blue group · The short answer
ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOWED BY REDUNDANT WORD
Each puzzle word passes the same exact test. The four mappings show how the answer works.
ATM expands to automated teller machine, so adding MACHINE repeats the word represented by the abbreviation's final letter.
LCD expands to liquid-crystal display, so DISPLAY repeats the word already represented by the abbreviation's final letter.
PIN expands to personal identification number, making NUMBER a repetition of the word represented by the final letter.
UPC expands to Universal Product Code, so CODE repeats the word represented by the abbreviation's final letter.
Why this group was difficult
- The phrases remain understandable in everyday use
Familiarity can make the repeated words easy to overlook because each complete expression still communicates its intended meaning. - The abbreviations belong to different contexts
Banking, screen technology, authentication and retail labeling do not initially suggest one subject-based category. - The board contains a competing technology theme
LCD DISPLAY and ATM MACHINE can appear to belong with OPTICAL DRIVE or USB PORT in a loose collection of electronic hardware.
How to spot this pattern next time
Expand every initial abbreviation aloud or in writing, then compare its final expanded word with the separate word printed after it.
When technical phrases come from unrelated fields, inspect their grammar and construction instead of forcing them into one subject area.
Four useful facts behind the group
- ATM conventionally expands to automated teller machine in the banking context used by this phrase.
- LCD conventionally expands to liquid-crystal display, a type of electronic display technology.
- PIN conventionally expands to personal identification number in authentication and account contexts.
- UPC conventionally expands to Universal Product Code, a standardized identifier associated with retail products.
Questions players ask
The details people search after seeing the group
What connects ATM MACHINE, LCD DISPLAY, PIN NUMBER and UPC CODE?
They are ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOWED BY REDUNDANT WORD because the final letter already represents the word written afterward.
Which word is repeated in each blue-group phrase?
The repeated words are MACHINE after ATM, DISPLAY after LCD, NUMBER after PIN and CODE after UPC.
Why is ATM MACHINE considered redundant?
The M in ATM already represents machine, because ATM expands to automated teller machine, so MACHINE states it again.
How can I spot redundant-abbreviation groups again?
Expand every acronym or initialism and check whether a neighboring word repeats one of the words contained in that expansion.