Introduces what the writer is looking for, as in DWM, 42, ISO SWF.
| Type | Modern shorthand and terms |
|---|---|
| Category | Relationship intent |
| Stands for | In search of |
| Earliest example we have found | 1992 (headline: ISO... (Fill in the Blanks)), The Washington Post, August 17, 1992 (not claimed as the first use) |
ISO belongs to the compressed code of late twentieth-century print and early online personals, where every word cost money or space. We have not found a reliable date for its first use in personals; it is explained in a Craigslist guide to personals acronyms posted in December 2005.
ISO is still common in online posts of every kind, well beyond dating.
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How this fits into 170 years of personal ad shorthand: From Object Matrimony to LTR: How Personal Ads Learned to Talk in Code.
All dictionary entries · The Personals Archive · How to write a personal ad
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