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July 2, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The hallmark of a person

Abe Novick: Up, up, and aliya

July 1, 2009

Rabbi Avi Shafran: The Road Taken

The Kosher Gourmet by Marialisa Calta: Get into the holiday spirit with these Star-Spangled desserts

June 30, 2009

Rabbi Binyomin Ginsberg: What makes a great parent?

Caroline B. Glick: Ideologue-in-Chief

June 29, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Beware of 'Caveat Emptor'

Steven Emerson: ACLU pushing for more money for Hamas

June 26, 2009

Rabbi Yoni Posnick: Learn the secret to a healthy marriage from a scriptural villain

Caroline B. Glick: Barack Obama vs. International Law

June 25, 2009

Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf: The Absurd Power of Truth

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip: Everything's Relative

June 24, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Advancement of technology is a wake-up call for humanity

The Kosher Gourmet by Andrea Weigl: Summer on a stick: Making frozen treats can be easy, creative and fun

June 23, 2009

Martin M. Bodek: 'On Surnames': And so, We Begin

Caroline B. Glick: The Obama Effect

June 22, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Working for a corrupt firm

N. Richard Greenfield : Where are American Jews?

June 19, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Emotion v. intellect

Caroline B. Glick: Israel's rare opportunity

June 18, 2009

Jonathan Rosenblum: Sometimes it is more essential to define the nature of evil than good

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip: Everything's Relative

June 17, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Language of Confusion

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Nothing pleases Dad more than a thick, juicy onion-smothered steak. Add home-Baked Potato Chips and …

June 16, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Career v. Careersism

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's losing streak and Israel

Richard Z. Chesnoff: ‘Palestinians’: Never Missing an Opportunity …

June 15, 2009

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: How Judea and Samaria can become 'Palestine'

Daniel Pipes: Where Netanyahu's speech failed

June 12, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Some big thoughts about not acting so big

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's High Commissioner

June 11, 2009

Victor Davis Hanson: Our historically challenged President

Mitch Albom: Beware the True Believers

Lewis Grossberger: What we learn from the new Hitler photos

June 10, 2009

Mort Zuckerman: What Obama and his advisors won't -- or refuse to -- grasp about Israel and the Muslim world

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky Lotsa pasta: Tips, techniques and (amazing) taste

June 9, 2009

Anne Bayefsky: Obama's stunning offense to Israel and the Jewish people

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: America's first Muslim president?

June 8, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Merchant must take responsibility for careless shopper?

Mark Steyn: A superpower that feeds on mediocrity cannot survive for long on leftovers from the past

Richard Z. Chesnoff: How do you say 'kumbaya' in Arabic?

June 5, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: In quest of spirituality

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's Arabian dreams

Charles Krauthammer: The Settlements Myth

June 4, 2009

Paul Greenberg: The War Comes to Little Rock

The Kosher Gourmet by Judy Hevrdejs: Splash it on! Tap your inner jazz musician and improvise when stirring up a vinaigrette

June 3, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. Should terrible teacher be exposed?

Jonathan Rosenblum: The Israel Lobby: Missing in Action

June 2, 2009

Dennis Prager: The Speech President Obama Won't Dare Give in Egypt

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Pressure on Israel raises war risk

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Feb. 1, 2008 / 25 Shevat 5768

Hos, Hos, Hos

By Greg Crosby


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | We've got hos all over the place. Hos to the right of me. Hos to the left of me. Hos north and Hos south. And now, Hos west. I haven't heard so many "Hos" since Santa was around. Ho, ho, ho. But it's not the laugh I'm referring to, nor is it the slang expression for ladies of the evening - I'm talking about the place. The first time I heard the word associated with an area, it was made in reference to the section in New York City south of Houston Street - Soho. Of course the first Soho was that famous section of London. You had Soho, London and Soho, New York, but that was about all there was for the longest time.


Until one day they gentrified North Hollywood California and it suddenly became NoHo. The name sounds much more artsy and hip then stodgy old North Hollywood, right? And last week I'm reading an article in the LA Times, and in it they refer to a store located in West Hollywood, but they don't call it West Hollywood. It's WeHo.


So now we've got SoHo, NoHo, and WeHo. I'm waiting for the last shoe to drop - the next logical entry has got to be the only direction left, East Hollywood. I'm waiting for EaHo. Remember Waiting For Nemo? I'm waiting for EaHo. I don't know, I don't get around much, so maybe they're already calling the place that. I suppose the correct way to pronounce that would be with a long "E" and no "A" sound. EeHo.


So if one lives north of Hollywood it's NoHo, and west of Hollywood is WeHo, and East of Hollywood is EaHo. What if you live in the hills "above" Hollywood? Would that area be called AHo? Or would it be called HiHo because you live "high" over Hollywood? Just as the section of lower Hollywood would be known as LoHo. Some folks live in HiHo, some in LoHo and others in WeHo and EaHo and NoHo.


If you live in Hollywood and are really close to the Hollywood Bowl then you live in Hobo. If you live north of the Hollywood Bowl you're in NoHoBo. But if you live in a house in that area that isn't too special then you live in SoSoNoHoBo.


People who live north of Northridge live in NoNo. Anyone west of Westwood lives in WeWe. Folks south of Downy live in SoDown. People north of Boston live in NoBo. Lower Boston is LoBo. The section north of Hoboken is NoHoBo. Living north of Youngstown, Ohio? -then you live in NoYo,Ohio. If John Lennon's widow moves there, she becomes Ono from NoYo. Or they might call her YoNo Yoko Ono.


North Toluca Lake residents live in NoToLa. A North Hollywood bank is NoHo Wamu. It sounds like you're on the wagon if you live south of Burbank because then you'd be telling people you live in SoBur. Got a place just west of Needles, California? - then you must be in hot dog country - WeNe.


People love to shorten names of things either by using acronyms or nick-names. It happens with businesses all the time. I wonder how many people could come up with the actual full name of AT&T? Or ARCO? Or ALCOA? Nobody says the New York Police Department, it's always the NYPD. Los Angeles International airport is simply LAX. Even McDonald's has been chopped to Mickey D's, for heaven sake. Is nothing sacred?


Using initials for one's name is nothing new. T.S. Eliot, H.G. Wells and J.P. Getty all come to mind. Presidents have been referred to by their initials, at least the ones from the Democratic Party anyhow, FDR, JFK, LBJ. For some reason or another, they don't use the three initials of Republican presidents. I wonder why not.


Show biz folks have historically used the initial thing, too. D.W. Griffith, P.T. Barnum, and L.B. Mayer to name three. Even Emenem is nothing more than initials spelled out. And of course Jennifer Lopez is J Lo.


For a while I toyed with shortening my name to G Cro but my wife wouldn't go for it. It would mean that her name would be J Cro and that's unacceptable. Besides, G & J Cro sounds like some kind of inexpensive discount store where they sell overstocked and discontinued items at below cost. You know, "Hey, let's drive over to G & J Cro and pick up a case of those sliced pickled beets."


If I went by my three initials I would be GMC, but I'd rather not sound like a major automobile manufacturer, if you don't mind. Sometimes shortening a name just doesn't cut it.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

Greg Crosby Archives

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