ep 67: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Episode 67 Cover Art

Episode 67 Cover ArtWhen it comes to the military lexicon, there is a certain language that has many civilians thinking they’re listening to a foreign tongue. Well, they are. Not “foreign” as in another nation’s language, but foreign as in another culture. Although many military words and expressions do indeed have foreign language roots (the history and etymology of the word “latrine,” for instance, is French, from the Latin “latrina,” a contraction of “lavatrina,” from the word “lavare” meaning “to wash,” and dates back to the 1600s), most evolved directly from the military experience. A good many are common throughout the different service branches (everyone knows “MRE,” which is “Meal Ready to Eat,” and is the basic sustenance of troops in the field ), but some are exclusive to a particular service or even a specific unit (the “Blue Falcon” of the USAF Security Forces, for example, which we discuss in the podcast). So, listen in as we shed some light on the words and expressions, jargon and gibberish, parlance and patois, slang, talk, tongue, and terminology of military service members.

NOTES:

16 Military and Tactical Expressions That Confuse Civilians
https://sofrep.com/news/16-military-and-tactical-expressions-that-confuse-civilians/

Here’s a collection of Private SNAFU videos from WWII…

Here’s the US Navy Safety Training Film, “The Man From Lox”…

Chris and Jody are Air Force vets who enjoy military history and folklore. They have a podcast. They tell stories. They digress. A lot.

2 thoughts on “ep 67: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

  1. Episode 67 was great ad the title was right on the money! I probably spent most of my enlisted career muttering WTF. Here’s a few more to add to your list: AWOL, latrine queen, butter bars, and we always called ribbons and medals, “chest candy.” Keep it up!

  2. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was a nice diversion. Thanks guys! If I could share a few words of wisdom from my staff days, remember to KISS and BLUF in your briefings (keep it simple stupid and bottom line up front)!

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