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…….?).