John Y’s Musings from the Middle: MENSA

When I have dead time I sometimes bide time trying to figure out what acronyms stand for.

Today I decided to tackle MENSA, the high IQ society. After being unable to think of any series of words starting with M E N S and A that signified high intelligence, I finally conceded and looked it up.

It’s not even an acronym. It’s Latin for “table” or “round table.”

I figure Latin for “round table” for a group name must be something really smart and deliberately obscure. Or the founders of MENSA got really drunk the night they voted on a group name–and are too proud to admit it and change to a more fitting name.

I mean, come on folks! Do you really think only 2% of the population can qualify for a group about a furniture shape?

I have a better idea.

I am hereby creating an even more exclusive organization and calling it BAR MENSA.

That is English acronym and Latin for Bigger and Rounder MENSA (or “round table”).

We only accept applicants who believe they are in the top 1.9% of something—but that the right test to measure that ability hasn’t been devised yet. And people who have already actually qualified to be in the tip 2% of something by an actual test that already exists (MENSA members) are ineligible to join.