# US Dopers: "A for Apple"? "B for Ball"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300 "2006-08-26T06:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/21 "2006-08-26T13:44:50Z")
Howzabout the Gorey alphabet? 😃 It’s what I used as a working drone. “J” is for [Journalist](http://www.kb.nl/nieuws/2004/abcboeken/buitenlands/j.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/22 "2006-08-26T14:35:00Z")
All I can think of is: [QUOTE=Nichols and May] That is “Kaplan”? That is “K” as in “Knife”? “A” as in “Aardvark”? “P” as in “Pneumonia”? “L” as in “Luscious”? “A” as in “Aardvark”, again? “N” as in “Newel post”, “Kaplan”? [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/23 "2006-08-26T17:06:37Z")
A is for Apple J is for Jacks Cinnamon toasty Apple Jacks… ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/24 "2006-08-26T17:20:49Z")
A fun thing to do when someone’s spelling at you over the phone is to keep stopping them to ask, “excuse me, that’s (repeat letter) as in _what_?” ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/25 "2006-08-26T17:39:06Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] Howzabout the Gorey alphabet? 😃 It’s what I used as a working drone. “J” is for [Journalist](http://www.kb.nl/nieuws/2004/abcboeken/buitenlands/j.jpg). [/QUOTE] No, no! \*A is for Amy who fell down the stairs B is for Basil assaulted by bears C is for Clara who wasted away D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh\* [http://www.wishville.co.uk/gorey/](http://www.wishville.co.uk/gorey/) I give the Gashlycrumb Tinies as a gift to every new parent :D. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/26 "2006-08-26T18:42:54Z")
I’ve always used names and simple words. A for apple, B for Bernard… ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/27 "2006-08-26T18:54:31Z")
A customer service lady was giving me a confirmation code the other day and said “Q as in Cuba”. I started laughing because I honestly thought she was making a joke, then I felt bad when she started stammering “I mean…q as in…as in…as in…” and I finished “quick? quiet? quaint?” for her. Yikes man. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/28 "2006-08-26T19:34:17Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane] No, no! \*A is for Amy who fell down the stairs B is for Basil assaulted by bears C is for Clara who wasted away D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh\* [http://www.wishville.co.uk/gorey/](http://www.wishville.co.uk/gorey/) I give the Gashlycrumb Tinies as a gift to every new parent :D. - Tamerlane [/QUOTE] You are correct!! I don’t know what I was thinking. That’ll show me to try to look for a link while disconnecting my brain. :mad: I’ll just slink off now and hang my head in shame. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/29 "2006-08-26T19:45:14Z")
I use random words but I make sure they aren’t ambiguous. It’s communicative, and privately amusing. “That’s P as in Potato; A as in Argonaut; S as in Snake; T as in Trephaning; A as in As In.” No problems so far. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/30 "2006-08-26T19:57:46Z")
The case is hopeless. The only reason to use first names is because it became common through military use. “O” as in “ought” “H” as in “honor” “G” as in “gnarly” When you call tech support in India, and you use these conventions, you’re relying on U.S. cultural hegemony. Whether it (U.S. cultural hegemony) live long or short, I’ve got to wonder how many people in India go by the name of “Charely.” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/31 "2006-08-26T21:42:18Z")
We say “foxtrot”, not Frank. [QUOTE=Frank] Co-worker: Blah blah blah blah Frank blah… Frank: What? [/QUOTE] [Hijack] The Thai word for “hey you” is “Jim”. I had a rather distracted three months there last year… [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/32 "2006-08-26T23:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] _The_ phonetic alphabet? You say that like there’s only one. There are lots out there… For the OP, yeah, the smart thing to do would be to learn the most popular one. [/QUOTE] Which is almost certainly the [ICAO alphabet](http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto_m.pl?icao/en/trivia/alphabet.htm). ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/33 "2006-08-27T00:21:37Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] Which is almost certainly the [ICAO alphabet](http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto_m.pl?icao/en/trivia/alphabet.htm). [/QUOTE] But that’s the thing, none of these phone people use that. They use “M for Mary”, “J for Jones” etc. Is there a list like that that you probably learnt in school? Anyone here who works the phone jobs, do you get a list or is each one free to use whatever they prefer? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/34 "2006-08-27T01:12:16Z")
“P” as in “psychology”… I typically use common nouns, but have been meaning to learn a military alphabet just to be slightly odd. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/35 "2006-08-27T01:24:37Z")
I go by the official Schenectady OTB listing: A apple B Boy C Charles D David E Edward F Frank G George H Harry I Ida J Jack K King L Larry M Mary N Nancy O Oscar P Peter Q Queen R Robert S Sam U University V Victor T, W, X, Y, and Z were rarely used. The letters were the horses in a race, and there was a limit. U and V were needed for entries (two horses with the same owner or trainer). ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/36 "2006-08-27T03:51:25Z")
G as in [ghoti](http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxwhat04.html) (pronounced “fish”) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/37 "2006-08-27T05:18:57Z")
A few years back, I saw comedian Brian Regan do a bit about this…he said he always feels pressured to come up with words for the letters and can never come up with good ones, so he reads out his confirmation code something like, “That’s a B as in Boston baked beans…a P as in Pneumonia…a K as in Khadafi…and a Q as in…Qadafi.” ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/38 "2006-08-27T09:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] A for 'orses. B for mutton. C for miles. [Etc.](http://www.phespirit.info/cockney/alphabet.htm) [/QUOTE] P for Relief 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/39 "2006-08-27T10:52:51Z")
[QUOTE=Eleusis] P for Relief 😛 [/QUOTE] Don’t forget that the “p” is silent in swimming. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300/40 "2006-08-27T17:19:21Z")
I was on the phone the other day, not really paying attention, and the person on the other end asked me whether it was B as in ‘boy’. The only thing I could think to respond was that it was V as in ‘not boy’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-a-for-apple-b-for-ball/370300.md?page=3)