Codenames are used by governments, militaries, and companies to refer to people or things in a clandestine way. They were popular during WWII and are still used today. The US Secret Service assigns codenames to the President and notable figures. Companies use them for secret projects.
When a government, military, or even a company wants to refer to someone or something in a clandestine way, they often assign a code name, or cryptonym, to that person or thing. The use of codenames was especially popular during World War II as a way to disguise the subject of conversations between allies. Codenames have also been used to identify the President of the United States and government leaders from around the world, as well as by companies and industries to identify secret projects or inventions.
During World War II, the Allies developed a system for selecting random code names used to refer to countries, military operations, and people, among other things. The European allies, together with the United States, developed a list of available codenames for use and simply selected the next one on the list when a codename was needed. By using random words, the likelihood of a codename having any relation to the actual word has been eliminated.
The United States, as well as many other countries, are also notorious for assigning a code name to major military or industrial projects. The Manhattan Project, for example, was the code name given to the atomic bomb project in New Mexico. The attack on Okinawa during World War II by the United States was codenamed Operation Iceberg, a stark contrast to the island’s tropical nature.
The United States Secret Service has given a code name to the President of the United States and his family, along with many other notable figures for as long as the Secret Service has existed. The original purpose of codenames was to disguise who was being discussed. Now, however, with the ease of encryption in the digital age, codenames are simply a quick and easy way to refer to someone. Interesting examples of Secret Service codenames include: Ronald and Nancy Reagan — Rawhide and Rainbow; Richard and Pat Nixon — Searchlight and Starlight; John F. and Jackie Kennedy – Lancer and Lace; and Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower—Scorecard and Springtime.
Industry and companies sometimes use a codename to refer to a project or development they are working on. The practice of using codenames for this purpose serves both to disguise the true identity of the project and to facilitate communication. Some projects have long, complicated names, especially science projects, which make a code name utilitarian.
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