As an inventor, Andrew Wilson holds the patent on 14 different products. Now he's licensed something else that is uniquely his. In September 2004, a county judge granted Wilson's request to change his name to "They." Immediately, They was on a first name basis with the entire English-speaking world.

One reason the single man from Branson, Missouri, made the switch was to have a little fun. "I was just having a good time," They said. "Life is short, and you should try to find a way to make yourself smile."

Cindy Gosa, They's insurance agent, offered another reason. "They likes to stand out from the crowd," she said. They has achieved both, for now. The name is still a novelty, and They's friends are having fun with it, phoning him to ask, "Is They there?"

They admits that the name change could drive grammarians crazy. But other than the violence his new name does to the English language, They sees only positive effects from turning a ubiquitous pronoun into his moniker. "There are thousands of Andrew Wilsons," They said. "They won't likely have a problem with mistaken identity."

He also sees the change as an opportunity to take credit for countless actions, both good and bad, people refer to every day. "'They do this,' or 'They're to blame for that.' Who is this 'they' everyone talks about? 'They' accomplish such great things. Somebody had to take responsibility," They said.