MILF's Problem with MILFs

MILF recently burst into international news with the capture of a crashed American robotic spy plane. MILF, in this case, is the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a Muslim rebel group using terrorism to bring about an independent Islamic state in the Philippines. The group has the misfortune of making headlines that read like punch lines because of another MILF, the acronym for Mother I'd Like to [expletive redacted]. That MILF entered the vernacular with the movie "American Pie" and then was immortalized by a show within the Tina Fey sit-com "30 Rock"--the "Survivor"-esque "MILF Island," trumpeted as "Twenty MILFs, fifty eighth-grade boys, and no rules!"

"MILF Island," from "30 Rock"
By sticking with its current acronym, the Islamic version of MILF is in a precarious position made famous by Richard Nixon's fundraising organization, the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP).

MILF might seek counsel from other acronymically-challenged efforts, like Seattle's South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) or the Catholic League of Decency (CLOD).

Corporations with the same impediment include Cummins Engine Company, whose stock symbol is CUM. Cysco's Broadband Access Device is known as BAD. Planned Unit Development goes by PUD.

As everyone knows the military loves acronyms. Too much in some cases, like Direct Input Limited Duty Officer, a college graduate commissioned by the Navy as Reserve Officer for the specific duty of teaching. The acronym: DILDO.

The entertainment industry, which ought to have a better handle on communication, includes the unions SAG (Screen Actors Guild), GAG (Graphics Artists Guild) and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).

The federal government at least deserves a tip of the hat for candor in its laughable acronyms, like Jimmy Carter's energy policy, the Moral Equivalent of War--MEOW--and, of course, the common abbreviation for the House of Representatives--HOR.

MILFs with spy plane [photo courtesy of MILF]
Happily for the MILF rebels, their acronym issue is lost in translation to Filipino languages. Should the MILFs hope to garner the sympathies in the English-speaking world, however, they might consider reverting to their original appellation, MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) or choosing a new one. Just as long as they stay away from Moro Islamic Militia Effort (MIME).

Follow Keith Thomson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kqthomson

Comments

[GeeBee]

Ventura, CA has a bus system called South Coast Area Transit. I've never used it so I don't know how apt the acronym is.

[ponderingmuch]

LOLOLOLOL!­!!!!!!!!!!­!

Sorry, I was overcome with giggles.

[Bluedrgn]

Is there something about the Islamic religion that requires them to form separate states? Why can these guys just co-exist peacefully within their established governments?

[JClue]

One that's always made me laugh is the American Symphony Orchestra League.

[Tunghoy]

Not far from me is an organization of horseback riding enthusiasts. The sign in front of the farm proudly declares them to be the "New Jersey Horseman's Asso."

[gbrooks]

What the heck did I just read?

[radarluv]

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was originally called Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL)

[tbone99]

How many budding artists want to study at the the instituteofart?

[JTyroler]

Don't forget Friends' University of Central Kansas....

[Tunghoy]

When I used to register for classes in college, there were restrictions on who was allowed to take classes from the Business Administration Department. The registration forms had boldfaced notices declaring that "Only business majors may take BAD courses." I'm not kidding.

[tbone99]

that explains our current financial crisis I guess

[yodaveg]

That's one for the Acronym Stupidity Society.

[davidhickson]

Here in Oregon, there are some hilarious acronyms perpetrated on the public by various "interagency narcotics teams." My favorite comes from Josephine County in southern Oregon, where the local posse has dubbed itself the Josephine Interagency Narcotics Team, or JOINT, in its press releases. Another doozy comes courtesy of Lincoln County, which boasts the Lincoln Interagency Narcotics Team, or LINT, and then there is the over-the-top machismo of the Regional Organized Crime and Narcotics Team, or ROCN. For real.

[FogBelter]

A coworker I had who was a native of the Calabria region of Italy once clued me into the meaning of FICA Tax from his perspective.

[jennytaylia]

Quello è divertente!!!

[SimonOh]

Let's not forget the fictional yet laughable higher educational institution: South Harmon Institute of Technology.

[tbone99]

Thats right up there wth the name of Chicago's natural gas company named "People's Gas"

hey - for all I know it is!

[ArjenBoatsma]

My longtime favorite was the acronym in 30' letters on the hangar of Professional Maintenance Services:

PMS

[Tunghoy]

Don't forget the Pantone Matching System. And -- in the pre-digital days -- the professional strippers who used to separate Pantone colors.

[RepugsOut08]

Well, I posted about the transit system in Switzerland's acronym, but apparently it offended the Huffpost monitors. I'll give you the transit system's name, and you do the rest.
Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi.