MSGID: 1:153/716.0 1fdffb40   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 61fb73fc   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:   
      
   AK>  Is "the" in "Bill Clinton, the President of United States    
   AK>  of America" correct?    
      
               
             The article is optional with words like "president".   
      
             The definite article is required in "The United States of America"   
   because that is the official name of the country.  In the common parlance we   
   often say "the US" or something similar... i.e. retaining the article.  "The   
   United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" is treated in the same   
   manner.  Colloquially, we often refer to it as "the UK".   
      
             WRT official titles like "President of the United States", or even   
   "former President of the United States", the article may be left out.  Among   
   Fidonetters this title may be abbreviated as "the POTUS".  But AFAIK none of   
   them are journalists, who say things like "US President Joe Biden".  In such   
   cases they are using the abbreviated name of the country as an adjective.  I   
   can't think of anybody else, however, who would actually say that... [grin].   
      
             In case my last paragraph left you & others a bit confused, I will   
   share with you my own experience as an actress in an elementary school play.   
   Years ago, when only formal English was allowed in the classroom, one of the   
   lines I memorized was "I'm So-and-So, president of the Ladies' Flower Club."   
   IOW... I regard this usage as well established & therefore have no objection   
   when others employ it in reference to some author, movie director, etc.  :-)   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
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