[Magdalen] TECnical question

[Grace Cangialosi]

Roger, 
Locally folks have the same reaction when the U of Virginia is referred to as "The University," which might make sense locally, but which is a designation used statewide. By the same token, VTS is referred to as "The Seminary" and Episcopal High School next to VTS is "The High School." Virginia hubris is boundless, it seems!

Funny, but just yesterday after church this came up in a conversation with an African-American parishioner. He told me that there used to be bumper stickers that said "The University" in black letters on a white background. The border was blue and orange; no further identification was needed! He said he always thought that was ironic, because until the 1970's UVA admitted neither blacks nor women!  (IIRC, blacks were admitted before women...)



On May 4, 2015, at 10:32 AM, Roger Stokes <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com> wrote:

On 04/05/2015 14:44, Ferdinand von Prondzynski (sms) wrote:
> Thirdly, the acronym has a vaguely annoying implication for 
> non-Americans, and maybe for Scots in particular. The US Episcopal 
> Church is not THE Episcopal Church, it is AN Episcopal Church. The 
> acronym suggests a degree of disinterest in, or a claim of superiority 
> over, wider Anglicanism.

I would another potential issue here - the fat that the phrase 
abbreviated starts with the definite article.  The acronym can be used 
as an acronym, particularly when trying to shorten something. Thus you 
might get references to "A TEC spokesperson" or "TEC bishop".  When 
expanded into its full form the first of these becomes "A The Episcopal 
Church spokesperson" with the indefinite and definite articles 
together.  The second one becomes "The Episcopal Church bishop" - the 
only bishop in that Church?

Roger, who admits he has been guilty of this error on this forum and 
will seek to do better.