The Corner

Legislative Onomastics

Lessee, we’ve had the SAVE Act (Secure America with Verification and Enforcement), the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors), the CLEAR Act (Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal — no, me neither), and now the GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education).

I hereby propose the POPNLWNMUBFTOAFGATFWTFI Act. That will be the Prevention Of Proposed New Laws With Names Made Up By First Thinking Of A Feel-Good Acronym Then Finding Words To Fit It Act.

If that’s too much of a mouthful, we could just call it the Stop Manipulative Initial Letter Euphemizing (SMILE) Act.

John Derbyshire — Mr. Derbyshire is a former contributing editor of National Review.
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