How to Pronounce "ADZPCTKO"

According to filmmaker Scott "Squatch" Herriott (Walk, Still Walking, Even More Walking), it's pronounced just the way it looks. That is, ADZ-puh-SIT-koh.

Most folks just say EH-dee-zee or "the kickoff".

But now etymologists are proposing a new way to describe the gathering. Figuring that using just the initials didn't make the ungainly abbreviation long enough to describe a gathering devoted to hikers of a 2650-mile national scenic trail, these unidentified linguists now include a few more letters: Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off. Pronouncing it ahn-DAH-zee-PACT-key-off, they explain how this mellifluous variant actually makes more sense, as it describes the south-to-north journey:

• Andaze. Sounds Mexican, doesn't it?
• Pact. No doubt. American.
• Kiof. Okay, it sounds more Russian than Canadian. But what if, after reaching Monument 78, you just keep on hiking to the Bering Straits and over to Russia?

What do you think? Do you have a better way of pronouncing this jumble of letters? Let us know by writing me. The best responses will be published below.

Please do NOT change a thing. Just say the letters A-D-Z...it works great. Do NOT change history!!!! It's been the "ADZ" since its inception...do not fiddle with Mother Nature, so to speak. I love "ADZ" and vote to keep the initials and pronounce them as they are. I beg of you (is that strong enough?!) protect and preserve the history of the "Party". Long life tradition!!!!!!!!

Well after much thought and consulting my favored copy of the Tao Te Ch'ing I think that ADZPCTKO must have a simple Sinological root.

Thus:

• "Adz" comes from the Chinese "I'da", pronounced "I would've"
• "Pct" is found in the root of "Pict" a rather obscure ancient Chinese word that is thought in scholarly circles to be borrowed from northern Scottish language and refers to a small hairy fellow of enormous physical and sensual attractiveness. Thus, he is wanted and the meaning is "select" or more directly "picked".
• "KO" is widely known to be pronounced "you" and takes a similar meaning in most pre-2nd Dynasty China.

Thus "ADZPCTKO" has a root meaning of "I would have picked you" and should be pronounced Ida-pickd-u.

Crikey! Now I get word from New Zealand that it's eh-dee-ZED.

In the government contracting sector where they use abbreviations and acronyms extensively, and even abbreviations can have abbreviations within them, they tend to keep abbreviations to 3 or 4 letters. Sure, there is the occasional 5-letter abbreviation, but those are very few.

In keeping with that line of reasoning, ADZPCTKO is much too long and should be abbreviated to a simple APK. This abbreviation is itself made up of three obviously distinct abbreviations, ADZ, PCT, and KO.

Therefore, the event could succinctly be referred to as APK, or The APK. Then everyone can decide how to pronounce that. (Ap Kuh, Op Kuh, Apie Kay, Upeaka, Tupeka [including The].)