crash and bang n.— «Most people are familiar with what those of us in the service refer to as “crash and bang,” which is actually a very serious program that’s designed as a five-day Diplomatic Security antiterrorism course...
Iraq war three n.— «We won’t see the gruesome effects of this until long after we’ve pulled out, when it may produce a dictator considerably worse than Saddam. Within the military community there is a worrying new phrase: “Iraq war...
big boy rules n.pl.— «Current and former Triple Canopy employees said they policed themselves in Iraq under an informal system they frequently referred to as “big boy rules.” “We never knew if we fell under military law...
harvester n.— «Four or five men in tracksuits got out and opened their car boots. They pulled out belt-fed BKC machineguns, a weapon known in Iraq as “the harvester” for its ability to kill lots of people quickly.» —“I saw boys...
blue canoe n.— «Tired of squatting over slit trenches, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kevin Powell scavenged for wood and built a first-class “blue canoe,” complete with a padded toilet seat and magazine rack.» —“Troops in Iraq find comfort...
tail cost n.— «That was not counting so-called tail costs, such as caring for veterans and replacing lost equipment, which the Iraq Study Group said “will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars.”» —“The Iraq war has...