Ten more military phrases not to take literally

Kinja'd!!! "Someone Else's Projects" (someoneelsesproject)
11/11/2014 at 11:48 • Filed to: None

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People say many outlandish things in the heat of war and blogging, and some of them aren't meant to be taken literally. Misinterpreting "Old Ironsides" as meaning that the ship was clad with iron armor is just one example. Here are ten more examples that require a grain of salt when trying to read.

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10. Iron Curtain

In 1947, former (and future) prime minister Winston Churchill warned that:

From !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent.

Churchill was speaking metaphorically, as there was no infrastructure in place to place a physical iron curtain across Central Europe. It may have inspired the rise of the Berlin Wall in 1961, but history cannot confirm this.

9. Civil War

Despite the implication of politeness, most civil wars are not.

8. Surgical strike

Surgical tools by their very nature are not sufficiently damaging for military use, and by the same token precision-strike weaponry is of limited medical use.

7. "Old Fuss and Feathers"

General Winfield Scott picked up this nickname thanks to his insistence on clean appearance in the army, but not because of birds nesting in his family tree.

6. Whispering Death

In the Pacific Theater, the Bristol Beaufighter was called this by the Japanese on account of its quiet engines. It should not be construed to mean that these fighters were sentient and could speak threateningly to enemy troops.

5. Widowmaker

Many military machines, including the Martin B-26, have been called this. It has nothing to do with the ability to generate life either in bereaved woman or black widow spider form, as that ability is reserved for Iluvatar.

4. A thousand rivets flying in close formation

The Avro Shackleton and Bristol Freighter are among the airplanes who have received this nickname. Flying in formation is a difficult skill to learn, and teaching actual rivets to do so has been unsuccessful.

3. War to end all wars

Despite repeated attempts, this hasn't happened yet.

2. Little Boy, Fat Man

The US did not drop actual people with growth disorders onto Japan, although any planned airborne assault might have given the impression of doing so.

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1. Shot heard around the world

This has described both the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. This is incorrect, as gun technology is not advanced enough to enable a gun to be made audible worldwide.

With thanks to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for inspiration and example #2.

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DISCUSSION (15)


Kinja'd!!! El-Verde > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 11:53

Kinja'd!!!2

Hahahaha all the recommendations! This should go frontpage if Jalopnik has any sense of humor.


Kinja'd!!! Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 11:55

Kinja'd!!!1

Hilarious. I agree with El-Verde, this should be FPd.


Kinja'd!!! RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 11:58

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It has nothing to do with the ability to generate life either in bereaved woman or black widow spider form, as that ability is reserved for Iluvatar.

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Kinja'd!!! BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 12:03

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The shot heard around the world could be the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883. It was the loudest explosion in recorded history. It was heard as far away as London.


Kinja'd!!! cazzyodo > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 12:06

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It baffles me that this actually happened...I know not to assume but I actually assumed that everyone knew the Constitution was made of wood. Granted everyone from Boston knows because we've all had field trips to it at some point in time.

Love the post!

(what's so civil about war, anyways?)


Kinja'd!!! Roundbadge > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 12:22

Kinja'd!!!1

As many others have said, TO THE FP WITH THIS!


Kinja'd!!! TomMetcalf > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 12:35

Kinja'd!!!0

Top notch! Also, what kind of labcoat person are you? I am a chemist.


Kinja'd!!! desertdog5051 > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 12:59

Kinja'd!!!1

I am speechless. You have burst my bubble. All this time I thought....


Kinja'd!!! Sally O'Broder > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 13:27

Kinja'd!!!1

Tolkien reference FTW.


Kinja'd!!! That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 17:51

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I was right up the road from Old Ironsides about 3 hours ago. Definitely something to see for any Opponauts visiting Boston.


Kinja'd!!! The Compromiser > Someone Else's Projects
11/11/2014 at 19:32

Kinja'd!!!2

What about friendly fire? It burns. It burns hot and yeowchy! Unless in military vernacular. Then it will deffinitely not hold the door for you or pick up the other end of the couch you are moving.


Kinja'd!!! El-Verde > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
11/12/2014 at 13:38

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Do you recommend mid day or morning/afternoon? I just ask because I'm afraid the glare of the sun off the iron armor might blind me if my timing is wrong.


Kinja'd!!! That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > El-Verde
11/12/2014 at 16:53

Kinja'd!!!2

Actually, since they upgraded the plate to titanium, any time is fine...minimal glare from that titanium. Do make sure to see the reactors, though...lead bismuth, so they have to keep them running all the time.


Kinja'd!!! JohnnyWasASchoolBoy > Someone Else's Projects
11/12/2014 at 17:30

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I would like to add "Collateral damage"

I'm a finance guy and I don't know of any situation where the asset used to guarantee a loan caused any actual infrastructure damage.


Kinja'd!!! TheElephant > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
01/19/2015 at 13:26

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I echoed around the world three times.

So you got to hear it explode three fuckin' times , each time a little quieter.

That's a sound.