Topic: Help name my local skeptic group!

[Vincegamer]

How about CRISS?
Charles RIver Shire Skeptics

(of course you could just spell it CRSS and pronounce it kris, like how the Honda Civic was originally the Honda CVCC)

(I have a historical fetish of sorts - I thought about somehow incorporating Discovery, the name of the first English ship to land there)

[Trinoc]

If you're looking for examples of Contrived Ridiculous Acronym Phenomenon, how about Tidewater Area Rational Thinkers' Society?

I'm not sure if you're being silly or an asshat. Regardless, I like your suggestion and will add it to the list of candidates. And in case you were just being a jerk, I'll elaborate that I wasn't necessarily looking for it to spell a real word, hence the SEVASS idea. I just wanted something that would be easier to say (like The NESS for example, in case you want to accuse Dr. Novella and the other New England Skeptics of giving in to C.R.A.P.) instead of having to say every letter (like HRSS or SGU, etc.).

Well I thought I was making a sort of joke, but if you want to regard it as silly or asshat that's up to you. I'm glad you're putting it in the list of candidates anyway.

As for Contrived Ridiculous Acronym Phenomenon, the idea came from a letter in New Scientist which seems to have vanished from Google in the last few weeks, otherwise I'd post a link to credit the inventor of the phrase.

I don't think NECSS is an example of C.R.A.P., as I suspect the initials existed already and the way to pronounce them was fortuitous. For real examples of C.R.A.P. just look at acronyms made up for government programs, NASA schemes, particle accelerator experiments, etc., where clearly the idea was to think up a catchy name and shoe-horn in a description of what it refers to by any means possible.

[Cognoscento]

The Skeptic Tank?

[Johnny Slick]

The Society For The Endorsement of Johnny Slick

[Cognoscento]

Reason Bran?

[Jeremy's Sea]

The Society For The Endorsement of Johnny Slick

You already have a chapter for those in five major cities, time to get actual members before opening more chapters don't you think? 

I like TARTS. I also work for an agency that has come up with some doosey CRAPs, so take that how you will. 

[diabhal]

I don't think NECSS is an example of C.R.A.P., as I suspect the initials existed already and the way to pronounce them was fortuitous. For real examples of C.R.A.P. just look at acronyms made up for government programs, NASA schemes, particle accelerator experiments, etc., where clearly the idea was to think up a catchy name and shoe-horn in a description of what it refers to by any means possible.

I was referring to NESS (New England Skeptical Society), not NECSS (Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism). Anyway, the point wasn't to think of a catchy name, just something easier/faster to say, which makes it easier to book reservations when we have large groups getting together.

As for the other suggestions, we're definitely going to stick to having Skeptic in the name and a reference to our location, even though I really like the idea of "The Skeptic Tank". Ari Shaffir already uses that for his podcast though...

Thanks for all of your input.

[ST]

I don't think NECSS is an example of C.R.A.P., as I suspect the initials existed already and the way to pronounce them was fortuitous. For real examples of C.R.A.P. just look at acronyms made up for government programs, NASA schemes, particle accelerator experiments, etc., where clearly the idea was to think up a catchy name and shoe-horn in a description of what it refers to by any means possible.

I was referring to NESS (New England Skeptical Society), not NECSS (Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism). Anyway, the point wasn't to think of a catchy name, just something easier/faster to say, which makes it easier to book reservations when we have large groups getting together.

When I hear "Ness", always I think of that guy you can find in the Super Smash Bros games.

[ST]

They may very well think "Skeptic" = "Cynic" though

I referred more to how it is percieved by those who might be in the organization itself. If you look up "freethinker", I suspect you will agree with it. But words do have a cultural innertia that doesn't always correspond to the original meaning (look at the "Talk" page to se which Wiki projects that consider the article important). As it stands today, "freethinker" is more or less used as a synonyme to atheism.