The Homeland Security Department is proposing to discontinue the colour-coded terror alert system that became a symbol of the country’s post-9/11 jitters and the butt of late-night talk show jokes.

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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ordered a review of the system in July 2009. Earlier this year, the department decided the best way forward would be to scrap the colours and use more descriptive language to talk about terror threats. The recommendation is not related to the recent furor over airport security pat-downs and body scans.

The details of the new alert system — including the words that would be used to describe the threats — are still being worked out internally by multiple government agencies and the White House.