U.S. Military Lingo: The (Almost) Definitive Guide

John Doe hwgray at GMAIL.COM
Mon Dec 16 01:41:25 UTC 2013


http://goo.gl/b4mmz6

"a few phrases were _too salty_ for publishing"

I.e., too (stereo)typical of the Navy to be included in an article about
the Army? ;-)

White phosphorus "is only supposed to be used for illumination, as it
should(?!) be considered a chemical weapon if used against people."

A "chemical weapon" isn't for use against people? Only radiological and
biological weapons can be used against people? That's news to me. Back in
the day, WP grenades and shells were considered to be ordinary, normal
anti-personnel munitions. First aid: make a slurry of mud, using piss, if
necessary, and cover the phosphorus burns with it, in order to cut off the
oxygen, since WP will continue to burn through you as long as it's supplied
with oxygen. Nobody lied that WP grenades or shells were for illumination,
any more than anyone claimed that napalm was the military version of Canned
Heat. Maybe the writer just made that part up.

Youneverknow.
--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list