JFK (Just For Kerry)

[Dennis R. Preston]

These were rampant in Eastern Europe in the good old days (an area
given more to acronyms and political humor than perhaps any other in
the history of the world).

On eof my favorites (although maybe you had to be there) was always

PPK (Polish Rail Way)

which became

Polish Wait Way

a clear reference to the fact that Mussolini was not in charge of the
trains i Poland at that time.

dInIs





>A single example from German:  BKA (Bundes Kriminal Amt - Federal Crimal
>Office, the FBI equivalent, minus the counter espionage component) is
>sometimes renedered a Beamter Keine Ahnung (officials with no ideas.)
>Dave Hause, dwhause at jobe.net
>Ft. Leonard Wood, MO
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Gerald Cohen" <gcohen at UMR.EDU>
>
>     Btw, does the humorous reinterpreting of what initials stand for occur
>in other languages?


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic,
        Asian and African Languages
Wells Hall A-740
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
Office: (517) 353-0740
Fax: (517) 432-2736