Where will it end, this trend to reduce the names of institutions to a handful of initials?
Kentucky Fried Chicken has become KFC. National Public Radio calls itself NPR. Procter & Gamble became P & G. And this week, the Young Men's Christian Association, or YMCA, announced that it wanted to be known simply by the casual moniker, "the Y."
Calling yourself what everyone else calls you is more welcoming, a marketing officer for the 166-year-old nonprofit explained. Maybe so. It is true that around here we refer to the "Towson Y," the "33rd street Y" and to the "old Y." The latter, a building at Franklin and Cathedral Streets, was the site of many noontime basketball games where, in our experience, few "Christian" virtues were displayed.
When it comes to appellations, the Young Women's Christian Association, or YWCA, which has 12 locations in the Baltimore area, is not going where the boys are. It is not rebranding. Sometimes it refers to itself as the "YW," but never the "Y." When conducting official business, its administrators impose a small fine on any speaker who neglects to add the "W" behind the "Y."
Shrinking lengthy titles to bite-size nicknames seems to be in tune with the vibe of Twitter, which crams modern missives into 140 characters or less. It also is said to soften the image of institutions, making them more appealing. However, that does not seem have worked lately for BP, once known as British Petroleum.
Already, the YMCA's effort to shorten its name has been criticized. The Village People, whose 1978 disco anthem, "The YMCA," was played all around the nation, including between innings at Oriole Park, said they were "deeply dismayed" by the name change. The group pledged to "continue to perform all four letters in our concerts around the world."
Regrettably, this trend to truncate has hit publishing as well. Women's Wear Daily is WWD. Oprah Winfrey named her magazine O. We are grateful that The Baltimore Sun has not been called BS. At least not officially.