Which letter in the acronym FIDO stands for 'Fighting words'?

Which letter in the acronym FIDO stands for 'Fighting words'?

• A. Fighting words
• B. Incitement
• C. Defamatory statements
• D. Obscenity

Answer: (A)

FIDO is a memory aid for categories of speech not protected by the First Amendment. The “F” stands for Fighting words, with the other letters mapping to Incitement, Defamatory statements, and Obscenity. So the item that matches “Fighting words” is the phrase itself. Fighting words are words that by their very utterance are likely to provoke an immediate violent or disruptive response, and they are not protected by the First Amendment (Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire). The other terms cover the remaining unprotected categories: incitement to imminent lawless action, defamation, and obscenity.

FIDO is a memory aid for categories of speech not protected by the First Amendment. The “F” stands for Fighting words, with the other letters mapping to Incitement, Defamatory statements, and Obscenity. So the item that matches “Fighting words” is the phrase itself. Fighting words are words that by their very utterance are likely to provoke an immediate violent or disruptive response, and they are not protected by the First Amendment (Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire). The other terms cover the remaining unprotected categories: incitement to imminent lawless action, defamation, and obscenity.