I'm grateful for the etymological put downs (no pun intended!) but I think I'm fairly familiar with how long the word has been used. I would sugest that it tends to be associated with military action, and is probably a contraction of 'shot down.'
What I find irritating is when someone starts a thread (using the term) with the dramatic overtones it implies, and it turns out to be an incident where some tosser who can't hover his R22 has just tripped over his skids.
Anyway, Brian, you are right - I have more important things to worry about. Right now I'm in the Singapore Lounge in Changi debating over the Sauvignon Blanc or the Piper Heidsick....
