14 OCTOBER 2006, Page 26

Homophonic acronyms

From Gillian Harrison

Sir: Sandra Howard is quite right. Within the Civil Service at least, Parliamentary undersecretaries of state (the most junior ministers) are often acronymically called ‘pusses’ (Books, 7 October). This can easily be misheard as ‘pussies’, especially if the ministers in question are amenable.

Gillian Harrison Abingdon, Oxfordshire