WOTY

[Mark.Mandel at LHSL.COM]

Beth asked

>>>>>
>Is "Sept. 11" a WOTY nominee yet?
<<<<<

And Beverly remarked:

>>>>>
As "9-11," preferably?  (Not "9-1-1," which I hear occasionally and which
makes no sense at all!)
<<<<<

It makes sense to me, or at least it can. When used in context that makes
its reference to the attacks clear, the pronunciation "nine-one-one" is an
obvious allusion to the emergency number. (Note to non-USAians: 911 is the
nationwide number for (theoretically) immediate connection to emergency
services: police, fire, or ambulance.) The connection and relevance were
clear to me and many others even from the day itself, when our minds were
spinning out of control.

-- Mark A. Mandel