Let's update what GOP stands for

Giddy Over Palin
Grandstanding Old Perverts
Gulf Oil Please
Grease Our Palms
Go Out Pissing

Go-down-on One Percenters

Not many good synonyms for "fellate."

(CBS) The elephant - symbol of the Republican Party since 1874 - remembers that GOP stands for "Grand Old Party," but increasingly, the elephant is standing alone.

At least that's the thinking at The Wall Street Journal, which has decided to stop using the acronym to refer to the 148-year-old political party.

In an internal memo issued to staffers last week, Journal higher-ups said the term GOP will be dropped because not all readers know what the letters mean, and some may not realize that they are a reference to the Republican Party.

That doesn't mean that the time-honored letters will disappear forever from the pages of the prestigious financial newspaper.

Reporters and editors will still be allowed to use the term in a quotation, if someone else says GOP. But an explanation of the acronym will be provided for any readers who might be stumped.

That's according to Wall Street Journal spokeswoman Brigitte Trafford.

Confusing the readers isn't the only issue underlying the newspaper's decision. The text of the memo announcing the new policy hints that some readers might feel the name "Grand Old Party" is less objective than it might be.

"Because the short form may seem baffling (or even spin-doctored) to some new readers, we want to avoid its use in articles and headlines," says the memo. "Beginning in December, use it only in the direct quotations and then be sure to explain what GOP means. Even among people who know that GOP refers to the Republican Party, many may not know that it stands for Grand Old Party."


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