wig-wags
n.— «Part Two of Question: What are the yellow flashing lights that move from side to side on the runway? They put you in the mind of caution lights. If these are caution lights, why would they be on the runway or taxiway? Answer: They’re called “wig-wags” and are used in low visibility to help prevent pilots from inadvertently taxiing onto a runway without a clearance (known as a “runway incursion”).…The term “wig-wags” is also used to describe other types of alternating lights, such as the landing lights Southwest uses on their fleet for improved visibility.» —“Why do pilots want to kill the rabbit?” by Meryl Getline USA Today Feb. 20, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In what sport would you hear the slang terms glass off, speck out, and get flushed? They’re all expressions used in paragliding. Glass-off refers to a smooth, effortless takeoff; to speck out is to go so high that you’re nearly invisible to those on...
Door dwell, hoistway, and terminal landing are all terms from the jargon of elevator design and maintenance. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Language of Elevators” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and...