air force slang: more annotations

[Wilson Gray]

On Dec 27, 2004, at 4:00 AM, Bruce Hunter wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bruce Hunter <bhunter3 at MINDSPRING.COM>
> Subject:      Re: air force slang
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> I concur. Navy versions of these tend to be somewhat "salty".
> Bruce Hunter
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Wilton" <dave at WILTON.NET>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 12:57 AM
> Subject: Re: air force slang
>
>
>> Most of these aren't particularly USAF slang terms. Most are common
>> to the
>> US Army and probably the other services as well.
>>
>> --Dave Wilton
>>   dave at wilton.net
>>   http://www.wilton.net
>>
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Mullins, Bill
>>> Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 9:44 PM
>>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>> Subject: air force slang
>>>
>>>
>>> from Airman Magazine 11/97
>>>
>>> GI Jargon: A lexicon of airman idioms and flight line slang
>>> by Tech. Sgt. Pat McKenna
>>>
>>> When I told my mom I was "short" (a double-digit midget to be exact)
>>> and
>>> going TDY to the Sandbox before punching out of the Puzzle Palace
>>> for a PCS
>>> to the ROK, she quickly replied, "Huh?" and asked, "Could you
>>> repeat that in
>>> English, please?"
>>>
>>> Mom isn't quite conversant in Air Forcese - the unique parlance
>>> that's been
>>> spoken by bluesuit service insiders for the last 50 years. Air
>>> Force-speak
>>> is Greek to her and many "outsiders."
>>>
>>> In an effort to acquaint the uninitiated with the language of
>>> Airphonics,
>>> Airman magazine has provided a translation guide to this distinctive
>>> dialect, including terms dating back before 1947, when the Air
>>> Force became
>>> a separate service.
>>>
>>> Above my paygrade: Another way of saying, "Don't ask me."
>>
>> I would translate it as, "don't ask me; I'm just doing what I've been
>> told
>> to."
>>
>>> Ace: A combat pilot scoring five or more air-to-air kills.
>>>
>>> Alert: Pulling missile launch, bomber or fighter alert duty.
>>>
>>> At zero: Having an enemy fighter on your tail.
>>>
>>> Auger in: Euphemism for crashing an airplane.
>>>
>>> Bag(s): Flight suit.
>>>
>>> Bandit: Enemy fighter.
>>>
>>> Bluesuiter: Air Force member.
>>
>> Common to the other services as well. They call airmen "bluesuiters"
>> as
>> well.
>>
>>> Blues: The Air Force's blue uniform.
>>
>> Also army, except army blues are a dress uniform, not everyday wear.
>>
>>> Bogey: Unidentified aircraft.
>>>
>>> Boomer: Boom operator on an aerial refueling aircraft.
>>
>> In the navy, a "boomer" is a missile submarine.
>>
>>> Brat: Child of a military member.
>>>
>>> Buck slip: Routing slip attached to memos that requires signatures.
>>> Comes
>>> from "passing the buck."
>>>
>>> Butter bar: Second lieutenant. Also called "el tee," "louie" and the
>>> "missing link."
>>>
>>> Buy the farm: Get killed in action.
>>
>> The above four are army terms as well.
>>
>>> Check your six: Watch your tail!
>>>
>>> Civvies: Civilian clothes.
>>
>> Army term as well.
>>
>>> Cumulo granite: A cloud-enshrouded mountain.
>>>
>>> Deadhead crew: A second crew, usually on an airlift mission, who are
>>> resting.
>>>
>>> Deep Kimchi: Big trouble. Used by airmen stationed in Korea.
>>
>> Army term as well.
>>
>>> Doolie: First year cadet at the Air Force Academy.
>>>
>>> Double dipper: A retired servicemember working in civil service.
>>>
>>> Double-digit midget: Less than 100 days left on station.
>>>
>>> Dream sheet: Nickname for Air Force form used to volunteer for
>>> assignments.
>>>
>>> El-Tee: Nickname for a lieutenant. Sometimes called a "louie."
>>>
>>> Face time: Getting in to see the boss.
>>
>> The above five are Army terms as well.
>>
>>> Fangs out: A gung-ho fighter pilot itching for combat.
>>>
>>> FIGMO: Acronymn for Forget It, Got My Orders.
>>>
>>> File 13: Trash can, sometimes called the circular file.
>>
>> The above two are Army terms as well.
>>
>>> First shirt: A squadron's first sergeant.

Also an Army term. Well, it was in the '50's and '60's
>>>
>>> First termer: Usually an enlisted member serving his first hitch
>>> [enlistment] in the service. As opposed to a lifer.
>>>
>>> Fly Boy: An Air Force aviator, also known as "zoomies" and "wing
>>> nuts."
>>> Fighter pilots also are known as "fighter jocks."
>>>
>>> Fruit salad: A chest full of ribbons.
>>>
>>> FUBAR: Acronymn for Fouled Up Beyond All Repair.
>>>
>>> Full-bird colonel: An Air Force 0-6, who has silver eagles. A "light"
>>> colonel is the nickname for a lieutenant colonel, who wears silver
>>> "bottlecaps" (leaves).
>>
>> The above four are not unique to the Air Force.
>>
>>> Fur balls: Confusion during a multiple aircraft dogfight.
>>>
>>> Getting mopped up: Donning chemical warfare gear.
>>
>> Army too. MOPP = Mission-Oriented Protective Posture
>>
>>> GI party: Massive "policing" [cleaning] of an office or dormitory.
>>>
>>> GI: Government Issue. American servicemember.
>>>
>>> Giant voice: A public address system that broadcasts messages across
>>> the
>>> base or flightline.
>>>
>>> Gig line: The alignment of the uniform's shirt, belt buckle and fly.
>>
>> Above four are Army too.
>>
>>> Go get me a yard of flightline: A spurious errand new recruits are
>>> sent on
>>> to procure mythical substances. These wild goose chases are called
>>> "runarounds" or "go-fors." Other imaginary items requested
>>> include "a gallon
>>> of propwash" and "skyhooks."
>>
>> Army too, except for "flightline."
>>
>>> Golden BB: A lucky shot that brings down an aircraft.
>>>
>>> Ground pounder: Term for Air Force members who don't fly. They're
>>> also
>>> called ground hogs, wing weenies, penguins, chairborne rangers,
>>> pencil
>>> pushers and desk jockeys, among others. Aviators in staff jobs are
>>> said to
>>> be "flying a desk."
>>
>> In the Army, a "ground pounder" is an infantryman.
>>
>>> Hedgehop: To fly an aircraft low. Also known as brushing the
>>> bushes, flying
>>> in the weeds and contour chasing.
>>>
>>> Hitch: An enlistment.
>>
>> Army too.
>>
>>> Hitting the silk: World War II slang for parachuting from an
>>> aircraft.
>>> Nowadays, it's a "nylon letdown."
>>>
>>> Homesteading: Remaining at one base for a long duration.
>>>
>>> Hurry up and wait: A term airmen use to describe the pace of military
>>> operations.
>>>
>>> Lifer: A term used by first-termers to refer to career
>>> servicemembers.
>>> Lifers are usually "ate up," and are staying in the military "for the
>>> duration."
>>>
>>> Media puke: A journalist. Also called headaches, pencils and JIB
>>> rats. JIB
>>> is short for Joint Information Bureau.
>>
>> Above four are army too.
>>
>>> Milk run: An uneventful, easy combat flight.
>>>
>>> Monkey suit: The fur suit used by World War I and II aviators
>>> flying at high
>>> altitudes. Now used to refer to the military uniform in general.
>>>
>>> Monopoly money: Foreign currency.
>>>
>>> Night CAP: Nighttime Combat Air Patrol.
>>>
>>> Notams: Notices issued to aircrews on what they might encounter en
>>> route.
>>>
>>> O-dark-30: Early in the morning.
>>
>> Army too.
>>
>>> Painted: Getting scanned by radar.
>>>
>>> PCS: Permanent Change of Station.
>>>
>>> POV: Privately Owned Vehicle. Your car as opposed to a GOV
>>> (government
>>> vehicle).
>>>
>>> Pucker factor: Level of anxiety experienced by aircrews.
>>>
>>> Puke: Somebody in a different career field as yours. For
>>> instance, an admin
>>> puke, PA puke, headquarters puke, etc.
>>
>> Above four are army too.
>>
>>> Punch out: Eject or bail from an aircraft. Sometimes used to say
>>> your going
>>> home for the day or leaving.
>>>
>>> Puzzle Palace: The Pentagon. Also known as Fort Fumble and the Fudge
>>> Factory.
>>>
>>> RHIP: Acronym for Rank Has Its Privileges
>>>
>>> ROAD: Retired On Active Duty.
>>>
>>> ROK: Pronounced Rock, short for Republic of Korea. Okinawa and
>>> Guam are also
>>> referred to as "rocks," because they are small islands.
>>>
>>> Sandbox: Saudi Arabia. Also called the "Desert" and the "Beach."
>>>
>>> Short: Ready to retire, separate or change duty stations.
>>>
>>> Sierra Hotel: Pilotspeak for "Super Hot!"
>>>
>>> Skate: Not working hard on the job.
>>
>> Above eight are army too.
>>
>>> Slick sleeve: An airman basic.

In the Army of my day, recruits (E-1's) and privates (E-2's) were
"slick sleeves," since only privates first class and above were awarded
chevrons. The single chevron of a PFC was called a "mosquito wing."

>>>
>>> SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fouled Up.
>>>
>>> Target-rich environment: Pilotese for more targets than bombs.
>>>
>>> TDY: Temporary Duty
>>>
>>> The World: The United States, as in "When are you going back to
>>> the World?"
>>
>> Above four are army too.
>>
>>> Thule coolie: Someone stationed at Thule AB, Greenland.
>>>
>>> Trained killer: A recent graduate of technical school, such as "He's
>>> a
>>> Keesler-trained killer."
>>
>> Army too.
>>
>>> Triple-A: Anti-Aircraft Artillery fire.
>>>
>>> Turn and burn: To service an aircraft quickly and get it airborne
>>> again.
>>> Also called a hot turn.
>>>
>>> Whitewalls: A hair cut high above the ears.

"White sidewalls" in the Army of my day.

>>>
>>> Why Not Minot?: Nickname for Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
>>>
>>> Wizzo: Nickname for weapons systems officers, also known as
>>> backseaters,
>>> GIBs [Guy In the Backseat] and trained bears.
>>>
>>> Yankin' and bankin': Fighter pilotese for aggressive aerial
>>> maneuvers.
>>>
>>> Zulu: Greenwich Mean Time.
>>
>> Common to all services.
>