It can be a word formed from the first syllables: sitrep for situation report or radar for radio detecting and ranging.
Acronyms thrive in bureaucracy, especially government. US president F.D. Roosevelt had "alphabet soup" agencies, which our bureaucrats promptly copied.
Easy to say and recall and to identify an office without using its multi-word name.
One can pick a poor acronym though. LTFRB or RTWPB is hard to pronounce, not easy to curse in protest chants. Ah, but everybody likes LTO or SSS, short and sweet.
An acronym can be used for personal esteem or other selfish interest, such as early electioneering.
Name recall
Former Mandaue City mayor Ted Ouano used not one but at least seven acronyms. How's that for name-recall passion?
A Sun.Star story Tuesday said Ted had these agencies named after him: Tedi, Teddy, TeddBoard, Pro-Thedi, I-Ted Communicate, Tedman, and Ted Office.
What's wrong with that? They sing hymn to the boss but more annoying is that they don't give an idea what their offices do.
How does Teddy differ from Ted, which comes with the bear? There's a Tedman, is there a Tedboy?
Not entirely Ted's fault. Bright boys who suggested them probably didn't think acronyms could turn off a lot of people.
And change with every administration. There was Naric before RCA, Avsecom before Pafsecom. Lito before Gwen.
After all those Teds, unless Jonas resists, he will have his acronyms too.
