I was reading last night and came upon a three-letter word which describes an occupation. It struck me that there certainly can't be too many of those around.

So, here's the challenge: How many three-letter jobs can you come up with? I managed to pull a few out of the old grey matter but have decided to rule against them all in order to make this harder. And so:

1.) No abbrevbiations ("Dr." for "doctor" etc)
2.) No TLAs ("CPA" for "Certified Public Accountant")
3.) No familial terms (Yes, I know that being a "Mom" is the most important job in the world but, for the sake of this challenge, no.)

Besides the first word which prompted this challenge, I have come up with only one other three-letter occupation and, yes, Kalleh is probably going to argue it.

Answers next Monday or Tuesday. Grey matter only, please.

"Doc" works but could be considered an abbreviation, althpough a case could be made...

"Tin" and "tat" and "tow," for example, are things you can do for a living but aren't really occupations.

"Nun" can be faulted to because it's not really a "job," though it _is_ a calling. I'll accept it.

I can't find any objection to "spy."

So - NUN and SPY are my best offering for now.

You bum! Someone should call a cop and have you arrested!

Oh, I do like "nun." I don't, however, know how many people who will describe themselves as a "spy." I love "cop" too.

Does vet count, or is that just an abbreviation, like doc?

in parts of England tom is slang for a prostitute.

how about gob? It's slang, but means sailor.

jo points out, "how about gob? It's slang, but means sailor. "

That remind me that a sailor is also called a tar.

Thanks, jo. And welcome aboard!
(Nice avatar, by the way. What is it?)

it's one of my quilts. I make quilts.

Hm... another 3 letter job name...

god? Hey it's a job. Someone's gotta do it.

Well done, all. "Spy" was the word that started me thinking and I added the slightly questionable "bum" later. "Cop" occurred to me after making that post.

"Tar," "gob," and "tom"? Sure, why not. I didn't say anything about slang not being permissable.

I'd say "vet" is more of a word on its own than "doc" is, so it's in.

And why not "nun"? They get paid, don't they? Or do they? I really don't know. In some cases for all I know it might be a case of just room and board and all the leftover communion wafers you can eat. Not the most lucrative occupation around but still I'd say it's a job.

But "God"? ...ummmm. I don't think so. Sorry, jo. Maybe if you didn't capitalize it as in "Donald Trump, real estate god." No, on second thought, not even then.


And the winner is Asa for having picks in Kalleh's presidential blunder question, posted elsewhere, which were closest to my own first choices.

According to AHD, tar (meaning sailor) is not slang; it is a full fledged word, though infomal.

Gob is thought to derive from obsolete gobshite, a wad of expectorated chewing tobacco or tobacco juice. The second syllable of gobshite meant exactly what you think it meant.

Jo, I'm with you on God. After all, She has the toughest job there is.