If you're like most people, your initials have no obvious significance. They don't spell anything, sound like anything, or stand for anything. They're just three random letters making up your monogram.

My initials happen to fit this description. While it's possible that several people automatically associate 'NRC' with something (Nigerian Railway Corporation? Noise Reduction Coefficient?), most people probably see my initials as meaningless.

There are many 3-letter combinations out there, though, that aren't meaningless. They evoke specific images or feelings by forming words, near-words, abbreviations and acronyms--some good (CEO, GEM, WIN), some not so good (APE, DIE, SOB).

I've heard rumors that people with positive initials tend to have longer-than-average life spans, and that people will negative initials tend to have shorter-than-average life spans. Neither of these claims has ever been definitively supported by fact, but I think that having good or bad initials may still affect a person psychologically. I find it plausible, for instance, that--all other factors being equal--a child with the cheerful initials JOY could have more self-esteem than a child with the lowly initials MUD.

For this reason, I think it's wise to steer clear of potentially negative and burdensome initials when you're naming your baby. One easy way to do this is to create a blacklist of bad initials that end with the first letter of your surname. (Parents with the surname Thompson, for instance, could include FAT, RAT, ROT and ZIT on their list.) Skimming through a scrabble dictionary and/or an abbreviation reference book might also help you find letter combinations to avoid.

There are several types of initials you should watch out for. Firstly, there are those that spell not-so-flattering words, like BUG, BUM, DUD, DUM, ILL, MAD, PEE, PIG, POX, SIN and UGH. Secondly, there are those that sound like not-so-flattering words, such as DED and SIK. Thirdly, there are those initials that double as rather unappealing abbreviations, including KKK and UFO.

Also, be extra careful with words that have multiple meanings--especially if some meanings are positive and others are negative. A HOG is a pig, but it's also slang for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. ICE is frozen water, but it's also slang for both diamonds and the drug methamphetamine.

Finally, while you're busy banishing bad initials, you might also want to identify some good ones. Three-letter words with auspicious associations include ACE, FLY, FOX, FUN, HIP, TOP, WIT, WOW and YES. The abbreviations VIP and LOL give off a positive vibe, as do the near-words WEL and LUV.