boots on the ground
n.pl.— «Our cooperation with “boots on the ground” helps assure their future military and political cooperation while increasing United States influence worldwide.» —“FY 97 Defense Authorization” by Dennis J. Reimer in Washington, D.C. Congressional Testimony Mar. 13, 1996. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...
Some TV commercials launch catchphrases that stick around long after the original ads. The exclamation Good stuff, Maynard! is still a compliment almost 40 years after it was used in a commercial for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And: what do you call...