platespeak
n.— «Is one of Britain’s best-loved dialects, the curious language of personalised number plates, heading for oblivion?…Those who cannot afford the best plates have been forced to use a bit of ingenuity to get close to the word or words they really want. Such owners rely on “platespeak,” as it is known in the business, to compose their unique signage—substituting a “5” for an “S,” for example, a “4” for an “A,” and so on.» —“Will UK Law Change Put Car Lingo In Limbo?” by David Wilkins Motorin.co.za (South Africa) Nov. 11, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Mary Beth in Greenville, South Carolina, wonders: Why do we say four-oh-nine for the number 409 instead of four-zero-nine or four-aught-nine? What are the rules for saying either zero or oh or aught or ought to indicate that arithmetical symbol...
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...