We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say fambly instead of family, perazackly for exactly, or coinkydink for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong...
Washing Machine Charlie n.— «By the time he was 19, McNerney was the platoon sergeant of a mortar unit assigned to HQ Company in the jungles of Saipan, fighting Japanese soldiers and dodging Japanese bombs. One day, in early July 1944...
waz adj.— «The team name Wazwagamafs comes from waz (Marine lingo for fantastic) and “wagamafs, (wives and girlfriends and mums and families/friends).» —“Women’s muddy hell to help brave troops” by Caroline...
defac n.— Note: “Defac” is far less often spelled “difac,” despite being a blend of “dining facility.” «Camp Phoenix in particular, was an example of where the disease began with food preparation and...
lob bomb n.— «The military refers to it as an IRAM. I think it’s “improvised rocket-assisted mortar” or something—some ridiculous term like that. But we refer to it as a “lob bomb,” because they use a truck and a ramp-type device to just...
high speed adj.— «“Roger that,” said Young, clutching his soggy worksheet. “You guys are high speed.” High speed is a military term of endearment. Low speed, conversely, denotes anything uncool, such as Gussman’s older...