Traffic jams are so numerous in Southern...

Traffic jams are so numerous in Southern California that even Great Britain has taken notice. The term SigAlert has been chosen to go into the next edition of the multivolume Oxford English Dictionary, the last word on words.

“I’ve traced it (SigAlert) back to a 1957 article in Popular Mechanics magazine,” said Nancy Balz, an OED researcher in Washington. “It was even mentioned in a song (‘Folk Songs for Freeway Drivers, or SigAlert Sing Along’).”

The term, as melancholy motorists have learned, indicates an unexpected traffic blockage of 30 minutes or more. Its name is derived in part from Loyd Sigmon, a retired executive who developed the concept at KMPC.

Although the next OED may not be out until the 21st Century, SigAlert could appear sooner in one of the OED’s abbreviated editions. The term, however, represents a special challenge.

It has also been spelled Sigalert, Sig-alert and sigalert . “I’m not going to make the decision on the spelling,” said Balz, adding that she’ll leave the verdict to the lexicographer who composes the OED’s entry.

She observed that “California seems to be the birthplace of quite a few new words.” Another OED inductee will be couch potato , a locally grown product of the 1970s that inspired an early Doo Dah Parade entry of sofa-sitters.

“We really should set up an office in California,” Balz added.

Michael Saltzman of mid-town L.A. noticed an unusual warning (see photo) at a local convenience store.

Asked its purpose, a store representative said: “It’s to stop shoplifting. Some people have a tendency to stick things under their jackets.”

Pomona College is the site of a program titled, “The Middle East: Iraq and the Palestinian Problems,” but you can be sure that the two scheduled speakers haven’t finalized their remarks yet.

The program is set for Jan. 27.

OK, so maybe this doesn’t belong at the top of the list of reasons why an end to the Persian Gulf crisis should be negotiated before Jan. 15, but we take note just the same:

Christo, the eccentric artist whose next project is the installation of 1,760 yellow umbrellas along the Tejon Pass between L.A. and Bakersfield, has canceled a visit to Kern County to discuss his masterpiece. Christo, 55, said he’s afraid to fly because his visit is scheduled for Jan. 16.

No need to send a present, but L.A.’s had an addition to its family. Jakarta recently became its 17th sister city, and soon afterward Mayor Bradley predictably announced that he would be making a goodwill mission to the Indonesian capital (by way of Hawaii) to greet the new family member.

As Downtown News columnist Gordon Dillow pointed out after Leningrad became L.A. sister No. 16 (just three months ago), “Having one or even two sisters is manageable, but any more than that and you’ve got problems. For example, if you have three or more sisters, you might as well forget about ever getting into the bathroom.” Not only that, but like a lot of large families, L.A. has one sibling who can’t get along with the rest. In L.A.’s case, Tehran hasn’t attended a family reunion since 1979.

miscelLAny:

Research by Beverly Hills High’s newspaper, Highlights, found that the school fielded a polo team in the 1930s that competed on Thursday afternoons at a local riding club.