The Rise of Naff Mil Phraseology
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Having served with the 'Light Blue' fraternity for many years there was the term 'Out of Area' - why not just say where you are going like everyone else? The most annoying though was their inability to refer to their ID Card as an ID Card and their requirement to call it a MOD Form whatever it was!
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Bader used to take offence at RAF as in Riff Raff, it should be pronounced
AhhhrrAaaaaaEfffffff
AhhhrrAaaaaaEfffffff
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Originally Posted by Black 'n Yellar
Having served with the 'Light Blue' fraternity for many years there was the term 'Out of Area' - why not just say where you are going like everyone else? The most annoying though was their inability to refer to their ID Card as an ID Card and their requirement to call it a MOD Form whatever it was!
I really hate the phrase "deliver the ordnance".
It sounds as if the people who have just been blown to bits ordered the stuff, and DHL or FedEx brought it round.
Just call it what it is. If you've dropped a bomb or fired a missile, why not just say that?
It sounds as if the people who have just been blown to bits ordered the stuff, and DHL or FedEx brought it round.
Just call it what it is. If you've dropped a bomb or fired a missile, why not just say that?
My boss recently asked me to contact the RPC to obtain the ROM of a prospective task they were to asked to complete. Do what, boss? Contact the Regional Prime Contractor and ask them the Rough Order of Magnitude to complete said task. If you mean call Babcock's and ask them how much that job is likely to cost, then why not say so?!
I was originally amused by these verbal games when working in the U.S.A. Any initial contact between two teams or individuals on a project seemed to be a contest with both sides swapping acronyms, seemingly as a means to establish credibility.(i.e. Willy Waving).
In my experience of the Military Services and Industry- home and around the world , such cryptic verbalism was usually used as a device by so-called managers ( as distinct from leaders ) to maintain status over subordinates, many whom would of course perforce been denied access to the fora where such " wanquespeak " ( thanks Beags) was generated.
Leaders, on the other hand, tend to make the effort to convey concepts in understandable terms to those who follow. Those such as Churchill, Montgomery , Patton and the like, despite their faults , used language to communicate, not to obfuscate.
In my experience of the Military Services and Industry- home and around the world , such cryptic verbalism was usually used as a device by so-called managers ( as distinct from leaders ) to maintain status over subordinates, many whom would of course perforce been denied access to the fora where such " wanquespeak " ( thanks Beags) was generated.
Leaders, on the other hand, tend to make the effort to convey concepts in understandable terms to those who follow. Those such as Churchill, Montgomery , Patton and the like, despite their faults , used language to communicate, not to obfuscate.
Last edited by Haraka; 13th Jul 2013 at 18:56.
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Originally Posted by Cornish Jack
Surprised that nobody has mentioned the use of 'jets' when what is meant is an aeroplane powered by one or more gas turbines!
What people on helicopters always call helicopters.
Last edited by gr4techie; 13th Jul 2013 at 19:55.
They were just starting to use "battle rhythm" as I left last year, it was embarrassing and not a little obscure. It was basically the day's or week's work summed up in a quick meeting, we call it a daily or weekly update in our airline. Imagine that. How did we survive without the phrase "battle rhythm"?
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You mean "Get your twelve fifty out as you walk through the gate back to the block".
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Ok when I was chopped, grow bags were blue and chippies were grey but when did you start talking about a solution when popping off at things?
Sorry if I'm intruding.
Sorry if I'm intruding.
Top 5 banned words and phrases in my book:
Warfighter - Used, subtly, to differentiate the "real" boots-on-the-ground soldier from everyone else, despite the fact that the former can't do
without the latter.
Paradigm - Buddy can you par a digm? You're only allowed to use this if you can explain what it means, other than "thingamajig".
Weaponized - People who use this instead of "armed" get spankingized.
Game-changing - Marketeer-speak for "I am spouting complete bull".
5th-generation - Sort of made sense for the Russkies, who invented this description for their fighters in the 80s-90s, but has now been mangled into something that makes as much sense as "the ultimate driving machine".
Warfighter - Used, subtly, to differentiate the "real" boots-on-the-ground soldier from everyone else, despite the fact that the former can't do
without the latter. Paradigm - Buddy can you par a digm? You're only allowed to use this if you can explain what it means, other than "thingamajig".
Weaponized - People who use this instead of "armed" get spankingized.
Game-changing - Marketeer-speak for "I am spouting complete bull
".5th-generation - Sort of made sense for the Russkies, who invented this description for their fighters in the 80s-90s, but has now been mangled into something that makes as much sense as "the ultimate driving machine".
Talk with - and speak with and meet with. 
(some of these people need a damn good talking with)
On a slightly different tack, didn't Churchill used to have fun messing about with the language? I seem to recall him splitting 'phrasal verbs' for a laugh,
such as: "The Home Secretary, up whom I've just rung......"
(some of these people need a damn good talking with)
On a slightly different tack, didn't Churchill used to have fun messing about with the language? I seem to recall him splitting 'phrasal verbs' for a laugh,
such as: "The Home Secretary, up whom I've just rung......"
Last edited by XV490; 14th Jul 2013 at 05:11.