20. The airline name that appears to be misspelled
In the English language, when a word begins with the letter Q it is almost invariably followed by the letter U. There are a few exceptions, all of them having entered limited English usage from Asian or Middle Eastern cultures. Another notable exception is the brand name for the world’s third oldest airline, the flag carrier for Australia. Qantas began operations as a commercial air carrier in 1921. Though it is a frequently repeated myth the airline has never had a fatal accident, its safety record is nonetheless admirable. It has suffered no passenger fatalities in over 70 years as of this writing and has often been designated as the world’s safest airline. But what about that name? Why is their no U following the Q in the name of one of the symbols of Australia, where English is the dominant language?
Qantas, like many brand names, is an acronym. The original name of the airline which evolved into today’s Qantas was the Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services. Using an acronym for a brand name is common. Some examples include 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing), CVS (Consumer Value Stores), M & M (Mars and Murrie), and Nerf (Non-expandable recreational foam). Before spam became a descriptive for frustrating email and text messages it was an acronym for Shoulder of Pork and Meat, under the brand name SPAM. And PAM cooking spray’s name is simply an acronym making a descriptive statement of its origins. It stands for Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“From moonshine to NASCAR”. Article, World of Speed. December 26, 2019. Online
“History of Heroin”. Article, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. January 1, 1953. Online
“History of Coca-Cola”. Article, Interexchange. Online
“Why is Volvo called Volvo?” Emma Roberts, Rewind and Capture. May 29, 2018
“The Story of Betty Crocker”. Staff, Betty Crocker Kitchens. October 5, 2021. Online
“The Strange History of the Oreo and Hydrox Cookie Rivalry”. Traci Morin, Mashed. July 3, 2020.
“Bright future at old DeLorean plant in Belfast”. Francess McDonnell, Irish Times. October 20, 2015