# Placename acronyms, anagrams and acrostics **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 21, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410 "2017-10-21T04:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/41 "2017-10-25T16:52:25Z")
Let me present MHOW, town in central India that ostensibly stands for Military Hq of War. The most interesting story behind the name is that it is a “backronym” - the acronym came _after_ the actual name of the village. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mhow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mhow) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/42 "2017-10-25T17:20:54Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Historical update: [Aksarben](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ak-Sar-Ben_(arena)) hasn’t been a racetrack since 1995. Now the land is a “mixed-use development” called [Aksarben Village](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aksarben_Village). > > I’m having a hard time intuiting OP’s restrictions, so I don’t know if the toponym of a shopping/office district should count, but there you go. Oh, it’s good enough. Not significantly different than neighborhoods and I already have some of those. But it’s a reversal, not an acronym, so it’ll go in the next article I’m going to do – reversals + anagrams. This article is in good enough shape to go prime-time, now that I’ve resolved the naming issue (acrostic –\> initialism). I really hate to create an article and then decide to rename it. Leaves too much residue. So I’ll probably move it to the real wiki and start the next article soon. Within a day or two. As for MHOW, yes, definitely looks like a bacronym. I get the impression it was a rather early one, perhaps as old as the bogus derivation of “posh”. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/43 "2017-10-25T17:26:09Z")
[SeaTac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaTac,_Washington), Washington? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/44 "2017-10-25T19:01:11Z")
Since you don’t adventure outside North America, perhaps you should change the article’s title to reflect the restricted locality? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/45 "2017-10-25T19:48:54Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Since you don’t adventure outside North America, perhaps you should change the article’s title to reflect the restricted locality? I’d take any outside NA. In fact, I have Soweto on the list and it’s in South Africa. It’s just that I don’t know of any others. Not counting Mhow bacronym, which I won’t accept. As for Sea-Tac, it’s on that list of state name portmanteaus. That list is mostly of state-blends, but it has some others based on county names and such. Now that list could be expanded beyond the US. There’s a couple in Canada that I know of. I won’t add Sea-Tac to my list because it’s only a blend of two names. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/46 "2017-10-25T20:33:44Z")
I used to live in Sonyea, NY. It got its name from the fact that it used to be the location of the State of New York Epileptic Asylum. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/47 "2017-10-25T21:48:01Z")
One of the neighborhoods in Denver is [Lodo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoDo,_Denver), which means “Lower Downtown”. ---
**Author:** ![zuer-coli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ba9def/32.png) [@zuer-coli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuer-coli)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/48 "2017-10-25T22:54:40Z")
dtilque, I don’t think these match you criteria but I will mention them anyway: Michiana, which may be listed in the state name list you mentioned, I was not able to find the site. It’s parts of Berrien Co. and Cass Co. Michigan with St Joseph Co. and Elkhart Co. Indiana. Said to be invented in the '30 by Niles, Michigan merchants who where looking for a distinctive area name. When I lived in Lancaster, PA the north and south ends of Lancaster Co. were known as Nolanco and Solanco. As I recall there was also an Elanco, don’t recall a Welanco. Zuer-coli ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/49 "2017-10-25T23:33:24Z")
Soccsksargen is an administrative region of the Philippines, located in south-central Mindanao. The name is an acronym that stands for the region’s four provinces and 2 cities (South Cotabato, Cotabato City, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/50 "2017-10-25T23:48:51Z")
Another Soho, this one a neighborhood in London, Ontario, Canada: **So** uth of **Ho** rton Street. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/51 "2017-10-25T23:54:39Z")
[Carcross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcross), Yukon used to be called **Car** ibou **Cross** ing, but changed its name in 1904 “…as a result of some mail mix-ups with the Cariboo Regional District in nearby British Columbia.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/52 "2017-10-25T23:58:21Z")
The list I refered to is [List of border towns in the United States with portmanteau names](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_border_towns_in_the_United_States_with_portmanteau_names). There’s a link (actually two of them) to this list on the page I’m building. And Michiana is on that list, both the town and region. I’m considering opening up the list to any geographic names that are derived from acronyms/initialisms. I’ve created other cities-only lists, and people occasionally add non-cities to them. So I’m thinking I may as well preempt this by doing it first. Re: Sonyea – I’ve done a bit of research and concluded that it probably isn’t an acronym. One book called it “local lore”, and the author wasn’t buying it. Another specifically on NY placename etymology didn’t even mention the acronym, just said it was of Native American derivation. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/53 "2017-10-26T00:04:42Z")
How about the Delmarva peninsula? I guess that’s not an official name, but it is regularly referred to that way. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/54 "2017-10-26T08:33:14Z")
There was, for a time in Georgia, a recognized municipality officially and formally named Industrial City of Gordon, Murray and Whitfield Counties, thus obviating the need for any acronymy. It is now included in the Chatsworth zip code. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/55 "2017-10-26T12:34:56Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > How about the Delmarva peninsula? I guess that’s not an official name, but it is regularly referred to that way. Was aware of that, but I was just looking for names of cities and towns. That peninsula is much bigger than a city. However, because people persist in suggesting these non-towns, I’m going to expand the scope of my list to all geographic names. Furthermore, I’m going to rename and expand the list of border state portmanteaus to all portmanteaus. It already has a side list of “Other Portmanteaus”, but there’s lots and lots more out there. For example, quite common are combinations of two peoples’ names who did something important to create the place. Or two children of the founder/first postmaster. So I’m going to end up with three lists, all of them covering all geographic names: 1. acronyms and initialisms 2. portmanteaus 3. reversals and anagrams. That should cover all species of word- and letter-play involved in naming places. There will be some overlap, but it should be minimal. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/56 "2017-10-26T20:38:20Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > So I’m going to end up with three lists, all of them covering all geographic names: > > 1. acronyms and initialisms > 2. portmanteaus > 3. reversals and anagrams. Ok, this is partially done. Have #1 & #2 done. Here are the links: [acronym & initialism list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_geographic_names_derived_from_acronyms_and_initialisms) [portmanteau list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_geographic_names_derived_from_portmanteaus) My sandbox page that had the acronym list is now blank, but I’ll be starting the reversal/anagram list there soon. So use the links above instead of the one in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/57 "2017-10-31T16:45:44Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Ok, this is partially done. Have #1 & #2 done. Here are the links: > > [acronym & initialism list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_geographic_names_derived_from_acronyms_and_initialisms) > [portmanteau list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_geographic_names_derived_from_portmanteaus) > > My sandbox page that had the acronym list is now blank, but I’ll be starting the reversal/anagram list there soon. So use the links above instead of the one in the OP. A couple of observations: Since you’re collecting city neighborhood initialisms, you may want to add [SoDo, Seattle, WA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoDo,_Seattle) to the “Other cities” list. Already wikified, so probably sufficiently notable. “Texarkana” seems to be on both the Portmaneau and Initialisms lists. (That’s the dupe that caught my eye at a glance.) I can’t imagine any good reason any particular term should be on both pages, but I’m not the editing contributor. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/58 "2017-10-31T19:58:32Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Since you’re collecting city neighborhood initialisms, you may want to add [SoDo, Seattle, WA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoDo,_Seattle) to the “Other cities” list. Already wikified, so probably sufficiently notable. Yes, good one. > [@](#): > > “Texarkana” seems to be on both the Portmaneau and Initialisms lists. (That’s the dupe that caught my eye at a glance.) I can’t imagine any good reason any particular term should be on both pages, but I’m not the editing contributor. There’s going to be a certain amount of overlap, because such things don’t always fit into nice neat categories. Ideally, initialisms are just made up of the first letter or perhaps two or three letters from each word. But sometimes the coiners may find it convenient to use some other letters from one of the terms. Does that make it a portmanteau? Or perhaps both? At any rate, I don’t see any problem with duplication. It doesn’t really hurt to have a town on both lists. There’s at least one other dup, which is there partly because I renamed an existing page and haven’t removed anything from it; just added a bunch. But it seems to belong on both lists, too. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/59 "2017-10-31T20:32:31Z")
Benelux? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410/60 "2017-10-31T20:47:05Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Benelux? Added it myself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placename-acronyms-anagrams-and-acrostics/799410.md?page=4)