The Girl comes running in where I am working and asks, “Hey Dad, what does ‘t-w-a’ spell?”

“It stand for ‘Trans World Airlines,'” I reply.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

She shakes off mild frustration and fascination and continues, “But if it were a word, what would it spell? How would you say it?”

“Twa.”

“What does ‘t-w-e’ spell?”

“Nothing.”

“What would it spell?”

“Twe.”

“Say it three times.”

“No.”

“Come on.”

“Twe. Twe. Twe.”

“And ‘t-w-a’?”

“Twa.”

“And ‘t-w-e’?”

“Twe.”

“And ‘t-w-o’?”

I don’t fall for it. She gets frustrated.