I came across a reference last weekend to the word “bacronym”–an acronym that seems to have been thought up before the words for which it stands. (Apparently the word was coined back in 1983; all these years I could have been using it!) The article mentioned that the federal government is a factory of bacronyms, and here this afternoon is evidence in my mailbox. Secretary Chertoff has announced the creation of the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, or DHS TRIP, a central way for people to file complaints about problems with watch lists or screening.Turns out, though, that DHS is such a bacronym factory that this one’s a duplicate: according to the Acronym Finder, TSA has already claimed TRIP for its Transit and Rail Inspection Pilot. May the best bacronym win!-Sarah Scalet Related content opinion Welcome to the new CSOonline.com! By CSO Staff Mar 29, 2008 1 min Identity Management Solutions opinion Chertoff on DHS's First Five Years By CSO Staff Mar 07, 2008 4 mins Core Java opinion Where's My Effing Pizza? By CSO Staff Feb 01, 2008 7 mins Identity Management Solutions Data and Information Security Physical Security opinion Poll: How Many Security Breach Disclosure Notices Have You Received? By CSO Staff Jan 25, 2008 1 min Data and Information Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe