Chuck Soper <chucks2@veladg.com> writes:

Does anyone know if the abbreviation/UTC offset combination is unique?

I wouldn't count on it. Does "PST" mean "Pacific Standard Time" or "Pitcairn Standard Time"? They're both 8 hours behind UTC. Or, if you want something a bit more obscure, "LMT" at 36 minutes and 32 seconds behind UTC can mean either "Local Mean Time" or "Lisbon Mean Time", depending on the zone and year. Neither of these examples are of major economic importance right now, but they do indicate the assumption isn't safe.