Agent Shave: Decoding the Shaving Lingo – A Secret Agent's Guide to Abbreviations

Traditional wet shaving has a language of its own! As you venture deeper into the covert world of wet shaving, you'll encounter a lingo of its own—abbreviations, acronyms, and shorthand scattered across forums and social media posts. To the untrained eye, it’s a perplexing cipher. But fear not, for Agent Shave has your back. Let’s decode the most common wet shaving abbreviations and arm you with the intel needed to navigate this classified terrain.

The Field Manual: Common Wet Shaving Abbreviations

• AD Acquisition Disorder – Every agent has their kryptonite, the inability to stop purchasing wet shaving goods!
• ASAD After Shave Acquisition Disorder
• ATG Against The Grain shaving pass – Shaving directions are critical to your success, the direction of stroke with a razor, against the direction of hair growth.
• BAD Blade Acquisition Disorder
• BBS Baby’s Butt Smooth – Achieving the elusive Baby Bottom Smooth shave is every agent’s mission. It signifies a shave so close and flawless that your skin feels as smooth as... well, you get the idea. A hallmark of professional-grade technique.
• BIN Buy It Now
• BTW By The Way
• CCS Close Comfortable Shave – slightly less than a DFS
• CWR Cold Water Rinse
• DE - Double Edge (Safety Razor) - A standard-issue weapon for wet shaving operatives. The DE razor features a blade with two sharp edges, ensuring precision and efficiency in the field.
• DFS Damn Fine Shave – A close second to BBS, the DFS is a perfectly respectable mission outcome. It denotes a clean, irritation-free shave, close enough so that you could feel some stubble but not visually see it.
• FBU/FBO For barbers use/only
• FS For Sale
• FT For Trade
• FWIW For What It's Worth
• HTT Hot Towel Treatment
• HWMOM He Who Must Obey Me
• IIRC If I remember correctly
• IMHO In My Humble Opinion
• LOSER Lover of Single Edge Razors
• NOS New Old Stock – Vintage but untouched gear. NOS items are relics from a bygone era, often found in mint condition. Agents prize these as collectibles or functional tools
• OP Original Post / Original Poster
• PASS The number of times your ‘pass’ your razor across your face during a shave
• PIF Pay/Pass It Forward – In the world of wet shaving, camaraderie runs deep. A PIF refers to gifting equipment or products to another agent, fostering goodwill in the ranks.
• RAD Razor Acquisition Disorder
• SAD Shaving Soap Acquisition Disorder
• SBAD Shaving Brush Acquisition Disorder
• SAS Socially acceptable shave – light stubble can be felt in all directions
• SOTD Shave Of The Day – A snapshot of an agent’s daily mission. Posts tagged with #SOTD showcase razor setups, shaving soaps, shaving brush, and results. Think of it as a briefing for fellow operatives..
• SR Straight Razor - The straight razor, also known as a “cut-throat,” is the choice of agents who prefer a classic, no-nonsense approach. Mastery of the SR demands discipline and steady hands
• SWMBO She Who Must Be Obeyed - used when talking about one’s wife or girlfriend
• TTO Twist to open - A DE razor mechanism where the blade compartment opens by twisting the handle. Convenient and effective for agents on the move.
• WTB Want To Buy
• WTG With The Grain shaving pass – shaving in the direction your hair grows
• WTT Want To Trade
• WWR Warm Water Rinse
• YMMV Your Mileage May Vary –  you may have a different result
• XTG Across the grain shaving pass – shaving at right angle to direction of hair growth

Shaving Products:

AS After Shave

ASB After Shave Balm

ASL After Shave Lotion

BB Best Badger Shaving Brush

Croap – a very soft shave soap or hard shave cream

EdC Eau de Cologne

EdP Eau de Parfum

EdT Eau de Toilette

PS Pre Shave

PSB Pre Shave Balm

PSO Pre Shave Oil

SB Shaving Brush

SC Shaving Cream

SS Shaving Soap

Razors:

CC: Closed Comb

DE Double Edge Safety Razor / Blade

HD Heavy Duty

OC: Open Comb

SB: Safety or Slant Bar

SE Single Edge Safety Razor

SR: Straight Razor

Traditional Wet Shaving Brands:

A&E Ariana & Evans

AdP Acqua Di Parma

AV Aqua Velva

B&M Barrister & Mann

DRH D. R Harris

EJ Edwin Jagger

GFT Geo F. Trumper

MMGP Mr Murrays Gentlemans Products

MWF Mitchell's Wool Fat

NO Noble Otter

NSS Nanny’s Silly Soap

OSP The Obsessive Soap Perfectionist

PAA Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements

P&B Phoenix and Beau

RR RazoRock

SV Saponificio Varesino

TFS Tcheon Fung Sing

TGS The Goodfellas Smile

T&H Truefitt & Hill

TBS The Body Shop

TOBS Taylor of Old Bond Street

W&B Wade & Butcher

WK Wholly Kaw

ZM Zingari Man

Stay in the Know, Agent 

Mastering these terms elevates you from novice recruit to seasoned operative. Whether you're engaging in SOTD debriefs or strategizing your next NOS acquisition, you’ll navigate the shaving community like a pro. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: integrate this intel into your arsenal, interact with fellow agents, and continue your journey toward wet shaving mastery. 

Until next time, stay sharp. 

Agent Shave out.