Conference thebay::joyoflex

    Unless I'm mistaken ...
    
    FRG = Federal Republic of Germany
    GDR = German Democratic Republic
    
    I don't know about the others - you may be right about a French
    origin for the abbreviations.

    Maybe it's an attempt to acknowledge the bi-lingual status of
    Canada?  If they were all English, the francophones would complain,
    and vice versa.
    
    Having said that, you may be right that there is a de-facto standard.
    I've often seen these abbreviations elsewhere.
    
    Jeff.

    The citizens of the GDR are happy to call their country (in German)
    die DDR; but the West Germans were never happy to refer to the
    Bundesrepublik as the BRD - which is what the East Germans called
    it when I lived there in 1977. To say die BRD in West Germany singled
    you out as being a Communist sympathiser.
    
    So, as the West Germans would not be happy with a German abbreviation,
    they probably chose English to maintain uniformity.
    
    Der kleine Herr Phillip

    I believe it came about from the early days of the current Olympics
    which were started by a French nobleman. Countries that existed
    then (late 19th early 20th century) were give the French abbreviations
    for their countries. However, for countries formed after a certain
    date, from observation it appears to have been post WWII, the English
    abbreviations are used.
    
    Their is one anomaly though that I have noticed. The United States
    of America is USA not EUA as it should be. Maybe even back then
    they were making sure the mass market could understand who was who
    :-)
    

    "TCH" was used for Czechoslovakia? I would've thought it was for
    Switzerland, since an alternate name for Switzerland is the
    Confederation of Helvetia.
    
    --- jerry

    Re .6:
    I think Switzerland was SUI ("Suisse").
    
    >M

    re .6
    
    In French Czechoslovakia is spelled (spelt - making sure I satisfy
    everyone :-)) Tchequoslovakie so the TCH is appropriate. 
    
    This also accounts for 
    
    SUE	Suede/Sweden
    SUI	Suisse/Switzerland
    URS Union Republics Soviets/USSR
    HOL Hollande/Netherlands
    IVI Iles Vierge des Indes/Virgin Islands
    
    Brain has gone into neutral, can't think of other uncommon ones
    right now.
    

    There are several cases where the French spell words "Tch..." where
    we use "Ch..." (or phonetic equivalent), since ch in French is 'sh'.
    Thus Tchad, and presumably Tchekov.
    
    Jeff.

    Re .last_few:
    
    Well,  the English-speakers aren't that pure.  For instance, there's
    "Czar."  Its alternate spelling is "Tsar."  And there are multiple
    spellings of Peter Illyich's last name.  You know, the composer
    who did _Swan Lake_, _The Sleeping Beauty_, _Symphony Pathetique_,
    and the _1812 Overature_.
    
    Czo there! :-)
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    I believe the currently accepted spelling of Tsar is Tsar.  At least,
    the Russian letter that looks like a reflected � is pronounced 'ts'
    :-)
    
    I deliberately left out Chykoffski!

    Tcheff.

    I think there's really a good deal of debate on the subject. There's a
    marvelous story by Woody Allen about Russian "history" and he describes
    a particularly bloody war between the people who write "Tsar" and the
    people who write "Czar." 
    
    	Jon

    I always write it the same way as the biggest guy in the room :-)

    Jeff.

    Has Tzar ever been an acceptable spelling? I lost an arguement over
    that one once when playing scrabble.
    
    Bonnie

    My Webster's New Collegiate lists it as an alternate spelling.
        
    --bonnie

    I read that French is the official language of all Olympic games 
    - in theory at least.
    
    All announcements must be made in the local language (eg Korean), 
    in English, and in French. The Olympic Chart was written in French,
    and translated into English.
    In case of language problems, around the interpretation of the rules 
    for example, the French version would apply.
    It was established that way by Pierre de Coubertin, when he started
    the Games of the modern era (in 1896).

    Perhaps he hoped this would allow us, the French, to win more medals?

    As he used to say: "L'essentiel, c'est de participer".
        
    	roger

>    As he used to say: "L'essentiel, c'est de participer".
        
He was probably hoping for the usual "frais de participation" of which 
the French seem to be so fond.

Gavin