Intercepts all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server effectively hides the true network addresses. In practice, many firewalls use two or more of these techniques in concert. A firewall is considered a first line of defense in protecting private information. For even greater security, data can be encrypted. firmware 1. A computer program, a set of instructions, data or software stored permanently in a PROM or a ROM or semi-permanently in an EPROM. 2. Software stored in PROM, ROM or EPROM; essential programs that remain even when the system is electrically turned off. Firmware is considerably easier to modify than hardware but more permanent than software stored on disk or volatile memory. Most firmware can be updated through patches or version upgrades from the manufacturer. 3. This is NOT the company dress code! Flagship Technology A transaction routing and identification technology created by Computer Support Group and licensed by them for use in Internet business site operations. This is a major innovation in business transaction processing in a real time mode. flame 1. To send angry or critical mail to someone via E-Mail or a Newsgroup. Keep in mind as technology advances, you are leaving a fingerprint that is traceable on your mail.

2. An offensive or insulting E-Mail or Usenet News message, often the result of an error in netiquette. 3. A public post or E-Mail message that expresses a strong opinion or criticism. Flames can be fun when they allow people to vent their feelings, then return to the topic at hand. Others are simply insulting and can lead to flame wars. 4. An old squeeze (Ah... The good old days! Glowing embers are very nice though.) flame bait An inflammatory post that is designed to provoke a flame war or flame responses. flame on/flame off Notifiers that surround a flame message and let readers know that the message they are reading is a flame. Although you don't see these as much as you used to, they would most commonly be used by an individual known to a particular online group who wishes to do a little ranting and then return to the topic at hand. Note that the original usage of "flame on" was derived from Marvel Comics' Human Torch character.

flame war

A series of public posts in which people flame one another rather than contribute useful information. flash 1. A particular type of memory that is ROM in nature, but can be updated and upgraded by special programs. Many BIOS chips are of this technology. In the case of BIOS, the term Flash refers to a user upgradable memory device (required not to have the usual BIOS identification code making it undetectable by memory managers) that is mapped into a PC's upper memory and conflicts with programs that the memory manager positions over the top of it. Used to implement Plug-n-Play and other quickly changing specifications. This quick changing specs are often correctly termed, mistakes. 2. FLASH is erased (or bulk erased) electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). FLASH has the electrically erasable benefits of EEPROM but the small, economical cell size of EPROM technology. 3. A bandwidth friendly and browser 21

independent vector-graphic animation technology. As long as different browsers are equipped with the necessary plug-ins, Flash animations will look the same. With Flash, users can draw their own animations or import other vector-based images. Flash animation can only be created using the Flash animation application from Macromedia Inc. Flash was known as FutureSplash until 1997, when Macromedia Inc. bought the company that developed it. Flashbar The bar of buttons at the top of the browser screen or many applications. This feature is often called the Toolbar and is usually modifiable by the user to his needs and tastes. FlashMail FlashMail is E-Mail that has been that has been retrieved through a pre-scheduled automatic flashsession and placed in your Incoming Mail box. Most services have such a feature of the same or similar name. FlashSession AOL's proprietary tool that automatically downloads marked files, gets and sends E-Mail, and retrieves Newsgroup files. Most online services have a similar tool. A popular feature of AOL that automatically performs online tasks at a designated time. Flash sessions are often used to send/receive E-Mail and download large files. flat-file 1. As a noun, an ASCII text file consisting of records of a single type, in which there is no embedded structure information governing relationships between records. 2. As an adjective, describes a flattened representation of a database as single file from which the structure could implicitly be rebuilt. 3. A particular type of database structure, as opposed to relational. flat panel display 1. A very thin display screen used in portable computers. Nearly all modern flat-panel displays use LCD technologies. Most LCD screens are backlit to make them easier to read in bright environments. 2. A mid-1998 technology that is in higher end televisions and monitors to allow wall mounting or on much smaller footprint spaces on desktops.

floating point numbers Numbers that contain decimal representations or are represented in scientific notation. Also known as real numbers in math circles. floppy disk A small disk that can be removed from the computer, though they are not all "floppy." The most common name for them was diskette. The usual method of software delivery is by floppy disk, frequently now, however byCD-ROM when size of the files or quantity of data is very large. Floppy disks were sometimes single sided and sometimes had data on both sides. Data was written in single density, double density, quad density, high density, low density and ultra density. Popular sizes over the years have been 8", 5.25" and 3.5" disks. The 3.5" disk was correctly known as rigid but is still generally termed as a floppy disk. There were also some unpopular sizes such as 14", 7" and 2.5" disks. Most used "soft sectoring" to allow software formatting of the media. However, there were hard sector disks that could not be reformatted. floppy drive The physical hardware to read and write the floppy disks of various sizes and configurations. For many years, this was the favored method of data storage and introduction. flops 1. Short for floating-point operations per second, a common benchmark measurement for rating the speed of microprocessors. Floatingpoint operations include any operations that involve fractional numbers. Such operations, which take much longer to compute than integer operations, occur often in some applications. Most modern microprocessors include a floatingpoint unit (FPU), which is a specialized part of the microprocessor responsible for executing floating-point operations. The FLOPS measurement, therefore, actually measures the speed of the FPU. One of the most common benchmark tests used to measure FLOPS is called Linpack. Many experts feel that FLOPS is not a relevant measurement because it fails to take into account factors such as the condition under which the microprocessor is running (e.g., heavy or light loads) and which exact operations

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are included as floating-point operations. For this reason, a consortium of vendors created the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC), which provides more meaningful benchmark values. A megaFLOPS (MFLOPS) is equal to one million floating-point operations per second, and a gigaFLOPS (GFLOPS) is equal to one billion floating-point operations per second. 2. DOTCOMS that didn't make it on the stock market. flow chart A somewhat antiquated pictorial method for displaying and defining the directional decision making characteristics of a program. The more current use of the term does not use pictures or graphics but does give a directional flow of a program, based on decision making points. While the term used to be used only byprogrammers, it is now used by analysts and users to give an abbreviated users guideline of how the program is supposed to work. For instance, if a program asks a question and the answer options are both "Yes" and "No", the flow chart would show what choices and directions the computer takes if the user selects either answer. These charts also indicated when, where and which data files are opened. They are non-specific computer language based and generally work with all programming languages and applications. FM An acronym for Frequency Modulation. A particular technology, most commonly used in radio broadcasting, where a modulated signal produces a carrier wave which is the final transmit frequency; technically, encoding a carrier wave by modulating its frequency in accordance with an input signal. FOIRL An acronym for FiberOptic InterRepeater Link. Fiberoptic communication signaling methodology based loosely on the IEEE 802.3 fiberoptic specification and 10Base-F guideline. FOIRL is a forerunner of the 10Base-FLspecification, which is designed to enhance and replace it. font A typographic style used to display or print characters. Times Roman, Courier, and Helvetica

are three examples. There are screen fonts, print fonts and Internet fonts. foobar Foobar is a universal variable understood to represent whatever is being discussed. It is an unwritten but understood programmer's code of construction. In my day, the variable A=anything, AN or ANYTHING$ was used. The name TESTFILE.FIL was used for files. It's usually used in examples that illustrate concepts and ideas in computer science. For instance, a computer science professor may be discussing different file formats. In this case, he would call the generic-example file foo or foobar, then list the extensions associated with the file formats (e.g. foobar.txt, foobar.gif, foobar.exe, foobar.tar). When foo or foobar is used, everyone understands that these are just examples, and they don't really exist. Programmers and administrators also use foo and foobar in a similar context. Files or program s named with foo or foobar are understood not to be permanent and will be changed or deleted at anytime. Foo, bar, and the compound foobar were commonly used at MIT, Stanford and the Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. Other generic variables are used other places, but only these three are considered universal. One last note: hackers never use foobar to mean fubar! format 1. The process of preparing media, such as a hard disk, removable or memory disk, diskette or tape, to accept data. 2. The general layout of data in a presentation. formula A set of symbols that expresses a mathematical rule. For example, the formula for area of a rectangle is Area = length X width or A = l X w. forum A topically-focused discussion group or area. From the traditional Roman forum, a community area where ideas and proposals are discussed. Forum Leader An ISP staff member responsible for the content and management of an online area. Forward A function of E-Mail that will automatically attach the current mail to the end of your reply. This allows the recipient to see the original mail.

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This sort of communication is advised for a complete track record if attempting to obtain online support. forwarding Sending an E-Mail message or post from one person to a third party. The action of executing a forward. FPGA An acronym for Field Programmable Gate Array. This is a logic device in the PLD family. A generic description of an FPGA is a programmable device with an internal array of logic blocks, surrounded by a ring of programmable input/output (I/O) blocks, connected together via programmable interconnect (FPIC). There are a wide variety of sub-architectures within this group. The secret to density and performance in these devices lies in the logic contained in their logic blocks and on the performance and efficiency of their routing architecture. FPIC An acronym for Field Programmable InterConnect. This is a psuedo-logic device in the PLD family. An FPIC is not really a logic device, in the strictest sense, but rather a programmable "wiring" device. Through programming, an FPIC connects one pin on the device to another on the device providing programmable interconnect. FPICs use either SRAM or anti-fuse programming technology. Since it does the same thing as PLDs, it is usually mentioned with them. FPU An acronym for Floating Point Unit. An FPU is a specially designed chip that performs floating point calculations. They are also numeric coprocessors, math coprocessors, and floating point processors. Computers equipped with an FPU perform certain types of applications much faster than computers that lack one. In particular, graphics applications are faster with an FPU, as are math projections and obvious number crunching. With microprocessors that do not have a built in FPU, you can usually add an FPU by inserting the FPU chip on the motherboard in a slot designed for it. The speed of FPUs generally must match the speed of the CPU.

FQDN An acronym for Fully Qualified Domain Name, an address which specifies a specific machine and it's Internet domain. "csgnetwork" is not a FQDN, however "csgnetwork.csg.com" is, assuming the "csgnetwork resides on the "csg" server. In the last few years, it has come to mean, "www.csgnetwork.com". fractional T1 A service in which a customer can use less than 24 channels on a T1 line without paying the cost of the entire line. fractional T3 A service in which a customer can use less than 24 channels on a T3 line without paying the cost of the entire line. FRAD 1. A telephony acronym for Frame Relay Asynchronous Device, a hardware device that interfaces Frame Relay circuits to IP networks. 2. An acronym for Frame Relay Assembler/Disassembler, a communications device that breaks a data stream into frames for transmission over a Frame Relay network and recreates a data stream from incoming frames. AFrame Relay router, a more modern technology, serves the same purpose but provides more intelligence in avoiding device or network congestion. frame 1. An HTML feature that allows web designers to segment the window of a web browser into distinct sections. 2. A single complete picture in a moving picture sequence; a single picture in a computerized "movie". 3. In communications, a packet of transmitted information, usually pure data. frame relay 1. A high-speed packet-switched data communications service, similar to X.25. Frame relay is a leading contender for LAN-to-LAN interconnect services, and is well suited to the bursty demands of LAN andMAN environments. See also Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) and Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC). 2. A packet-switching protocol for connecting devices on a Wide Area Network (WAN). Frame Relay networks in the U.S. support data transfer

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rates at T1 (1.544 Mbps) and T3 (45 Mbps) speeds. In fact, you can think of Frame Relay as a way of utilizing existing T1 and T3 lines owned by a service provider. Most telephone companies now provide Frame Relay service for customers who want connections at 56 Kbps to T1 speeds. In Europe (E1 and E3), Frame Relay speeds vary from 64 Kbps to 2 Mbps. In the U.S., Frame Relay is quite popular because it is relatively inexpensive. However, it is being replaced in some areas by faster technologies, such as ATM. Most all frame relay environments, even slow ones, are much better than any sort of dial-up connection in speed. They are also always on line. Freenet A community-based bulletin board system that serves a local geographic community on a nonprofit basis. freeware or Public Domain A file, most often a program, that is made available to the public free of charge from the author, also know as Public Domain. Shareware that is openly available to the public without the requirement of user registration fee. These programs have over the years often by made public by very good programmers that saw a need in the computer world but did not care to profit from the resolution. The various modem protocols are examples of the quantity and quality of some of this generosity. frequency 1. A term describing how fast something repeats itself. For an oscillating or varying current, frequency is the number of complete cycles per second in alternating current (AC) direction. The standard unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz). If a current completes one cycle per second, then the frequency is 1 Hz; 60 cycles per second equals 60 Hz (the standard alternating-current utility frequency in some countries, including the US). Larger units of frequency include the kilohertz (kHz) representing thousands of cycles per second, the megahertz (MHz) representing millions of cycles per second, and the gigahertz (GHz) representing billions of cycles per second. Occasionally the terahertz (THz) is used representing trillions of cycles per second. Be aware that these prefixes represent specific

powers of 10, in contrast to the prefixes for multiples of bytes, which represent specific powers of 2. Computer clock speed is generally specified in megahertz and, more recently, in gigahertz. Frequency is important in wireless communications, where the frequency of a signal is mathematically related to the wavelength. If f is the frequency of an electromagnetic field in free space as measured in megahertz, and w is the wavelength as measured in meters, then the wireless frequency formulae are: a. w = 300/f(mhz), and b. f(mhz) = 300/w 2. A term to describe the operation band of radio, TV, radar, and other broadcast transmissions. Fresnel Zone A wireless telephony term; also used in wireless computing. The area around the visual line-ofsight that radio waves spread out into after they leave the antenna. (Pronounced 'fre-nel' the "s" is silent.) This area must be clear or else signal strength will weaken. Fresnel Zone is an area of concern for 2.4GHz wireless systems. Although 2.4GHz signals pass rather well through walls, they have a tough time passing through trees. The main difference is the water content in each. Walls are very dry: trees contain high levels of moisture. Radio waves in the 2.4GHz frequency band absorb into water quite well. This is why microwaves, which also use the 2.4GHz band, cook food. Water absorbs the waves, and heat from the energy cooks the food. fried 1. To be totally destroyed or otherwise unusable, a term meaning down, as in "my hard drive is fried" or "the network is totally fried." Often refers to electronic components that have burned from excess voltage, heat or lightning damage. 2. Programmer jargon for working too long. Front Page Microsoft's webpage creation toolkit. This package gives the novice and experienced designer several tools not found in other similar packages. While it does do excellent work, it

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requires only minimum knowledge to use it efficiently. FRS The abbreviation for Family Radio Service. It is a range of frequencies designated by the FCC specifically for use by families, groups or small controlled organizations for short distance, localized mobile communications. It does not require a license. See our frequency table and additional information. FSB An acronym for Front Side Bus; it is the internal data channel connecting the processor (CPU), chipset,RAM (all flavors), motherboard busses and AGP socket. FSB is described in terms of its width in bits and it's speed in Mhz. In everyday terms, it is the doorway for the CPU to talk to the system bus, and how fast the bus can talk to other computer components. FTP 1. An Internet protocol that enables you to transfer files between computers on the Internet. File Transfer Protocol, a method of transferring files from the Internet. There are special programs that do this filetransferring for those that upload and download in mass. See HTTP. 2. An Acronym for File Transfer Protocol, a method of retrieving files to your home directory or directly to your computer using SLIP/PPP. There are thousands of FTP sites on the Internet offering files and programs of all kinds. 3. A program that enables such transfers. The industry leader and generally industry wide regarded "good guys" in the field, is IPSwitch, Inc.; they produced the WS_FTP software. FUD Abbreviation for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. A set of sales tactics employed by market leaders

to cast aspersion on competing products. Computer products are often purchased on the basis of perceived market leadership because no one wants to get stuck with a losing product that might not be supported in the near future. function A function, in a programming language, is the rough equivalent of a routine or subroutine. It is dependent on the rest of the program for total functionality. fuse A device that will heat up, melt and electrically open the circuit after a period of prolonged abnormal current flow. FWIW Abbreviation of For What It's Worth. FYI Abbreviation of For Your Information.

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