ShowLanguage in Uniform

Words, phrases, expressions, idioms, and other linguistic and dialect features from the military and war. Typical topics include the roots of “your mother wears combat boots,” the naval slang behind “waltzing Matilda” for periscope duty, the term “charrette” for intensive workshopping, the Air Force origin of “ballpark estimate,” the potential Naval Academy slang origin of “skinny” for details, and the blend word “voluntold.”