People are just learning what CVS actually stands for and it's blown their minds

TikTok has become home to all sorts of handy hacks, interesting stories and funny clips, but it's also a place for learning.

One particular educational clip centers around the meaning of the acronym CVS in relation to the popular and very-well known drug store, CVS Pharmacy, which was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts, and currently has its headquarters based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

The store is the largest pharmacy chain in the US by number of locations, with 9,674 stores across the country by the end of 2022 - but when the company first opened on May 8, 1963, it actually had a different, longer name - one that many people have since forgotten.

Social media users were taken aback by the meaning of CVS (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

When CVS Pharmacy first opened, originally it was under the full name Consumer Value Store.

But just the next year after opening in 1964, the drugstore’s name was shortened to CVS. This is why CVS is now the name people are most familiar with for the pharmacy.

A clip filmed by TikToker Nisa (@nisipisa) shed light on this eye-opening revelation as she casually told her followers: “I got this dry mouth spray from 'Consumer Value Stores', and the experience of using it is kind of, like, someone who’s in the middle of chewing gum is spitting into your mouth.”

Following this post, jokes started to roll in the comments about it. One confused TikToker asked: “Consumer Value Stores ?!!?” Another shocked commenter wrote: “She did not deadname cvs.”

A third quipped: “The casual use of CVS’ government name.” While a fourth wrote: “The government name was so unnecessary but so funny.”

“And today was the day I found out what CVS actually stood for…,” another user replied.

CVS Pharmacy originally was named something else (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

In fact, the acronyms reveal even brought shock to a previous employees of CVS Pharmacy, one of who commented: “Wait I worked at CVS and I had no idea it was actually an acronym."

But CVS isn’t the only store acronym that has left shoppers shocked. Another popular acronym brand that left people bewildered is the popular M&M candy.

The small circular chocolates, though a top choice for snacks, have left many questioning what the acronyms stand for. Invented in 1941, M&M’s actually stand for 'Mars' and the second, 'Murrie'.

Mars and Murrie are the two founders of the chocolate company with Mars for Forrest E. Mars Sr, and Murrie for Bruce Murrie of the US chocolate brand.

It just goes to show that you learn something new every day.