Why do news releases from agencies such as the FBI, the CIA, the EPA, and the IRS drop the initial the before these initialisms? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Why No “The” Sometimes in Front of CIA, FBI, or IRS?” Hi, you have A...
Tim and Allison Moyer of Ingram, Texas, care for lots of feral cats in their neighborhood, and refer to them by various names. Often they eventually shorten those names to just initial letters. For example, Calico Kitty becomes simply CK. Is there a...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has whipped up a puzzle about swapped initialisms. Try this one: My TV is so good you can see the beds of sweat on some of those American League players when they get up to bat. Thanks to ______ I can see how stressed the...
On Twitter, @laureneoneal wonders why the term ob-gyn is pronounced by sounding out all the letters, as if it’s an initialism. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pronouncing “Ob-Gyn”” On Twitter, Lauren O’Neill writes, I love how...
What is the plural of attorney general? Attorneys general or attorney generals? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Attorney General Plural” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi there. My name is Jake Danan. I’m calling from Door...
You pick up what you think a glass of water and take a sip, but it turns out to be Sprite. What’s the word for that sensation when you’re expecting one thing and taste something else? Also, slang from college campuses, like ratchet and dime piece...
