Use dates at least as far back as Franklin D. Roosevelt's alphabet agencies of the New Deal.

He wondered whom the bold Amerikanski repre- sented, which one of the alphabet agencies spawned by Washington they were assigned to serve.

Those very unpleasant people from the "alphabet agencies" were still looking for Beth.

The 73rd Congress passed deposit guarantees, farm subsidies and the Tennessee Valley Authority, and set up a host of alphabet agencies - all in exactly 100 days.

"All those alphabet agencies, they're all about secrets."

These powers were used to create many of the alphabet agencies.

Some alphabet agencies were established by Congress, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority.

It bestows a generous hint of that feeling of breaking the law, without any real risk (until the alphabet agencies start putting players on lists, that is.)

The frequency with which the points are dropped in these initialed agencies, a.k.a. "alphabet agencies," causes great teeth-gnashing among copy editors.

Korff said he just wanted to run his thriving event, sign his superstars and make peace with all alphabet agencies.