The emphasis of this educational reference is on words and phrases that appear in published works about war and military service; and amongst this jargon and slang, there is no pretense of objectivity or completeness, which may be readily found in official documents or government resources. This fragmentary opus is a work in progress ....

Caveat Lector: Vulgar, profane, and obscene dysphemisms, which have been used for every part of speech and rhetorical form, have not been Bowdlerized nor expurgated from this glossary, to the undoubted dismay of purists and the evident enrichment of our mother-tongue; so immature or hypersensitive persons should refrain from perusing this indubitably eclectic and contingently egregious compendium. Swearing is usually either juvenile or crass, but military personnel admire talent and respect skill, so the ability to create imaginative expletives and to craft uncommon scurrility is often appreciated.

X :

an aircraft prefix under the Joint Service Designation System that represents 'experimental'. Also, a symbol used as a mark to indicate choice, or as a device used to cross out when denoting an error. Also, a person, thing, agency, factor, or the like, of unknown identity; an unknown quantity or variable. Also, a designation of the powers of magnification for an optical instrument. Also, an indicator of dimensions, as length by width; compare X / Y AXIS, X / Y / Z AXIS. Also, an indicator used to designate a particular place on a map or a specific point on a diagram. Also, a representation for 'extra', as in size or quantity. Also, symbolic representation of Christ, Christianity, and the cross or crucifix.

XA :

Vietnamese term for village; compare AP, XOM; see STRATEGIC HAMLET.

X-C :

NSP patch

abbreviation for 'cross-country', which originated in Scandinavia; also known as nordic skiing techniques, as distinguished from alpine (downhill or slalom) practices. Compare SNOWSHOE; see BUNNY BOOTS, MICKEY MOUSE BOOTS, K-9, SCOUT DOG, WEASEL, IRON DOG, CAT-TRAIN, MOUNTAINEER, NWTC, WINTER WARRIOR. [nb: National Ski Patrol (NSP) established in Stowe, VT (1938); chartered by Congress (1980)] Also, a cross-country course run over fields and varied terrain, as in a footrace or horse race; see PARKOUR, PARCOURSE, OBSTACLE COURSE, EXERCISE, STEEPLECHASE, PENTATHLON, RODEO.

XCAS :

a technique of air warfare that has been associated with new developments in US Air Force doctrine emphasizing the centrality of effects-based targeting since its 2001 recognition in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); also known as "on-call close air support" (CAS).

XCOM :

eXecutive COMmittee, appointed by or for the president (POTUS); compare NSC, NSPG, TIWG.

XENON LAMP :

a high-intensity incandescent lamp that's filled with a colorless and chemically inactive monatomic gaseous element; in addition to luminescent tubes, xenon is also used to fill vacuum tubes for radio and television; see GLOW LAMP. [v: arc lamp, halogen lamp, mercury-vapor lamp, neon lamp, quartz lamp, sodium-vapor lamp, tungsten lamp; cf: carbon arc, xenon arc]

XENOPHOBIA :

an unreasonable fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners; an unreasonable suspicion or abhorrence of that which is strange or foreign; compare NATIVISM, CONTINENTALISM. [v: culture shock; cf: outsider, outlander, alien, newcomer, intruder, interloper, trespasser]

X-GAMES :

extreme recreational activities that are subdivided into summer and winter events, organized like Olympic competitions (OLYMPIAD), but with medals and prize money awarded since 1995 by the sponsors, the ESPN and ABC Sports networks; these so-called 'extreme' activities have been selected for their popular commercial appeal, being non-traditional semi-professional events that include skateboarding, inline rollerblading, sail-skateboarding, mountain biking, climbing, pogo-stick bounce racing, bungee jumping, skydiving, wind surfing, kitesurfing, canoe slalom, paddle-boarding, barefoot waterskiing, street luge, autocross / gymkhana, motocross, moto-X, off-road rallycross, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, ice climbing, snow shovel racing, snowmobiling, snowcross, and so forth. Although boxing and wrestling are Olympic sports, the X-Games do not feature "cage fighting" [mixed martial arts (MMA)] nor "lucha libre" (Mexican freestyle wrestling), which have their own advertisers and broadcasters; furthermore, equestrian dressage is an Olympic event, but the rodeo circuit is not included in the X-Games ... neither is ORIENTEERING, PAINTBALL, long-distance swimming, nor JAP SLAPPER martial arts. See MANLY ARTS, A FINE AND PLEASANT MISERY, TESTOSTERONE ZONE, WETSU, PAIN, RED-BLOODED, TWO-FISTED, HANG TOUGH, WIGHT, TIKI, PISSING CONTEST, PLAY THE GAME, GAMBIT, MOCK-COMBAT, WAR GAMES. [nb: 'X-Games' is a proprietary trademark] [nb: a civilian version of the MILITARY TAN is produced by extended outdoor exposure while wearing protective gear, such as pads for the knees, elbows, and wrists, while engaged in various extreme sports activities; compare TOC TAN, SAFE HOUSE TAN]

XIN LOI :

(sin loy / sin loyee) a polite Vietnamese phrase literally meaning "excuse me" or "pardon me", but used sardonically by GIs to mean "sorry about that", "too damn bad", or "tough shit"; sometimes misspelled "sin loi" or "xoine loi". Compare MEA CULPA, A-OK, CHECK IT OUT, GUSTO, FIDO, SHIT HAPPENS, ROTS O' RUCK, AMF, ZIP, ZAP. [nb: various phrases have been used by 20th century combatants for protective disassociation from epiphenomena, including: "There it is.", "It's all just rock 'n' roll.", "It don't mean nuthin'.", "It ain't nuthin'.", "It's just a thing."; the latter appears in "The Rescue" by Joseph Conrad (1920)] [nb: in Japanese, 'sumimasen' is a polite expression of apology (similar to "pardon me" or "excuse me") that's used impersonally with strangers (instead of 'ayamaru', 'shitsurei shimasu', or 'gomen nasai'), as when moving through a crowd, but when uttered in a sharp or brusk tone, it means "attend to me at once" or "come over here right away"]

XM-177E2 :

designation for the compact CAR-15 or "Shorty M-16" RIFLE; see ACTIV, CAR, SCOUT.

XM-203 :

an M-16 assault rifle coupled with a single-shot 40mm grenade launcher barrel mounted beneath the rifle's fore-end grip; commonly known as OVER 'n' UNDER.

XO :

(ecks-oh) executive officer, being an administrative position that's second in command of a company, battalion, brigade, or regiment; also called "exec" or "the exec"; compare DCO, see PECKER-CHECKER, COMMAND ELEMENT. [v: locum tenens, vicar; cf: lieutenant (LT)] [nb: Vietnamese term: Si Quan Phu Ta Xu Ly]

XOM :

Vietnamese term for hamlet, compare AP, XA; see STRATEGIC HAMLET.

X-RAY :

the word assigned to represent the letter "X" in the international phonetic alphabet; see ALPHABET SOUP, PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes & Signal Flags] Also, electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths in the range of approximately 0.1-10 nm, between ultraviolet radiation and gamma rays, and capable of penetrating solids and of ionizing gases; so-called from their unknown nature; see ROENTGEN, REM, RAD.

XTV :

eXtreme Terrain Vehicle, being a four-wheel drive (4WD) off-road utility transport with independent suspension; a militarized version of the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). See LSV, FAV, MULE, M-ATV, GAMMA GOAT; compare DIRT BIKE, OSV, IRON DOG.

XU :

an aluminum coin being a Vietnamese unit of currency equal to one-hundredth part of the DONG, or a "penny"; and being the tenth part of the HAO, which would be equivalent to a "dime"; derived as a conversion from the French 'sou'. See BENSON SILK, PIASTER, MPC, LEGAL TENDER. [cf: centime]

XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS / 18th AIRBORNE CORPS :

see EIGHTEENTH AIRBORNE CORPS.

XX :

the symbol for powdered sugar; compare XXX; see SUGAR.

XXIV CORPS / 24th CORPS :

see LONELY HEARTS.

XXX :

the symbol for confectioners' sugar, being a finer grade than powdered sugar (XX); see SUGAR. Also, a denotation indicating that MOONSHINE liquor has been distilled three times so as to increase its proof; see HOOCH. Also, a rating indicating explicit sexuality, as in books and films; see PILLOW BOOK, STROKE BOOK, TRAINING FILM, MONEY SHOT, UP-CLOSE 'n' PERSONAL, DOG 'n' PONY SHOW, PORN / PORNOGRAPHY.

X / Y AXIS :

placeholders for horizontal and vertical coordinates, as on a GRID index.

X / Y / Z AXIS :

placeholders for horizontal, vertical, and depth or elevation coordinates, as when indexing three dimensions.