# District of Columbia becomes a state--- what should it be called?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-of-columbia-becomes-a-state-what-should-it-be-called/940553>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 22, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-of-columbia-becomes-a-state-what-should-it-be-called/940553 "2021-04-22T17:27:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-of-columbia-becomes-a-state-what-should-it-be-called/940553/122 "2021-04-25T17:34:31Z")

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> [@Statehood for D.C.?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statehood-for-d-c/921442/299):
>
> OTOH they could do what IBM and ATT did, and just declare that the letters no longer stand for anything but are a trademark in and of themselves?

Or KFC. But that’s exactly what I proposed way upthread, that it officially doesn’t have to stand for anything, or we just call it “DC” in most printed references to the state, even though it technically is “Douglass Commonwealth,” much like we used “Rhode Island” for “Rhode Island and Providence Planations.” I don’t see any issue with this, and I think a form that preserves the “DC” postal abbreviation is the most elegant solution.

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