I Never Knew There Was a Word for It - Adam Jacot De Boinod [142]
Dockyard Olympics the old process of refitting a warship whereby all the tradesmen lined up at the start of the day and then raced off to various places within the ship
upstairs (submariner’s jargon) the surface of the sea
swallow the anchor to leave the navy
MAGNIFICENT MEN
Our newest military service was at first rather looked down on by the other two. But it didn’t take long to prove its usefulness:
spike-bozzle (1915) to destroy (an enemy plane)
bombflet (New Zealand 1940) a propaganda leaflet dropped from an aeroplane
brolly-hop (b.1932) a parachute jump
vrille (French 1918) an aerobatic spinning manoeuvre (twisting, like the tendril of a vine)
Whatever the difficulties …
socked in (aerospace jargon) an airfield shut for flying because of poor visibility
penguin (Air Force jargon 1915) an aeroplane unable to leave the ground
dangle the Dunlops (Royal Navy jargon) to lower an aircraft’s undercarriage prior to landing
or the dangers …
cigarette roll (US slang 1962) a parachute jump in which the parachute fails to open
angry palm tree (Royal Navy jargon) a burning and turning helicopter
buy the farm (US Service slang 1955) to crash an aircraft, usually fatally (referring to government compensation paid to a farmer when an aircraft crashes on his farm)
at least it had its compensations:
modoc(k) (US slang 1936) a man who becomes a pilot for the sake of the glamorous image it conveys
SHOCK AND AWE
As the airforce role becomes ever more important, and the machines more powerful and hi-tech, the lingo just keeps on coming:
green air (US slang) flying with night-vision goggles
play pussy (RAF jargon) to fly into cloud cover in order to avoid being discovered by hostile aircraft
glass ball environment (US intelligence jargon 2004) of the weather in Iraq being often conducive to collecting images from above
PANCAKE! – SERVICES’ WATCHWORDS
popeye! (air intercept code) I am in cloud; I have reduced visibility
state tiger! (air intercept code) ‘I have sufficient fuel to complete my mission as assigned’
Geronimo! (1940s) the favoured shout of paratroopers as they leapt from airplanes
Pancake! (Service slang) the order given in the air to land
lumpy chicken! (US military use) loud and clear
SPOOKS
Our fourth service lurks in the shadows, complete with its own covert terms of communication:
cut-out someone acting as a middle-man in espionage
starburst losing a tail by having several similar cars suddenly drive off in different directions, making it hard to know which to follow
swallow a woman employed by the Soviet intelligence service to seduce men for the purposes of espionage
lion tamer in a blackmail operation, a strong-arm man who makes sure that the target, once told that he is being blackmailed, does not make an embarrassing and potentially destructive fuss which could thus ruin the operation
ill arrested on suspicion for questioning
demote maximally to kill one of your associates (the victim’s career as a spy certainly can fall no lower)
POLITICOS
We can only hope that all these fine operatives are given wise and honourable direction by that class of men and women we choose to run things for us:
tyrekicker (New Zealand 1986) a politician who discusses and debates but takes no action (from car sales where a person examines a car at length but does not buy it)
snollygoster (1846) a burgeoning politician (especially a shrewd or calculating one) with no platform, principles or party preference
dog-whistle politics (Australian slang 2005) to present your message so that only your supporters hear it properly
quockerwodger (mid 19C) a pseudo-politician; a politician acting in accordance with the instructions of an influential third party, rather than properly representing their constituents (a quockerwodger was a wooden toy figure which, when pulled by a string, jerked its limbs about)
moss-back (late 19C) a right-winger (as they move so slowly that moss could grow on their back)
doughnutting (UK slang 2005) a carefully