History Main / EmbarrassingInitials

* '''D'''avid '''I'''von '''G'''ower, England Cricket Captain, 1984-1986 and 1989. Often (SelfDeprecation) makes jokes about it before anyone else can.

* ''Film/{{Accepted}}'': The rejected students (who live in Harmon) created their own college, and [[Creator/JustinLong Bartleby Gaines]] gave it [[{{Fun With Acronyms}} the "ideal" name for it]]: '''S'''outh '''H'''armon '''I'''nstitute of '''T'''echnology. This was immediately {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by his friends, of course.

Rounding out the Embarrassing Names [[SisterTrope Sisters]] (the others being EmbarrassingFirstName, EmbarrassingMiddleName, EmbarrassingLastName, and EmbarrassingNickname) is Embarrassing Initials--when this common method of abbreviating a name spells out something, well, embarassing.

Also a SisterTrope to FunWithAcronyms. SubTrope of UnfortunateNames.

'''Heavy Gene:''' "NAAAA?" ''[[[{{beat}}]]]'' Naah.

* ''Film/{{Accepted}}'': The rejected students (who live in Harmon) created their own college, and [[Creator/JustinLong Bartleby Gaines]] gave it [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar the "ideal" name for it]]: '''S'''outh '''H'''armon '''I'''nstitute of '''T'''echnology. This was immediately {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by his friends, of course.

'''Syndrome:''' For... uh... Sitter! Yeah, Sitter. Originally I was gonna have initials for [=BabySitter=], but then I would be going around wearing a [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar big BS, and... you understand why I couldn't go with that]].

* In ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', the car is called the Super Luxurious Omnidirectional Whatchamajigger, or S.L.O.W., which is a bit disappointing but better than the previous name, [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Super Hydraulic Instantaneous Transporter]], or [[PrecisionFStrike S.H.I.T.]], which Conrad almost says but the Cat interrupts him.

* In the later ''Literature/JPBeaumont'' novels, J.P. works with the '''S'''pecial '''H'''omicide '''I'''nvestigation '''T'''eam of the D.A.'s Office. Deadpansnarker that he is, J.P. sometimes considers the acronym to be all too apt.

!!Organizations and Items (Acronyms):

* Not an organization, but in ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', the car is called the Super Luxurious Omnidirectional Whatchamajigger, or S.L.O.W., which is a bit disappointing but better than the previous name, [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Super Hydraulic Instantaneous Transporter]], or [[PrecisionFStrike S.H.I.T.]], which Conrad almost says but the Cat interrupts him.

* Not an organization, but one rule for the Krusty Krab in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' is People Order Our Patties, which abbreviates to POOP.

** The group of {{Animal Superhero}}s that oppose those scientists is called O.W.C.A., [[DownplayedTrope which no one finds embarrassing, just disappointing]]. It does, after all, stand for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Organization Without a Cool Acronym]].

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation)]]

!!Organizations (Acronyms):

* The group of squirrels in ''Webcomic/ThePetriDish'' has initials that spell FART.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[FunWithAcronyms Danville's premiere organization for]] [[RunningGag parmacists.]]]]

* The ''Literature/LandOfOz'' book series has Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, ''OZPINHEAD'' for short, which he abbreviates to Oz to get rid of the "Pinhead" part.

* Ulysses Simpson Grant was born ''H''iram ''U''lysses ''G''rant, but like many men of the time he went by his middle name, which the family friend who got him into West Point mistook for his first name and simply added Grant's mother's maiden name as his middle name (as was also very common). Grant tried to resist the change but eventually gave up and became U.S. Grant (also the common initials of the United States).

!!Examples:
!!!People (Initials)

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[[AC:Films (Animated)]]

-->'''Kari''': What does "S" stand for?\\
'''Syndrome''': For... uh... Sitter! Yeah, Sitter. Originally I was gonna have initials for [=BabySitter=], but then I would be going around wearing a [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar big BS, and... you understand why I couldn't go with that]].

[[AC:Literature]]

* In ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'', resident badass praetor Reyna's full name is revealed to be Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano...or RA-RA.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/AllInTheFamily'': {{Discussed}} during one of Mike & Archie's many arguments, which comes about when Mike & Gloria are going to have a baby and are deciding what to name it. Mike wants to name it Stanisalus Archie Stivic, after the two grandfathers: Mike's father Stanislaus and Gloria's father Archie.
-->'''Archie:''' Well, how come you didn't think about it the other way around - Archie Stanislaus Stivic?\\

* In the final ‘’{{Series/CSI}}’’ episode, Grissom takes notice of D.B.’s initials when thry’re Introduced. DB is CSI shorthand for dead body.

* Series/TheOddCouple's remake notes that Felix Ungar's initials were F.U. Which led to issues when Felix started leaving notes for Oscar signed F.U.

[[AC:WebVideo]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

!!!Organizations (Acronyms)

[[AC:Film]]

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* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' "Gingerbread," Joyce founds an anti-witch group called "'''M'''others '''O'''pposed to the '''O'''ccult."

'''Heavy Gene:''' "NAAAA?" ''[[{{Beat}} (beat)]] Naah.

[[AC:Video Games]]

-->'''Shantae''': "P.O.O.P. T.O.O.T.?
-->'''Risky''': "Don't call it that!"

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

--->'''Dr. Bloodpudding''': You want us to be called L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N.?\\
'''Doofenshmirtz''': Oh good grief!! It doesn't matter what we're called.

* Not an organization, but one rule for the Krusty Krab in ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' is People Order Our Patties, which abbreviates to POOP.

[[AC:RealLife]]

* Kotobukiya's '''F'''rame '''A'''rms '''G'''irl line of model kits and accessories, or F.A.G.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' sees Tony Stark introducing his memory simulator program, called "'''B'''i-neurally '''A'''ugmented '''R'''etro-'''F'''raming". He then admits that he needs to come up with a new name.

* The first boss of ''[[VideoGame/{{Shantae}} Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero]]'' is the Part Omni-Organic, Partially Titanic, Ocean-Optional Tinkerslug.

* On the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Bender Should Not Be Allowed On Television", Prof. Farnsworth forms a protest group against indecent content on television. The name of the group is '''F'''athers '''A'''gaisnt '''R'''ude '''T'''elevision. It doesn't help that Farnsworth keeps using the acronym in dialogue without catching on.