The Ohio State University has received a trademark for one of the most common words in the English language, one that the school’s supporters often forcefully emphasize when uttering its name: "The.”
The school’s players, alumni and supporters often speak its name in that consistent cadence, as football fans who have watched NFL starting lineups introduce themselves on Sunday or Monday nights have most likely heard. While athletes from other schools may simply say they went to Michigan or Penn State, a Buckeye rarely cuts corners: "The Ohio State University,” they’ll say, usually adding a dramatic pause after stressing the "the.”
To Ohio State’s supporters, the tradition is cherished and sets the school apart from the rest. (To Ohio State’s rivals, it’s nauseatingly pompous. To each their own.)