Would you have known what had occurred to you if you had been told? How should you react if someone refers to you as a zoomie? Could you identify your fourth point of contact using both hands? If you’re perplexed by this military lingo, keep reading to find out what it all means. We have prepared translations for 40 of the most cryptic military expressions…
40 Military Expressions That The General Public Has No Idea What They Mean
Grab Some Real Estate
No, we’re not talking about a slew of realtors enlisting in the United States Army. Actually, grabbing some real estate is quite literal. It entails lying flat on the ground with your hands to the ground in order to complete some push-ups, most commonly as a punishment. In this situation, real estate will not make you wealthy, but it will make you more comfortable.
Grab Some Real Estate
Leg
LEG has nothing to do with the two lower limbs shared by most primates, including humans. In actuality, LEG stands for “low-entry ground soldier,” which refers to infantrymen who fight on land rather than via parachute. Another abbreviation in use is NAP, which stands for non-airborne people.
LEG
Fister
A fister is not someone who punches someone in the face. A soldier with the title is actually a member of a fire support unit. Their mission is to provide target information to artillery units, allowing them to hit their targets more precisely. Despite the name, boxing skills are not required for this critical fighting function.
Fister
Zoomie
Being referred to as a zoomie in the military does not imply that you have participated in an online video conference. No, a zoomie is a pilot in the United States Air Force. The moniker derives from the fact that there are few better ways to whiz around than in a modern jet fighter capable of flying faster than the speed of sound.
Zoomie
Beat Feet
Anyone who has actually participated in armed warfare will tell you that quick movement is often critical to success and even survival. When someone yells, “Beat feet!” on the battlefield, it is not a call to begin torturing the opponent with medieval torture. The instruction tells you to get out there as quickly as you can.
Beat Feet
Don’t Get Wrapped Around The Axle
Have you ever been driving along and a length of cable or something similar gets wrapped around your vehicle’s axle? If this is the case, you might expect a mechanical calamity. However, when used to troops, the term has come to indicate maintaining focus on the big picture rather than getting bogged down in detail.
Don’t Get Wrapped Around The Axle
Acquired Gear
As a phrase, acquired equipment appears harmless enough. However, if you hear a military officer say these words, there’s a good possibility that the appropriation was not done properly. Soldiers have a well-deserved reputation for discovering ways to obtain prized equipment through non-traditional means.
Acquired Gear
Good Idea Fairy
So, who is the fairy of good ideas? The officer is the one who has a bright new idea about how things should be organized on the base. Unfortunately, it almost always requires some extra chores for the lower ranks, which are typically tedious and time-consuming. As a result, it is most emphatically not a praise.
Good Idea Fairy
Why The Sky Is Blue
What makes the sky blue? According to NASA scientists, this is due to the way sunlight is scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere. However, the United States Army disagrees. The army supposedly asserts in basic training that the hue of the sky is a direct result of infantry fighters wearing blue insignia. And the atmosphere has no choice but to rejoice. We’re not completely convinced.
Why The Sky Is Blue
Fourth Point Of Contact
The phrase “fourth point of contact” is used by paratroopers. There appear to be five points of touch while landing from a parachute descent. The feet, lower legs, and upper legs are the first three. This pattern invariably leads to the fourth point, the butt. Just so you know, the fifth point is the torso assuming all goes as planned.
Fourth Point Of Contact
Come Up On The Net
The network in question is a communication network. And the information that circulates on the internet is anything that a soldier might communicate with his buddies about his personal life. The private news network is another name in the same category. That’s the kind of rumor that thrives in any military setting.
Come Up On The Net
Joe
Of course, you can have a cup of coffee. However, coffee is not a stimulating beverage in the military. It’s a phrase for service members, similar to another well-known one, grunt. Joe is typically a low-ranking soldier. Private Joe Snuffy is a nickname for the average soldier. It’s hardly flattering.
Joe
PX Ranger
You must first understand what the PX is. Military bases have a general store, which is officially known as the Post Exchange. Everything from military equipment to candy snacks is available. A PX ranger is a soldier who has over-equipped themselves with PX equipment. The inference is that they’ve probably overburdened themselves with goods they don’t actually need.
PX Ranger
CAB-Chaser
You must first understand what the PX is. Military bases have a general store, which is officially known as the Post Exchange. Everything from military equipment to candy snacks is available. A PX ranger is a soldier who has over-equipped themselves with PX equipment. The inference is that they’ve probably overburdened themselves with goods they don’t actually need.
CAB Chaser
Beat Your Boots
Regardless of how upset they’ve made you, hitting your boots is a waste of time. Because shoes are inanimate and don’t care what you do to them. In the military, though, thumping your boots means leaning down to touch your feet and then snapping erect. It’s a difficult workout, but it’s an excellent punishment for little infractions.
Beat Your Boots
Dash-Ten
This mysterious word, contrary to appearances, has nothing to do with quick movement over a short distance. Apparently, all US Army equipment manuals have a number: reasonable enough. However, because all of the identifiers end in a dash-ten, a dash-ten is an instructional handbook. Always read the handbook before using anything. Especially when it comes to lethal weapons.
Dash Ten
Sham Shield
This derogatory moniker is given to soldiers who are deployed as specialists. These individuals are identified by a shield-shaped emblem. The derogatory term is said to derive from the fact that specialists are frequently excused from laborious tasks. Nobody likes a shirker! Although we’re not convinced that the scorn is totally justified in this case.
Sham Shield
15 Minutes Prior To 15 Minutes Prior
The military’s fixation with punctuality is reflected in this weird word soup. Soldiers are well aware that if they are even a minute late for a parade or practice, they will be chastised. So they make a point of arriving 15 minutes early just to be safe. Even so, there is always the possibility of an unanticipated snag. As a result, it is preferable to come 15 minutes early. That’s 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
15 Minutes Prior To 15 Minutes Prior
A Good Piece Of Gear
A decent piece of gear does not, contrary to popular belief, relate to a particularly effective gun or an impressive explosive device. No, it refers to a person who serves in the military. It is, indeed, a compliment. To earn this title, you must be extraordinarily competent in your role.
A Good Piece Of Gear
Ack On The Block
The theme is the past when a soldier begins to reminisce wistfully about being back on the block. Particularly, when the soldier was still an ordinary civilian. Civilians are also described as nasty. That’s not as impolite as you may think: in the army, nasty merely means unkempt. Soldiers, of course, have gleaming boots and gleaming brass.
Ack On The Block
Blues Buddies
The term “blues buddies” does not refer to musically inclined friends. What you need to know is that the elegant dress uniform worn by the Marine Corps is known as “the Blues”. Once you have that information, it’s not a big leap to figure out that your blues mates are actually serving in the marines.
Blues Buddies
Full Battle Rattle
The rattle in question is not a toy for children. It is the whole set of equipment required by a soldier when beginning a mission. Under those conditions, you’d be carrying a flak jacket, canteen, rifle, and up to 180 rounds of live ammunition. Why tremble? Because that’s exactly what you’ll sound like when you’re outfitted with all that stuff.
Full Battle Rattle
Chair Force
You’ve probably heard of the USAF, but what about the chair force? That second word turns out to be a clever, if not entirely respectful, a nickname for USAF personnel who spend their days behind a desk rather than behind the controls of a fighter jet. Remington raiders is a phrase used by the Marine Corps.
Chair Force
Check Your Six
This does not imply that you should examine your abs. This six is the numeral on a clock face, not a six-pack. Six is, of course, the lowest number on the dial, and six o’clock in a military context implies the rear. So “check your six” is a warning to keep an eye on your back, which is an important precaution on the battlefield.
Check Your Six
Days And A Wake-Up
This does not imply that you should examine your abs. This six is the numeral on a clock face, not a six-pack. Six is, of course, the lowest number on the dial, and six o’clock in a military context implies the rear. So “check your six” is a warning to keep an eye on your back, which is an important precaution on the battlefield.
Days And A Wake Up
Embrace The Suck
Any serving soldier will tell you that military duty may be extremely tedious at times. By no means is it all excitement. However, if you have chosen to join the military forces, you must learn to accept this. So, in order to achieve, you must embrace the suck.
Embrace The Suck
Field Strip
No, an officer will not ask you to undress in a field. Alternatively, if they do, you should probably register a complaint. A field strip is when you disassemble a piece of equipment without the benefit of a workshop. When you’re out on patrol in the field, a vehicle or piece of equipment may fail. You’ll just have to disassemble it and repair it wherever you are.
Field Strip
Fobbit
The term “fobbit” is not a misspelling of “hobbit,” though the former may have derived from the latter. A fobbit is a soldier who stays close to a forward operating post, abbreviated as a FOB. As a result, they are understandably cautious. Or you may believe they lack the boldness and initiative that the United States Army is entitled to expect.
Fobbit
Gear Adrift Is A Gift
This clever sentence is actually an admonition. If you do not properly care for your equipment, such as leaving it unattended, you may not see it again. It is unlikely that your fellow soldiers will steal it. It will instead be tactically acquired. In fact, others could simply call that stealing. In any case, take care of your equipment!
Gear Adrift Is A Gift
Blue Falcon
This is not a bird species. Rather, it’s a euphemism, with blue standing in for buddy and the falcon standing in for a phrase that’s widely regarded as one of the most impolite in even a soldier’s language. So a blue falcon is someone who causes major problems for his companions in warfare. It’s not meant as a compliment.
Blue Falcon
Lance Corporal Underground
This is from the United States Marine Corps. It does not, however, imply the existence of a secret society of disgruntled lance corporals. What we’re referring to is the rumor mill, which can be found in almost any military unit you can think of. In this situation, it’s gossip and supposition that spreads like wildfire through the lowest ranks.
Lance Corporal Underground
Pop Smoke
This could imply that your father has gone outside to smoke a cigar, but it doesn’t. In the military, pop smokes are signaling cartridges that let a helicopter land on the spot as it approaches. There’s a secondary meaning as well: to flee quickly.
Pop Smoke
Power Point Ranger
Most of us have undoubtedly had to sit through one of these: boring PowerPoint presentations. A PowerPoint ranger is a soldier that spends their days preparing PowerPoints, which are commonly utilized in the military for briefing sessions. All too often, these are overburdened with the software’s digital arsenal of bells and whistles.
PowerPoint Ranger
Sniper Check
A sniper check is not a preventive drill to avoid a sudden burst of fire, though it is a good idea. No, it refers to a salute in this circumstance. Why? When in the field, you’re not supposed to salute an officer as normal, because that’s a sure sign for snipers that they have a valuable target.
Sniper Check
Soup Sandwich
In the military, this sentence is usually followed by a considerably worse word than soup. We’ll leave it to your imagination to figure out what it is. In any case, if things go horribly wrong on a mission due to inefficiency or negligence, the participants may be forced to eat an extremely uncomfortable sandwich. We sincerely hope only symbolically.
Soup Sandwich
Standby To Standby
Standby is a command that service members hear far more often than they would want. Because you could be stuck in standby mode for hours on end. Alert, yet doing nothing. So standby to standby is a cutting piece of army satire. It means you should be alert but do nothing while waiting for an order to be alert but do nothing.
Standby To Standby
Chest Candy
Hmm. This phrase may give you the wrong impression. So let us set you straight right away. It refers to the medals and ribbons worn on the dress uniform jackets of highly decorated soldiers. Another phrase for the same thing is fruit salad. When used, it can be adoring, but it can also be disrespectful.
Chest Candy
Great Mistakes
Great Mistake is a misspelling of Great Lakes. It’s a clever name for Naval Station Great Lakes, which houses the United States Navy’s boot camp. And what is the error? Because the Navy formerly had training facilities in Orlando, Florida and San Diego, California. And any fool will tell you that the weather in those two places is far superior to that of the Great Lakes region.
Great Mistakes
Left-Handed Monkey Wrench
The most crucial feature of a left-handed monkey wrench is that there is none. Some tools have adapted versions for left-handed users, but a monkey wrench requires no modification to be used on either hand. Sending a novice to the store to get a non-existent left-handed monkey wrench is a popular prank.
Left Handed Monkey Wrench
Voluntold
Voluntold is a combination of the terms voluntary and told. Of course, if you undertake a task deliberately, you do so on your own volition. However, if you’re commanded to do anything in the military, you’re simply following orders. If you are asked to volunteer for a task but it is clear that you have no actual option, you have been voluntold.
Voluntold