A name becomes an acronym. And after a while, no one remembers the original. Try these out. Then see how you did. LSMFT!*
3M
AFLAC
ALS
AT&T
BMW
CBS
COVID
EPCOT
ESPN
FIFA
GEICO
GIF
NABISCO
NATO
NCIS
QANTAS
SCUBA
URL
WD-40
ZIP
3M Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
AFLAC American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus
ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
AT&T American Telephone & Telegraph
BMW Bavarian Motor Works (Bayerische Motoren Werke)
CBS Columbia Broadcasting System
COVID Coronavirus disease
EPCOT Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
FIFA Fédération Internationale de Football Association
GEICO Government Employees Insurance Company
GIF Graphics Interchange Format
NABISCO National Biscuit Company
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service
QANTAS Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd.
SCUBA Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
URL Uniform Resource Locator
WD-40 Water Displacement 40th formula
ZIP Zone improvement plan
*Lucky Strike means fine tobacco!
Watch this on video: https://youtu.be/JOHeh2FbItA?si=xl09xdeXPx58aZnm
Next time: We’re not here to create disorder. We’re here to preserve disorder.
Vox Populi: In our July 13, 2021, column, we commented about English not having a non-gender pronoun (he or she). And we said they or them doesn’t work because it’s a plural. But as society has become more open and considerate about non-binary people, they/them is becoming the go-to. In the mid-1980s, to deal with a related dilemma, folks adopted Ms. So we need to create a word to replace the inaccurate they/them. Readers: You’re on the clock!
Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong" features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police.” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, menus, TV news graphics, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we can credit you properly. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com
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NOTE: Eliot and Lou Ann are available for speaking engagements, and can travel. Reach us through the comments section. Just think of all of your employees getting back to work on a Monday, their heads filled with all the ways we’ve shown them to be better communicators!