Not too long ago I got chastised for using the world “cop” in a headline. I was prompted to use “cop” because of space limitations.

I was told that the word “cop” was slang and demeaning. Maybe too many people remember the late James Cagney’s references to cops.

But I got to thinking about it and decided to do some research. I found that the word “cop” is actually an acronym that comes from England. It stands for “Constable on Patrol.” And given that we are a world of acronyms, I think I make my case that it’s not demeaning.

Now should you ever appear on “Jeopardy” and this question comes up, you can bet the farm.

While we’re talking about Jeopardy, have you ever noticed how the hosts on quiz shows have this superior air about them … that they seem so smart? Perhaps that’s because they have the answers on a sheet of paper before them. And sometimes they have a look on their faces that translated means, “You dummy, you should know this.” But you should understand that even with the answers printed, they had to rehearse them to make it look good on television … kind of like a politician giving a speech that someone else has written.

Now assuming you might be a contestant on one those shows, you’ve got to know more trivia than “constable on patrol.”

For instance, did you know that “”karaoke” means “empty orchestra” in Japan. But it’s very difficult, I’m told, to translate Asian into English. I would have guessed it meant “three beers is definitely your limit.”

To further illustrate the problems in converting Asian to English, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan “finger-lickin’ good” came out as “eat your fingers off” in Chinese. Imagine how difficult it would be to ask a Chinese person, “So how’s your mama and nem?”

Back when I was taking typing classes, there was always that exercise of typing, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” I always wondered how a fox and a dog made it to typing class. So on a very slow day I looked it up. That sentence uses every letter in the alphabet.

That said, there are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, which may be a clue as to why there is not a long list of famous Hawaiian politicians. How many promises can you make with just 12 letters?

While we’re in typing class, did you know that “typewriter” is the longest word that can be made using only the top row on the keyboard?

Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s just a matter of semantics?” In that venue, “naked’ technically means to be unprotected while “nude” means unclothed. Then we have “nekkid” for which there is no official definition proclaimed and ordained by the keepers of the language. But it is generally understood as not having your pants on while having a lot of fun.

I earlier mentioned that it’s difficult to translate Asian into English or vice versa. To further underscore that reality, the words “crisis” and “opportunity” are the same in Chinese. So if the Chinese call in all the loans they have made to the U.S., we can just declare that we are having an “opportunity,” and it won’t sound so bad.

Sometimes words are so similar that we get them confused. For instance, “papaphobia” is the fear of popes. “Pogonophobia” is the fear of beards. Can you imagine how terrified some guy might be if, after the smoke clears, they have elected a pope with a beard? He will really be phobed out!

Now most of this is useless information, not totally unlike the aforementioned political speeches. But I did run across a bit of trivia I can relate to. “Stressed” is “desserts” spelled backwards. I’m so glad “fried chicken” doesn’t spell anything backwards, except maybe in Yugoslavia, and I don’t go there.

(Email: dwain.walden@gaflnews.com)