It appears that blogging and texting lingo has finally brought down the halls of government. The Wisconsin Tourism Federation has been known as WTF for many years until the snickers of the new generation of texting citizens drowned out their message. They are now the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin, thank you very much.
The demise of WTF occurred without much fanfare despite the fact that it was established in 1979.
Actually, the good news is that it can now be picked up by New York as a signature tourism expression for the Big Apple.
One cannot be too hard on the people of TFW. During the Reagan Administration, officials were shocked when lawyers introduced themselves as “working to LUST.” It was a reference to the division dealing with Leaking Underground Storage Tanks. It was quickly changed to UST — Underground Storage Tanks — for propriety’s sake.
What I fail to understand (admittedly with a Chicago bias) is why people who wear cheese on their heads at football games are this sensitive about being called WTF. We grew up saying that about many of the things we saw across the border in Wisconsin.
Fortunately, for the texting set, there remains the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Snicker, snicker.
For the story, click here.
WTF???? Come on Cheesehead stand up and unit. Cling like that charp cheddar as it passed through the bile and say WTF.
I always thought TFW was short for Too F…ing Weak as in:
that argument was TFW bdaman.
Lets see if we can get the State to change it to FEDERATION OF WISCONSIN TOURISM.
I really appreciate found comedy.
As a genuine cheesehead, I for one embrace our WTFness.
What’s wrong with WTF? My teenager told me it stands for “Why The Face?” Did she lie to me? WTF?
And we in Wisconsin referred to those of you from Illinois as “Illinoyances” …
Federation of Tourism Wisconsin.
They missed teh move that woulda given them a FTW from the internet slobs.
I love the “cheeseheads” in Green bay. They are great..
“Illinoyance” is easily the mildest term Wisconsinites have for our southern neighbors. My boyfriend (from Champaign) got called a FIB by a professor on his first day at the UW Medical School. Like WTF, the acronym is not translatable in polite company.