[Ads-l] DEFCON figurative

[Peter Reitan]

The Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy cold-war film, Wargames, released May 1983, about a computer blindly leading the US to the brink of nuclear war, features the plot element of raising the level of defense readiness from DEFCON 4 to 3, 2 and eventually DEFCON 1.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHBqJj0znYo




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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
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              <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
Subject:      DEFCON figurative
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OED  has 1987
" 2. fig. With following number: a notional scale (from one to five; see note at sense 1) indicating the level of intensity, anticipation, readiness, vigilance, etc., in a particular context or situation. Esp. in Defcon 1: the highest possible level of intensity, anticipation, etc."


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 29 Aug 1984 p 14 col 2
"The Panthers spent yesterday converting to DEFCON 2.  Defense condition 2 calls for a shower of compliments aimed and the enemy to neutralize his adrenaline."



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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM AMRDEC (US) <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2017 10:49:49 AM
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Subject: DEFCON figurative

---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       "MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM AMRDEC (US)"
              <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
Subject:      DEFCON figurative
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