11-M joins the Spanish lexicon

Just as "9-11" and variations of it have become a shorthand way in English of referring to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, 11-M has become the term used in Spanish-language headlines worldwide to refer to the March 11 terrorist attack on Madrid. More than 200 people were killed in multiple bombings apparently directed by Islamic extremists.
 
The M stands, of course, for marzo, the Spanish word for "March." It also is the first letter of muerte ("death") and mal ("bad" or "evil"). The M is usually capitalized, and the term is usually hyphenated, although variations also are used.