diff --git a/scratch.js b/scratch.js
index 9611930ef..a5264000a 100644
--- a/scratch.js
+++ b/scratch.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ var nlp = require('./src/index');
 // nlp.verbose('tagger');
 // const corpus = require('nlp-corpus');
 // let sotu = corpus.sotu.parsed()[23];
-const fresh = require('./test/unit/lib/freshPrince.js');
+// const fresh = require('./test/unit/lib/freshPrince.js');
 
 // bug.1
 //  .? vs *
@@ -31,5 +31,6 @@ const fresh = require('./test/unit/lib/freshPrince.js');
 // r.tag('#Person');
 // console.timeEnd('tag');
 
-let r = nlp('work with F.B.I.').nouns();
-r.debug();
+let r = nlp('the F.B.I.');
+// console.log(r.list[0].terms[1].normal);
+console.log(r.out('normal'));
diff --git a/src/term/index.js b/src/term/index.js
index ba3e85c7b..45dbf301e 100644
--- a/src/term/index.js
+++ b/src/term/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 const fns = require('./paths').fns;
 const build_whitespace = require('./whitespace');
 const makeUID = require('./makeUID');
+//normalization
+const addNormal = require('./methods/normalize/normalize').addNormal;
+const addRoot = require('./methods/normalize/root');
 
 const Term = function(str) {
   this._text = fns.ensureString(str);
@@ -10,12 +13,13 @@ const Term = function(str) {
   let parsed = build_whitespace(this._text);
   this.whitespace = parsed.whitespace;
   this._text = parsed.text;
-  // console.log(this.whitespace, this._text);
   this.parent = null;
   this.silent_term = '';
+  //normalize the _text
+  addNormal(this);
+  addRoot(this);
   //has this term been modified
   this.dirty = false;
-  this.normalize();
   //make a unique id for this term
   this.uid = makeUID(this.normal);
 
@@ -42,6 +46,12 @@ const Term = function(str) {
   });
 };
 
+//run each time a new text is set
+Term.prototype.normalize = function() {
+  addNormal(this);
+  addRoot(this);
+  return this;
+};
 
 /** where in the sentence is it? zero-based. */
 Term.prototype.index = function() {
@@ -60,7 +70,7 @@ Term.prototype.clone = function() {
   return term;
 };
 
-require('./methods/normalize')(Term);
+// require('./methods/normalize')(Term);
 require('./methods/misc')(Term);
 require('./methods/out')(Term);
 require('./methods/tag')(Term);
diff --git a/src/term/methods/misc.js b/src/term/methods/misc.js
index 482f6eea4..5196debdb 100644
--- a/src/term/methods/misc.js
+++ b/src/term/methods/misc.js
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 'use strict';
 const bestTag = require('./bestTag');
+const isAcronym = require('./normalize/isAcronym');
+
 
 //regs-
-const periodAcronym = /([A-Z]\.)+[A-Z]?$/;
-const oneLetterAcronym = /^[A-Z]\.$/;
-const noPeriodAcronym = /[A-Z]{3}$/;
 const hasVowel = /[aeiouy]/i;
 const hasLetter = /[a-z]/;
 const hasNumber = /[0-9]/;
@@ -17,24 +16,10 @@ const addMethods = (Term) => {
     bestTag: function () {
       return bestTag(this);
     },
-
-    /** does it appear to be an acronym, like FBI or M.L.B. */
+    /** is this term like F.B.I. or NBA */
     isAcronym: function () {
-      //like N.D.A
-      if (periodAcronym.test(this.text) === true) {
-        return true;
-      }
-      //like 'F.'
-      if (oneLetterAcronym.test(this.text) === true) {
-        return true;
-      }
-      //like NDA
-      if (noPeriodAcronym.test(this.text) === true) {
-        return true;
-      }
-      return false;
+      return isAcronym(this._text);
     },
-
     /** check if it is word-like in english */
     isWord: function () {
       let t = this;
diff --git a/src/term/methods/normalize/index.js b/src/term/methods/normalize/index.js
deleted file mode 100644
index f0f1344a6..000000000
--- a/src/term/methods/normalize/index.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-const addNormal = require('./normalize').addNormal;
-const addRoot = require('./root');
-
-const addMethods = (Term) => {
-
-  const methods = {
-    normalize: function () {
-      addNormal(this);
-      addRoot(this);
-      return this;
-    },
-  };
-  //hook them into result.proto
-  Object.keys(methods).forEach((k) => {
-    Term.prototype[k] = methods[k];
-  });
-  return Term;
-};
-
-module.exports = addMethods;
diff --git a/src/term/methods/normalize/isAcronym.js b/src/term/methods/normalize/isAcronym.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d4c412af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/term/methods/normalize/isAcronym.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+//regs -
+const periodAcronym = /([A-Z]\.)+[A-Z]?$/;
+const oneLetterAcronym = /^[A-Z]\.$/;
+const noPeriodAcronym = /[A-Z]{3}$/;
+
+/** does it appear to be an acronym, like FBI or M.L.B. */
+const isAcronym = function (str) {
+  //like N.D.A
+  if (periodAcronym.test(str) === true) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  //like 'F.'
+  if (oneLetterAcronym.test(str) === true) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  //like NDA
+  if (noPeriodAcronym.test(str) === true) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+};
+module.exports = isAcronym;
diff --git a/src/term/methods/normalize/normalize.js b/src/term/methods/normalize/normalize.js
index f18340914..a861113df 100644
--- a/src/term/methods/normalize/normalize.js
+++ b/src/term/methods/normalize/normalize.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 const killUnicode = require('./unicode');
+const isAcronym = require('./isAcronym');
+
 
 //some basic operations on a string to reduce noise
 exports.normalize = function(str) {
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ exports.addNormal = function (term) {
   let str = term._text || '';
   str = exports.normalize(str);
   //compact acronyms
-  if (term.isAcronym()) {
+  if (isAcronym(term._text)) {
     str = str.replace(/\./g, '');
   }
   //nice-numbers