# WPPSS-a-Daisy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wppss-a-daisy/130839>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 4, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wppss-a-daisy/130839 "2002-10-04T15:06:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jeffkopp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jeffkopp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeffkopp)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wppss-a-daisy/130839/1 "2002-10-04T15:06:58Z")

</div>

Upon reading about the origins of the expression [whoops-a-daisy](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mwhoopsadaisy.html), I was reminded of the Washington Public Power Supply System, which became a debacle when its wild fast-track nuclear-development program collapsed in the 1980s. The media took to pronouncing its acromyn “WPPSS” as “Whoops!”, much to the dismay of the agency, which struggled (without success) to make itself known instead as “The Supply System.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wppss-a-daisy/130839/2 "2002-10-08T15:33:22Z")

</div>

Probably because “The SS” was already taken.

Spiff