Does the expression petered out have to do with the Apostle Peter denying he knew Jesus? No, “petered out” may derive from the French peter, meaning to “pass gas.” Another theory is that the expression originated in mining...
sweet spot n.— «Like the snowflakes that fall on the mountain, no two days are alike in the avalanche-control business.…The explosives come in two forms.…The method of delivery depends on the accessibility of the “sweet...
munitionette n.— «Visitors will also be invited to try their hand at being a “munitionette,” a term used to describe the women who put together explosive shells on the assembly line.» —“Explosive exhibition makes a...
shock and hee-haw n.— «The surge really has accomplished a reduction in the violence, and things are safer. But convoys are still being hit by the IEDs and the vehicle-borne IEDs. They’re even putting explosive devices under satchels on...
This week’s “Slang This!” contestant guesses what the terms tape bomb and pixie money mean. Improvised explosive devices made out of cassette tapes? We don’t think so. This is part of a complete episode.
mouse-holing v.— «If the friendly and enemy-held buildings are adjoining, “mouse-holing” with demolitions is preferable. If the buildings are not adjoining, we should use AT4s, light antiarmor weapons (LAWs), or other...