The negotiations for a bailout of the domestic auto industry have taken over the front pages of newspapers across our region.  But a little tidbit has me fascinated.  News reporters seem to have retired the two-word nickname “Big Three.”

The term, of course, was coined during the heady days of auto manufacturing.  And, certainly, the term took a hit during the years in which Chrysler was a subsidiary of Daimler.

But I think that there is a judgement going on here.  The new term “Detroit 3″ is a bit of a come-down.  I guess that an industry on the verge of bankruptcy cannot be easily termed “Big.”  And I’d also have to say that, given the current esteem with which the rest of the country holds Detroit, the “Detroit” probably spins the industry as overly parochial.

This certainly is not the most important aspect of recent auto industry coverage.  But language is important.  “Weapons of Mass Destruction” can tie a few old chemically-tipped SCUD missiles to the threat of nuclear annhiliation.  And “Domestic Manufacturing Security Fund” would probably get more Americans to support an automotive bailout than, well, “bailout.”

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