Fun with Acronyms/Literature: Difference between revisions

* One possibly-unintentional [[Harry Potter]] example is from the epilogue, in which we meet Harry's son, '''A'''lbus '''S'''everus '''P'''otter. If the ''name'' weren't unfortunate enough, look at what the initials spell. No wonder he's worried about being sorted into Slytherin.

* Christopher Stasheff's "Warlock" novels include many organizations with unlikely acronyms for names: The '''P'''roletarian '''E'''clectic '''S'''tate of '''T'''erra (PEST), the '''D'''ecentralized '''D'''emocratic '''T'''ribunal (DDT) which wiped out PEST, the '''S'''ociety for the '''C'''onversion of '''E'''xtra-terrestial '''N'''ascent '''T'''otalitarianisms (SCENT), and no less than three groups of [[Time Travel|time-travelers]]: the '''S'''ociety for the '''P'''revention of '''I'''ntegration of '''T'''elepathic '''E'''ntities (SPITE), the '''V'''igilant '''E'''xtenders of '''T'''otalitarian '''O'''rganizations (VETO), and the '''G'''uarantors of the '''R'''ights of '''I'''ndividuals, '''P'''atentholders '''E'''specially (GRIPE) (founded by the man who ''invented'' the time machine and was annoyed at the other two groups, who weren't paying him any royalties).

* The dreadful Betty Bowers of ''America's Best Christian'' is the leader of '''B'''ringing '''I'''ntegrity '''T'''o '''C'''hristian '''H'''omemakers, '''B'''aptists '''A'''re '''S'''aving '''H'''omosexuals (changed when it became clear that there was money in the 'gay eye for the straight guy' thing to '''C'''hristians '''A'''re '''S'''aving '''H'''omosexuals), and an abstinence club for girls called '''S'''aving '''L'''ove '''U'''ntil '''T'''he '''S'''acraments. (Which is [[Did Not Do the Research|amusing in itself]], as the Baptist church does not consider marriage a sacrament.)

* In Spider Robinson's ''Stardance'', the main characters have to deal with the transport division of Space Industries Coporation. When they see the division's name and motto on its front door, one breaks down into laughter: "S.I.C. Transit -- ''Gloria Mundi''". ("Thus passes the glory of the world", a well-known phrase in Latin.)

* The ''[[Dragonriders of Pern]]'' novels had a supercomputer going by the name '''A'''rtificial '''I'''ntelligence '''V'''oice '''A'''ddress '''S'''ystem. The characters that interacted with it tended to treat the acronym as a name, possibly because the device seemed to be virtually sentient at times. Also, the name Pern itself comes from an acronym assigned by the planetary survey team that discovered it: '''P'''arallel '''E'''arth, '''R'''esources '''N'''egligible.

* [[Thomas Pynchon]]'s ''[[The Crying of Lot 49]]'' uses these as [[Arc Words]] for its (possibly imaginary ) [[Ancient Conspiracy]], Trystero. Their [[Milkman Conspiracy|top-secret mail service]] is called WASTE, which stands for "'''W'''e '''A'''wait '''S'''ilent '''T'''rystero's '''E'''mpire". And while we're on the subject, '''D'''on't '''E'''ver '''A'''ntagonize '''T'''he '''H'''orn.

* In [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s 1959 short story ''[[All You Zombies]]'', the same "elite military service corps" is referred to at various points in history as the '''W'''omen's '''E'''mergency '''N'''ational '''C'''orps, '''H'''ospitality & '''E'''ntertainment '''S'''ection, the "Space Angels" or '''A'''uxiliary '''N'''ursing '''G'''roup, '''E'''xtraterrestrial '''L'''egions, and the '''W'''omen's '''H'''ospitality '''O'''rder '''R'''efortifying & '''E'''ncouraging '''S'''pacemen.

** No doubt inspired by the [[Real Life]] Women Airforce Service Pilots and their naval counterparts, Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service.