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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Sweet Max, that's fascinating! Thank you, Dearest.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
"Go for Broke" ... meaning : to go the distance, chance all on a desired outcome .... not used much anymore but post WWII very popular. It is the motto for the 100th/4442nd which was the most decorated regiment in the US military that served in WWII. An all Japanese-American unit. Other words are not so politically correct going back to WWII you have Hun, Jap, Dago, Ruskie, ....just about every ethnicity under the sun had an equal opportunity to be insulted. Korea and Vietnam brought us Gook and Chink ... Very different from the "nickname" phenomena of Yank, Brit and Aussie. Amazing isn't it, how the other guy must be objectified when we are aiming guns at each other .... or, sadly, maybe not.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
The young men of the RAF during the second world war, most in their teens and early twenties, found that the use of humourous or ironic euphemisms was effective in reducing fear. I guess this still happens, Collateral damage, Friendly fire and Daisy-cutter bombs seem also to be euphemisms designed to turn the unacceptable into the commonplace, but the wry humour is often missing today. Although most of the following terms have fallen out of use, they still hold some interest. He’s “bought the farm” was used to describe the fate of a pilot who had nose-dived into the landscape, while he’s “gone for a Burton” meant he isn’t coming back (from a mission). The latter derived from an advertisement for a beer. “Archie” was a word given to anti aircraft fire and derived from a popular comic character who’s catch phrase was ”certainly not, Archibald!” (and if any one can explain that further……?). Then there was ”blitz” still used, in the UK at least, to denote heavy, prolonged use of firepower. “The Blitz” refers to the bombardment of London during the Second World War and derives from the German “blitzkrieg”, literally “lightning war”. Then there is “Jeep” of course, coming I think from the American military and derived from General Purpose. When I thought of this one I looked it up in the dictionary and found a reference to a cartoon strip with an animal called Eugene the Jeep (and if any one can explain that further…….?).
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Picking up on wow's point regarding slang expressions used for other races reminded me of “Jerry” – a term used during the Second World War for a German soldier. There is a term “jerry-built” used on this side of the Atlantic (is it used elsewhere?) to describe shoddy work that will not last long. Most people associate it with the cheap German goods produced between the two world wars, but in fact the term was in use, particularly in speculative house building, in the middle of the nineteenth century. There is a naval term “jury” as in “jury rigged” or “jury mast” that means temporary; so a jury mast would be used if the original mast was broken away in a storm. I can find nothing to connect these two meanings - jury: temporary; Jerry: shoddy work. The OED gives each as being of unknown origin, but to me there seems a clear possibility of connection with jury being the older form. Has any one come across other examples, clues on derivation or possible links?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
The "jerry can" was originally German very useful motor fuel emergency supply container holding about four gallons, for a guess. It was rugged, had very convenient strong handles, and top was very secure against leakage. US quickly copied it.
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 679
addict
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addict
Joined: May 2000
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When I thought of this one I looked it up in the dictionary and found a reference to a cartoon strip with an animal called Eugene the Jeep (and if any one can explain that further…….?).
I may be well off the mark here but a Jeep is a cross between a goat and a sheep. Eugene may be a play on words for eugenic.
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