Initial Reactions (ten cents)

Some time ago, I wrote a post about the decision of the Washington Post not to use the term "PG County" anymore, and always to refer to it by its full name. My posting was about the inconsistency in the use and acceptability of initials or abbreviations in place names (e.g., Phillly and Indy OK, Minnie or Millie not). Since that time, I have spoken to a number of residents of Prince George's County, most of whom call it PG, and think that the disputation played out in the Post was nonsense.

Now comes that terrific ad for St. Louis ribs that I see on television (actually, the ad could be better because I have no idea what brand or chain they are advertising, as I think about it), where the one young man says "These are just like they eat in St. Louie" and his companion says "People who live in St. Louis do not call it St. Louie", to which the other answers: "Yes, they doooooooo".

All of this came to mind again this morning as I was reading through the Washington Examiner which had a brief story about Deborah Palfrey, the now notorious and/or celebrated (take your pick) D.C. Madam. She says that she would rather be called the Washington Madam, and not the D.C. Madam. When asked why, she responded "it's a little classier". One more country heard from.

The best quote in the article came from her lawyer, the man with the name that sounds like a school for sick people: Montgomery Blair Sibley. When Palfrey announced that she was a supporter of Hillary Clinton, she added that she "hated" Bush. Sibley's reaction: "there goes your chance for a pardon".