# Secret Organization Acronyms (TV Trivia) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947 "2003-07-16T18:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/41 "2003-07-18T09:54:33Z")
I remember in school we had to watch the S. A. P. Kids. **S** ubstance **A** buse **P** atrol ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/42 "2003-07-18T11:33:48Z")
Anyone remember [The Secret Service](http://www.crc.paragould.ar.us/~adam/fab/SS/sspremise.htm) ? Sir Stanley Unwin voiced the Gerry Anderson puppet Father Stanley Unwin, who inherited a bible with a shrink ray machine concealed within, and was then recruited by the British Government as as a BISHOP - “British Intelligence Headquarters Operations Priest” ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/43 "2003-07-18T11:42:21Z")
In the 1970’s Diana Prince worked for the IADC(Inter Agency Defense Command). ---
**Author:** ![NameAlreadyTaken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@NameAlreadyTaken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NameAlreadyTaken)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/44 "2003-07-18T12:42:05Z")
And Inspector Gadget fought against the CLAW. I’m not sure if that was an acronym or just a reference to the metal hand. ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@Brad\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/45 "2003-07-18T15:44:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*[Chronos](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3712486#post3712486) could probably help you remember. 😃 \*\* :smack: DOH!!! I checked, I swear I did. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/46 "2003-07-18T23:28:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smeghead \* > What did COBRA stand for? Nothing; it was a name, not an acronym. The original comic book (by Larry Hama) established a tradition of Cobra front-companies naming themselves after anagrams of “Cobra”, though. “Arbco Trucking” and “R.A.B. Co.” come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/47 "2003-07-19T04:36:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TPWombat \* > \*\*and was then recruited by the British Government as as a BISHOP - “British Intelligence Headquarters Operations Priest” \*\* “Ok, Devious, don’t move!” How about “Agent for H. A. R. M.” on MST3k? I’m drawing a blank. How about MAD on Inspector Gadget? Was that ever answered? ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/48 "2003-07-22T17:14:23Z")
I know this is technically a TV thread, but I just have to mention one from a book. There was a series I once read (apparently) aimed at about the 12-13 age range called “Chrisopher Cool - TEEN Agent” where TEEN stood for “Top-Secret Educational Espionage Network”; sort of a high-school for spies. Of course, there is [a web site devoted to the series](http://www.series.net/cool). ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/49 "2003-07-22T17:54:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > [B"Agent for H. A. R. M." on MST3k? I’m drawing a blank. > \*\* Heuristic Analog Rental Meat. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/50 "2003-07-22T21:48:16Z")
Close; Human Aetiological Relations Machine. “Nickovitch”??? Ilya Kuryakin’s father’s name was Nick? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/51 "2003-07-22T21:52:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NameAlreadyTaken \* > \*\*And Inspector Gadget fought against the CLAW. I’m not sure if that was an acronym or just a reference to the metal hand. \*\* Didn’t Maxwell Smart have a nemesis known as The Claw? Who was Asian and had difficulty with L’s? as in… “Craw?” “No, Craw!” ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/52 "2003-07-22T23:13:33Z")
Probably Nickolaiovitch… or a variation of that Illya son of Nickolai… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/53 "2003-07-22T23:17:04Z")
Nickolai, I should imagine. ---
**Author:** ![OpusThePenguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7bcc69/32.png) [@OpusThePenguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpusThePenguin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/54 "2003-07-23T01:32:43Z")
I remember in the Darkwing Duck cartoons, FOWL stood for Fiendish Organization for Wolrd Larceny. There was also an organization called SSUSH. I can’t remember what it stood for Super Secret something or other ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/55 "2003-07-23T02:42:50Z")
The Pheonix Foundation (where MacGuyver worked) was a front for the OXS: the **O** ffice of E **x** ternal **S** ervices. Presumably, they were some kind of covert espionage/black ops group. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/56 "2003-07-23T16:27:05Z")
Mentioned up-thread. Matt Helm worked for ICE - International Counter-Espionage ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/57 "2003-07-23T16:33:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tanstaafl \* > \*\* Matt Helm worked for ICE \*\* That’s the movies, and the movies suck. The department was known as “The Murder Group”, “The Removers”, “The Wrecking Crew” and various other names, although the latter may be a department that worked at extracting information. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/58 "2003-07-23T16:35:19Z")
Also from Marvel Comics, I was always impressed with the acronym for the terrorist organization ULITMATUM: Underground Liberated Totally Intergrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind. ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/59 "2003-07-29T16:25:59Z")
H.E.L.P.I.N.G. C.H.I.L.D.R.E.N. T.H.R.O.U.G.H. R.E.S.E.A.R.C.H. A.N.D. D.E.V.E.L.O.P.M.E.N.T.: Hi, Everyone, Let’s Pitch In ‘N’ Get Cracking Here In Louisiana Doing Right, Eh? Now Then, Hateful, Rich, Overbearing Ugly Guys Hurt Royally Every Time Someone Eats A Radish, Carrot, Hors d’oeuvre, And Never Does Dishes. Eventually, Victor Eats Lunch Over Peoria Mit Ein Neuesberger Tod. and… W.A.L.K.A.T.H.O.N.: Walkers At Large Kinetically Altruistic Through Hygiene or Nowledge Also, as to the acronym H.A.R.M.: \ Oh, that stands for Huge Angular Red Marshmallows. \ Hirsute Astronauts Revile Massachusetts. \ Heuristic Analog Rental Meat. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947/60 "2003-07-29T16:52:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vanyel \* > \*\* > > W.A.L.K.A.T.H.O.N.: > Walkers At Large Kinetically Altruistic Through Hygiene or Nowledge > > \*\* Nowledge? Right, but because otherwise it would be WALKATHOK, and that would be dumb. Two can play at this game… 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-organization-acronyms-tv-trivia/188947.md?page=2)