Brow Beat

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Mitt Romney has finally alighted on a secret service codename: “Javelin.” The alias could refer to one of Romney’s first cars (a sporty number far sleeker than Seamus the dog’s station wagon) or to the Olympic projectile—either way, it trips off the tongue. Meanwhile, Rick Santorum has opted for a more pious choice, “Petrus,” which means “rock” in Latin and has etymological ties to “Peter,” as in the saint.

The codename, a relic from the days when radio calls between the White House and its security force were less secure, has stuck around for the sake of tradition and, perhaps, flair. Some rules still apply: Monikers should contain two to three syllables, they should be easy to pronounce, and all the members of a president’s or vice president’s family get codenames that begin with the same letter. An apt codename is like Cinderella’s glass slipper; it fits the wearer perfectly. Can you match the political VIPs below with their secret service pseudonyms?

Answers:
(1, o) (2, n) (3, g) (4, m) (5, a) (6, k) (7, b) (8, d) (9, l) (10, e) (11, h) (12, i) (13, j) (14, f) (15, c)