semantic drift: squadron

[Dave Wilton]

The army does it with its units as well. You have medical battalions, etc.

It's not surprising when you consider that these terms have come to mean a
unit of a certain size, not just one that that is composed of a certain type
of soldier or equipment. In the army, a unit of around 100 soldiers is a
"company," one of several hundred is a "battalion," one of a few thousand is
a "brigade," etc. My artillery battalion had a "headquarters battery" and a
"service battery," neither of which had any guns bigger than a machine gun,
in addition to the three "firing batteries." The air force does the same
with its "squadrons" and "wings."

-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Bill Palmer
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 10:43 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: semantic drift: squadron

A squadron can be composed of aircraft, also.

I was always amazed at how the USAF applies these terms for military units
to the most unwarlike of functions...e.g. "233rd Finance Squadron" or "25th
Dental Wing", etc..

Or at least they used to.

Bill P
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 1:18 PM
Subject: semantic drift: squadron


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      semantic drift: squadron
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>
> Now it can mean  just what "platoon" and "company" can now mean, as I've
> pointed out previously. I.e., a military unit of just about any size:
>
> 2000 http://www.longpauses.com/blog/2000/04/attack-1956.html (Apr. 20):
> *Paths
> of Glory* tells of a failed attempt by a French squadron to take an
> important German position during World War I.
>
> Written "for a graduate seminar in Cold War military history." The movie
> makes it very clear that the right word is "regiment."  "French troops" or
> "French infantry" would have been perfectly acceptable and more readily
> understandable but would lack that faux "precision" needed to make a
> writer
> sound extra well informed.
>
> A "squadron," moreover, requires horses or ships.  Unless, of course, you
> don't care.  Should you?
>
> Underlying some of these exx. of "drift" is the failure to consult a
> dictionary. However, one only consults a dictionary when one is unsure...
>
> JL
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


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