[Avodah] City names after AZ

[Zev Sero]

Dov Kay wrote:
 
> This leads to the obvious question at this time of year as to whether 
> there is a heter to pronounce the name of Xmas, as opposed to Kratzmach 
> or some other such corruption.  It is exceedingly difficult to function 
> in the modern workplace without uttering this word.

It seems to me that this is not a problem.  The day itself has become
almost entirely secular, for most people.  Whatever religious aspect is
left has become mitzvat anashim melumadah.  And its very earliest origin
is a yomtov for Hashem anyway (AZ 8a).  But if it bothers you, I find
that it's often easy to use other terms, such as "the solstice holiday"
or "Newton's Birthday".


> The final "t" at 
> the end of the "Chris" tends to be slurred or omitted anyway.

Not slurred or omitted: it's silent, in all dialects of English with
which I'm familiar.



-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas