The W.H.O. really blew it

[GoodTaste]

Does "The W.H.O. really blew it" mean "The W.H.O. really made a great mistake"?

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Donald J. Trump 2h:
The W.H.O. really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?

 

[Tarheel]

It's usually written WHO and pronounced hoo.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

It's usually written WHO and pronounced hoo.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute is writtien WHOI and pronounced HOOee.

And that ain't hooey!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS -

In the U.S., to add more emphasis, people in their fifties and sixties might say blew it big-time, and people in their teens and twenties might say blew it majorly.

 

[emsr2d2]

In the UK, it's written without the dots (usually) but pronounced "The double-u aitch oh" or in full as "The World Health Organisation". I don't know if that's because if we said "The Who/Hoo", it might be mistaken for the rock band, The Who!

 

[GoesStation]

I'm pretty sure Americans usually pronounce the letter names rather than calling it "the Who", too.

 

[probus]

I'm pretty sure Americans usually pronounce the letter names rather than calling it "the Who", too.

I just listened to Donald Trump's press briefing from today, and that is what he did: pronounced the letter names, doubleyou, aitch, oh.

 

[bubbha]

I have only ever seen it written "WHO" (without the periods). I have only ever heard it pronounced "double-you aitch oh". If someone said "the who", I would think of the band.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm pretty sure Americans usually pronounce the letter names rather than calling it "the Who", too.

Yup. The Who is a band.

 

[SoothingDave]

I have a hard time believing that the president used periods for "W.H.O." Basically nobody does in the US for abbreviations except the style guide for the New York Times.

 

[GoesStation]

I have a hard time believing that the president used periods for "W.H.O." Basically nobody does in the US for abbreviations except the style guide for the New York Times.

The President is not known for careful attention to typographical conventions. You can see his tweet in all its overpunctuated glory here.

 

[SoothingDave]

He never fails to surprise.