The Story Behind State Abbreviations

What was the state of abbreviations before 1973?

• Each state had its own length of abbreviation.

• All states had two-letter abbreviations.

• Only some states had abbreviations.

• There were no abbreviations at all.

Who decided that every state must have a two-letter abbreviation?

• The President

• The Post Office

• The Congress

• The Supreme Court

What was the initial reaction of the team when they started with Alabama?

• They found it very difficult.

• They wanted to quit.

• They thought it would be easy.

• They were confused.

Why was one team member uncomfortable with the omelet station?

• He was allergic to eggs.

• He felt the omelet chef resented his job.

• He didn't like omelets.

• He preferred pancakes.

What was the first duplicate abbreviation the team encountered?

• Arizona and Arkansas

• Alaska and Alabama

• California and Colorado

• Connecticut and Colorado

Who was Dottie in the team?

• The team leader

• A consultant

• A team member

• The wisecracking secretary

What did the team do when they faced significant challenges with abbreviations?

• They hired a consultant.

• They gave up.

• They changed the rules.

• They asked for more time.

What famous contraction did the consultant create?

• Can't

• Won't

• Don't

• Shouldn't

Which contraction is known as the 'Holy Trinity of regret'?

• Can't, won't, don't

• Didn't, couldn't, shouldn't

• Might've, must've, may've

• Would've, could've, should've

What was the consultant's innovative approach to 'we would have'?

• He shortened it to 'we'd'

• He left it unchanged

• He combined it into 'we've'

• He used a single letter 'w'