wig-wag n. a rapidly alternating or strobing warning light. Also attributive. Editorial Note: Often plural, since the lights are rarely used singly. Semaphore flags have long been called “wig-wags” in the Navy, Marines, and other military and paramilitary organizations. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Loretta in Shreveport, Louisiana, wants to know what lexical and dialectal clues linguists look for when guessing where someone is from. She also wonders: Do people with long careers in the military or who grew up in a military family have a...
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...