Why is abbreviation such a long word?

Hey, that's simple. In lots of meetings of various kinds you always have people who are long winded and like to talk a lot. So how do you politely get them to "Shut up" and sit down? ... Well, you slip them a slip with this long word, a-b-b-r-e-v-i-a-t-i-o-n. Then you ask them to pronounce it shorter. "Brevity", they say! After they've taken the hint you give them an applause. Point: You've kept a friend.