Comments on: How War Increases Our Vocabulary

By: Mr.BadExample

Mr.BadExample — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:56:51 +0000

As a soldier who has served a few tours overseas, the definition of fobbit that we recieved was a trooper who never leaves the FOB
“Hobbits never leave the shire,
and Fobbits never leave the wire”

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:38:51 +0000

I had read most of these elsewhere on some Snopeslike web site that I can’t remember, but I had never heard of fobbit. I love that one.

By: katie

katie — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:02:30 +0000

Hi I am a student of aviation. I would like to increase my vocabulary regarding aviation terms. I was searching for some online aviation dictionary to increase my vocabulary. I searched over the net and found many aviation dictionaries which are paid and highly prices and in response there is no guarantee.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:01:24 +0000

Wow. I never knew that is what “Snafu” meant until today.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:00:20 +0000

flak, regardless of the derivation, first meant bits of shrapnel. the WWII flak jacket was designed to minimized wounds from…flak. “catching flak” first meant getting sprayed with bits of exploding metal.

By: ted

ted — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:23:22 +0000

“Triumph” means something else, nowadays?

By: JC

JC — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:57:48 +0000

I didn´t know tha flak origin. It´s a stupid word anyway.

By: Max Power

Max Power — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:34:36 +0000

Sorry to be mean ONCE AGAIN RollaFool, but, 1 N.

Flugabwehrkanone is prolly more accurate though

By: Christophe

Christophe — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:52:43 +0000

They completely left out CLUSTERF*CK

By: bean

bean — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:08:09 +0000

They completely left out FUBAR.

By: RollaFool

RollaFool — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:25:02 +0000

That should be “fliegerabwehrkanonNe,” btw…

By: Polx

Polx — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:58:30 +0000

IED?

I knw it is understood, but I dunno about it entering the POP culture.

My house mates brother was blown to bits by one of these, as have an awful lot of people, so I don’t think it’ll be too flippantly used in hip hop, as GAT was.
Folk tend to be a bit touchy about such.

Just a tought.

By: Polx

Polx — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:55:18 +0000

poorly phrased that.

What I meant to say was it was lifted from Kung Ho, when the marines were stationed in Shangai pre ww2.

By: Polx

Polx — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:53:58 +0000

As for Gung Ho.

I know it is the immortal battle cry of the USMC,

“Semper fi, do or die,gung ho gung ho gung ho.”

But it’s use by the Marines predates WW2.

It was lifted from the Kung Ho, from Shanghai.

Incidentally the orignal phrase means something like “workers collective”.

I like stuff like that.

The miltary arm of wall street marching off to war singing out Red Chinese Communist Slogans.

By: Larfin Jackarse

Larfin Jackarse — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:22:30 +0000

Yes I thought that as well.

Also I thought FOBBIT was ‘forward operating base bitch’. Oh well.

By: Dom

Dom — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:58:27 +0000

An alternative source for basket case is that British soldiers who were shell-shocked during WWI were often put in asylums and given crafts to do to keep them busy such as weaving baskets, thus anyone who had lost it was known as a basket case.