-
Y :
-
an aircraft prefix under the Joint Service Designation System
that represents 'prototype' / 'service test'.
-
YACHT CLUB :
-
see TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB, PERSIAN GULF YACHT CLUB; compare
SPORT HUNTING CLUB, 72 VIRGINS DATING SERVICE.
-
YAHOO :
-
(yah-hoo) an interjection used to express triumph or
exhilaration; a shout used to attract attention; see HOOAH,
OORAH, HOISE, HEAVE-HO, CHANTEY, AHOY.
Also, (yhey-hoo) the name for coarse or degraded brutes in human
form who exhibit loathsome and vicious propensities in
Houyhnhnmland, where they are subordinate to the Houyhnhnms,
being horses with superior attributes; the fourth voyage in
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726) illustrated a
marked contrast between brutish and virtuous traits, which
"degenerate state of nature" (as opposed to an unattainable
Arcadia) so discomfited Gulliver that he became a reclusive
misanthrope upon his return home. Just as 'houyhnhnm' was coined
in imitation of 'whinny', so it's alleged that Swift formulated
the word 'yahoo' as a blend of two exclamations of disgust:
'yah!' and 'ugh!'. Compare WHITE TRASH, MEAT EATER, SHAVED
MONKEY, HUMAN ZOO, KNUCKLE-DRAGGER, BRUTE, FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER
/ FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTROSITY, THE CHATTERING CLASS, PEANUT
GALLERY, REACTIONARY, CONSERVATIVE, ANTI-FEDERALIST; see
CIVILIAN, CITIZEN, TAXPAYER, GRASSROOTS, FORGOTTEN MAN, SILENT
MAJORITY, THIRD ESTATE.
[v: an uncultivated or boorish person, being a lout, philistine,
or yokel; cf: yahooism] [nb: "There're only two possibilities:
either there's life somewhere out there in the universe that's
smarter than we are, or we're the most advanced beings in all of
creation – an' irregardless, it's a mighty soberin'
thought!" paraphrase of exchange between Porky Pine (porcupine)
and Pogo (possum) in the Okefenokee Swamp by Walt Kelly (20 June
1959); "In the visible world, the Milky Way is a tiny fragment;
within this fragment, the solar system is an infinitesimal speck,
and of this speck our planet is a microscopic dot. On this dot,
tiny lumps of impure carbon and water, of complicated structure,
with somewhat unusual physical and chemical properties, crawl
about for a few years, until they are dissolved again into the
elements of which they are compounded." by Bertrand A.W. Russell;
"Organic life, we are told, has developed gradually from the
protozoon to the philosopher, and this development, we are
assured, is indubitably an advance. Unfortunately it is the
philosopher, not the protozoon, who gives us this assurance." by
Bertrand A.W. Russell; "Why in any case, this glorification of
man? How about lions and tigers? They destroy fewer animals or
human lives than we do, and they are much more beautiful than we
are. How about ants? They manage the Corporate State much better
than any Fascist. Would not a world of nightingales and larks and
deer be better than our human world of cruelty and injustice and
war? The believers in Cosmic Purpose make much of our supposed
intelligence, but their writings make one doubt it. If I were
granted omnipotence, and millions of years to experiment in, I
should not think Man much to boast of as the final result of all
my efforts." by Bertrand A.W. Russell]
-
YANK :
-
the world's first international news and entertainment magazine,
subtitled "the voice of the enlisted man"; being staffed by and
published for U.S. Army EMs and NCOs, as endorsed by Chief of
Staff George C. Marshall. Printed (1942-46) rotogravure 24-page
11" X 14" saddlestitch format that sold for five-cents a copy;
featuring articles, letters, stories, poems, cartoons, photos,
and a full-page pin-up picture. Although edited and censored for
wartime distribution, it was considered a necessary "safety
valve" against combat tensions and the PARTY LINE of officialdom;
hence some images and expressions from YANK were used by the
enemy to demonstrate American decadence. YANK often shared
resources with STARS AND STRIPES, but they weren't in competition
... YANK published more features and less news in 21 theater
editions. See SAD SACK, OVERSEXED WEEKLY, JOURNAL.
[nb: "Army Times", "Navy Times", "Air Force Times", "Marine
Gazette", "Early Bird Brief", "Daily News Roundup", and other
service-oriented newspapers are proprietary publications, just as
"Army", "Leatherneck", "Sea Power", "Air Power", "National
Guard", "Legion", "VFW", and other quasi-military magazines are
proprietary publications of their respective professional or
veteran associations, which are neither endorsed nor sponsored by
the military]
-
YANK 'n' BANK :
-
aviator's rhyming slang for the hard maneuvering of an aircraft;
see BANK, JINK, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, ACM, FUR BALL, DOGFIGHT,
AEROBATICS; compare ANGLES 'n' DANGLES.
-
YANKEE :
-
slang for a native or citizen of the USA, being any American,
especially a soldier (eg: "Billy Yank") or other national
representative; see GI JOE, DOUGHBOY, GRUNT, UGLY AMERICAN, WHITE
MONKEY, RICE-FACE , WHITE TRASH, POLITICIAN, PORK BARREL, BELTWAY
BANDIT, CIVILIAN. [nb: non-Dutch YANKEEs were identified as "John
Cheese" in early America; compare UNCLE SAM] [nb: American
YANKEEs have been characterized in the past as being "Overpaid,
over-sexed, and over here!", but are more recently being
described as "Overpaid, over-equipped, and over-confident!"]
Also, the nickname of the 26th Infantry Division.
Also, the word assigned to represent the letter "Y" in the
international phonetic alphabet; at various times in different
spelling schemes, it has also been acrophonetically represented
as Yoke. See ALPHABET SOUP, PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes &
Signal Flags]
-
YANKEE SAMURAI :
-
nickname for members of the 306th Language Detachment; composed
of Nisei and Sansei, who underwent MILS training, and who then
served as translators in the Southwest Pacific and CBI theaters
during WWII. See SACO, OSS.
-
YANKEE STATION :
-
designation for the Carrier Task Force situated north of the DMZ
off-shore of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. See DIXIE STATION,
TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB, FLOAT.
-
YARD :
-
affectionate slang for MONTAGNARD (mountain people), who are the
non-Chinese ethnic peoples inhabiting the CENTRAL HIGHLANDS of
INDOCHINA, they primarily comprised the STRIKERs of the Civilian
Irregular Defense Group (CIDG); see BODE, HMONG, NUNG, CHINDIT,
RF/PF, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER, JINGPAW RANGERS, INDIG, BAJARHAKO,
FULRO, DEGA, WHITE ELEPHANT.
-
YARDARM :
-
either end of a center-mounted SPAR or yard. In modern vessels,
the place where flags and pennants are often attached. See STICK;
compare BOOM. Also, slang for penis, phallus, PRICK / CU, SHORT
ARM, JOYSTICK, STICK, SPAR, HOT DOG, HOSE, BAYONET, BIRD, DIPPER,
POGY BAIT, POGUE, and the like; compare LITTLE PRICK, ONIONS,
DEAD-SOLDIER.
-
YARDBIRD :
-
informal designation for a recruit or trainee; see CRUIT, BOOT,
MAGGOT, SLICK SLEEVE, EM [nb: it's a well established fact that a
good Drill Sergeant will take the raw material of a civilian and
turn him into a soldier in the same way that he would take a
tangled mess of steel wool and knit it into a tank!]. Also, any
incompetent or fumbling person; see DUD, TURD, DEADHEAD,
GOLDBRICK, POGUE, HORSE MARINE.
Also, any convict detained in a military STOCKADE or prison; a
jailbird, con, or prisoner [nb: persons incarcerated for
violations of the UCMJ are regulated by military law and custom,
but are denied the privileges thereof, such as saluting].
Also, slang for a civilian employed by government contract in the
construction or repair of military vehicles, containers,
shelters, or other materiel, especially shipyards, where they
must intermittently interact with the MIL-PERS who will use
whatever they're manufacturing; this term probably derives by
association with its other definitions (ie: someone ignorant of
military protocol, and a criminal pilferer or swindler) together
with the enclosure where they're working, as used since WWII; see
BELTWAY BANDIT, SAND CRAB, BELTWAY CLERK, PORK BARREL, THE G,
MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.
-
YAW :
-
the rotation of a ship, aircraft, or missile (eg: ROCKET, BULLET,
etc) about its vertical axis so as to cause its longitudinal axis
to deviate from the heading or flight line in its horizontal
plane; the existence of an angle between the longitudinal axis of
a projectile at any moment and the tangent to the trajectory in
the corresponding point of flight of the projectile. The
deviating motion or axial oscillation of a vessel or projectile
from its straight course or stable attitude; see PITCH, ROLL,
HEAVE, ATHWART, CRAB, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. Also, one of the
lesions or eruptions of the infectious tropical disease "yaws",
being a singular back-formation from the plural; also called
"frambesia"; see JUNGLE ROT, PADDY FOOT.
-
YEAR ZERO :
-
sociopolitical objective of revolutionary Khmer, denoting
messianic movements rather than retrograde; that instead
of a reversion to the beginning of time, the new beginning at
YEAR ZERO was like the communist paradise, with only the perfect
true-believers advancing into the Promised Land. The movements
had isolation and purity in common, but one was regressive and
the other was progressive. Neither one was a fit habitat for
imperfect people, hence the Cambodian holocaust! See ANGKOR WAT,
KHMER ROUGE. [nb: the radical Jacobinists in the French
Revolution (1789-94) abolished the Christian dating system and
introduced a new secular calendar beginning with "Year Zero"]
-
YEAST :
-
any of various small, single-celled fungi that reproduce by
fission or budding, the daughter cells often remaining attached,
and that are capable of fermenting carbohydrates into carbon
dioxide used in brewing alcoholic beverages, as a leaven in
baking breads, and as a source of vitamins and proteins; as
derived from "[it] boils". Compare SOMETHING'S ROTTEN IN DENMARK;
see BISCUIT, HARDTACK, SINKER, DOUGHNUT, PITA, PANCAKE, RATIONS.
[nb: "enzymic proteolysis" is a bacterial action that preserves
and eventually dissolves the principal; the attractive
"full-bodied" flavor of fermented foods (eg: beer, vinegar,
cheese, yogurt, etc) is due to a high content of "glutamate", an
amino acid] [cf: sourdough] [v: saleratus is a white soluble
compound (NaHCO3) that's used in effervescent drinks, as an
antacid, and in baking powders as a chemical leavening agent
consisting of potassium or sodium bicarbonate; this chalk-like
powder (made by adding carbonic acid to pearlash, changing
potassium carbonate to potassium bicarbonate) produces carbon
dioxide gas and was a precursor to both baking powder (1845) and
baking soda (1860); saleratus was first marketed (1837) in paper
envelopes bearing recipes for its use] [v: baking powder, being
any of various powders used as a substitute for yeast in baking,
composed of sodium bicarbonate mixed with an acidic substance
(eg: cream of tartar) that's capable of setting carbon dioxide
free when the mixture is moistened, causing the dough to rise]
[v: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda) is a
white water-soluble powder, (NaHCO3) that's used chiefly as an
antacid, a fire extinguisher, and a leavening agent in baking]
[v: salt-rising bread is a kind of American bread (1825) that's
leavened with a fermented mixture of salted milk, cornmeal,
flour, sugar, and soda]
-
YELLOW ALERT :
-
the first alert in military or civilian defense that's given as
soon as a danger or hazard is recognized, such as when toxic
chemicals have escaped in a particular area, or when enemy
aircraft are discovered approaching a military installation; the
period during which this primary condition is declared to exist.
Compare RED ALERT, BLUE ALERT, WHITE ALERT; see ALERT.
-
YELLOW BIRD :
-
operational name of a clandestine "underground railroad" rescue
network established to evacuate Mainland Chinese dissidents
seeking escape from Red China (PRC) after the 1989 Tiananmen
Square MASSACRE, by a cooperative arrangement of CIA-supplied
disguises with Tong smuggling practices, which spared thousands
of lives, resettling these refugees outside the communist bloc.
See E&E, BRIGHT LIGHT, SAFE, BLOOD CHIT, IRC, DP, FLUTTERING
SPARROW, BOAT PEOPLE. [nb: "triad" is the British designation,
meaning 'three closely related things' (ie: heaven, earth, man),
of the criminal gang elements within the social group of each
Chinese name (tong) society; compare 'trigram'] [nb: the Japanese
"yakuza" is a secret society of racketeers, equivalent to the
Italian mafia/maffia and Chinese tong/triad, meaning
'good-for-nothing', as derived from the losing hand (ie: 8,9,3)
in a card game; cf: "dead man's hand" of aces and eights, held by
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (2 Aug 1876)]
-
YELLOW BRICK ROAD :
-
slang reference for the prominent spur of the HO CHI MINH TRAIL
network that delivered PAVN soldiers and materiel to the DaNang
area of ICTZ, the most northerly zone in South Vietnam.
-
YELLOWCAKE :
-
a processed oxide of uranium #U3O8, being the raw material for
fuel elements in nuclear reactors; see CBR, HAZMAT, COCKTAIL,
SOUP, HOT GREASE, HEU, HEAVY WATER, SCRAM, TOMB, NUKE, GROUND
ZERO. [v: Cherenkov radiation]
-
YELLOW DEVIL :
-
compare YELLOW DOG; see YELLOW PERIL.
-
YELLOW DOG :
-
any craven, contemptible, or despicable person, race, or nation,
especially the American assessment of Asian troops, which
stereotype was disproven, and disbelieved by ADVISORs. See WHITE
MICE, PAPER TIGER, RICE CHRISTIAN, WHITE ELEPHANT, ARMY
CHRISTIAN.
-
YELLOW FEVER :
-
an acute, often fatal, infectious febrile disease of warm
climates, caused by a togavirus transmitted by a mosquito, that's
characterized by liver damage and jaundice; also called YELLOW
JACK. Also, slang reference to the feverish enthusiasm expressed
by a Western convert to the enthralling exoticism of Asian
customs and peoples; such a passionately proselytizing aficionado
is also mockingly identified as an "Oriental fan"; this partisan
Orientalist, who has "gone bamboo" in his sympathetic affinity,
has not only adopted new folkways and mores but has typically
rejected his old ones, a birthright deemed inadequate or inferior
to the new; see GONE NATIVE, EXILE, WANNABE, BAMBOO ENGLISH,
SLEEPING DICTIONARY, POINTIE TALKIE, BRACELET, JOSS STICK, SPIRIT
MONEY, RICE BALL, BAMBOO, BUSH HANKY; compare RICE CHRISTIAN,
COUP QUALIFIED, YELLOW PERIL. [cf: "root-digger" geneologist]
-
YELLOW JACK :
-
slang for Yellow Fever; see FOUO, BONE BREAK FEVER, CHIKUNGUNYA,
MALARIA, CORK. [nb: yellow fever conquered the French army under
Charles Leclerc that had been sent (1801-4) to Hispaniola to
punish the guerrilla bands led by Toussaint L'Ouverture,
resulting in the independence of Haiti ("land of mountains"), and
foiling the invasion of Louisiana by Napoleon Bonaparte]
Also, a yellow flag signaling quarantine. Also, a yellow flag or
marker used as a warning or caution, since displaced by a
(Zebra-) striped panel or red marker; see RED FLAG, BLACK FLAG,
WHITE FLAG. [v: Flag Terms]
-
YELLOWLEG :
-
air or armored cavalryman or TANKER, from the old cavalry branch
yellow-colored stripe running down the outside of pant legs; the
mounted rifles (designated green) and dragoons (designated
orange) are historically distinct but have merged in the modern
army. See ARM, TRACK, TANK, ACR, CAV, AIR CAV, AM, AMBL,
AIRMOBILE, HELIBORNE, AIR ASSAULT, AA, SLICK, MECH, PONY SOLDIER,
DRAGOON, DOG SOLDIER, LONG KNIFE, TOAD, KILL RING, BOOTS AND
SADDLES, ORDER OF THE SPUR, SPUR RIDE, CAVALRY WHISKERS, CAMPAIGN
HAT, STIRRUP CUP, YELLOW RIBBON.
[nb: the last U.S. Army horse-mounted cavalry attack was not the
1916 Pershing campaign into Mexico, but the 1942 defense of
Manilla against Imperial Japanese occupation]
[nb: a scrap of largely blue and red tartan, with the thread
count falling in sevens, entitled "The 7th Cavalry Tartan",
appears in a Scottish pattern book of the 19th century, which
researchers now conclude was a design commissioned by George
Armstrong Custer for outfitting a regimental marching band of
pipers and drummers, which order was interrupted by the 1876
Battle of the Little Bighorn]
-
YELLOW MUSIC :
-
(forthcoming); compare RED MUSIC, JUNGLE MUSIC.
-
YELLOW PERIL :
-
the implied threat of being overwhelmed by an Oriental horde
constituting almost a third of the world's population, as
exacerbated by xenophobic scare-mongers and other sociopolitical
propagandists for Western civilizations; Asian peoples (also
known as "yellow devil" or "yellow monkey") regarded as posing
such a danger, which has been propounded since the late 19th
century.
-
YELLOW RAIN :
-
powdery yellow deposits containing a fungal toxin (tricothecene)
identified in SouthEast Asia; alleged by some to be a chemical
weapon, and by others to be contaminated bee excrement. See CBR,
COCKTAIL, HAZMAT.
-
YELLOW RIBBON :
-
|
Gadsden snake as yellow ribbon
|
|
|
a yellow-colored ribbon displayed by veterans and civilians as a
symbol of solidarity with troops serving in a combat zone, with
political hostages, and other patriotic expressions; probably
derived from 19th century marching song: "She Wore A Yellow
Ribbon". See SHOW THE FLAG, COLORS, LITMUS TEST, V-CAMPAIGN,
WINTER SOLDIER, HALF-MAST, MOURNING BAND.
[nb: "A yellow ribbon, Miss Dandridge. You know what that means
in the cavalry – a sweetheart." by Frank S. Nugent,
Laurence Stallings, and John Ford in She Wore a Yellow
Ribbon (1949; based on the story "War Party" by James Warner
Bellah)]
[nb: one etymologist claims that Union soldiers wore yellow
scarves during the American CIVIL WAR, so their wives and
sweethearts wore yellow ribbons out of remembrance and
solidarity, in the same way that medieval ladies of the court
displayed the colors of favored knights; this assertion is
revisionistic, since the federal uniform at the time did not
include a scarf, and yellow is only a traditional color of the
cavalry; although the post-WWII John Ford film, She Wore a
Yellow Ribbon (1949), featured the folksong and the theme, it
did not spawn a national fashion of wearing yellow ribbons, as
would later occur with a popular song]
[nb: the popular song, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak
Tree", written by L. Russell Brown and Irwin Levine (1973), and
variously performed by Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, Harry Connick,
and other singers, is about an ex-convict who's released from
prison in hopes of returning home ... although it has absolutely
nothing to do with honorable servicemembers returning home from a
combat zone, nor with POWs released from illegal captivity, this
song (together with the associated yellow ribbons) was used by
Penne Laingen (the wife of one of the American hostages) as the
foci for a campaign (1979-81) to remind the public of the
captives in Teheran, Iran. Ironically, this song was again widely
played after the 1990-91 GULF WAR to show "support for the
troops"; perhaps because traditional songs were too patriotic,
and no new patriotic songs were written (and released) until
after the 9/11 2001 TERRORIST incident]
[nb: the sale and display of awareness ribbons and bracelets uses
colored materials to focus public attention on special interests
and social causes, such as promoting consciousness-raising
campaigns or fund-raising for charitable activities, including
colored silicone-gel rubber wristbands, which are called "sports
bracelets" or "baller bands"]
Also, an educational program at select degree-granting
institutions of higher learning that's administered by the
Veterans Administration (USDVA) for honorably discharged veterans
with a total and permanent service-connected (SC) disability,
wherein the school agrees to match funds with the VA/USDVA so
that the veteran's allotment is not reduced by such expenditures;
this program supplements the GI Bill for persons who have served
since the 9/11 2001 TERRORIST incident, or who transfer this
benefit to their legal dependent(s). See BOOTSTRAP, NESEP, CONAP,
ACASP, GI BILL.
-
YELLOW SHEET :
-
a docket of particular criminal investigations or accusations,
arrests and convictions, a "rap sheet" or booking docket; being
prosecutorial background material for extenuation or mitigation
in sentencing [v: mittimus] during a court martial. Compare
ARTICLE 15; see UCMJ, BOARD OF INQUIRY, CAPTAIN'S MAST, ROCKS 'n'
SHOALS, DRUMHEAD. [v: indite, indictment]
-
YEN :
-
the basic monetary unit of currency in Japan, as originally
derived from Chinese YUAN (circular / round); see LEGAL TENDER.
Also, an Americanism for desire, want, fancy, appetite, urge,
yearning, longing, hankering, pining, aching; adapted from
Chinese dialect for craving or addiction.
-
YEOMAN :
-
an enlisted clerk serving in the Navy; if female, this
functionary is commonly called a "yeomanette" (not 'yeowoman');
see CLERKS 'n' JERKS, PENCIL PUSHER, GO TO GUY, REMF, CHAIRBORNE,
CANDY-ASS, PUKE, RED TAPE, ORIFICE, MILICRAT. [nb: the only
authorized rating for an enlisted woman in the U.S. Navy during
WWII was 'yeoman', hence the slang designation "yeomanette"]
-
YEOMANRY :
-
yeomen collectively (ie: an enlisted clerk serving in the Navy).
Also, a British volunteer cavalry force that was originally
(1761) composed largely of yeomen (farmers who cultivate their
own freehold land), that became part of the British Territorial
Army in 1907.
-
YETI :
-
a legendary humanoid creature, disproportionately large and
hairy, that's reputed to inhabit the wilderness and alpine areas
of Asia; also known as "abominable snowman" or "mountain demon",
bunyip and yowie, teratoid and wangdoodle / whangdoodle, BIGFOOT
or SASQUATCH; supposedly derived from an erroneous translation of
a spurious Tibetan phrase meaning "man-bear" (mi t'om) or
"snowfield man" (k'ang mi). See ANNAMITE SASQUATCH. [cf: wendigo
/ windigo / windago (a malevolent supernatural beast amongst
Algonquin peoples)]
-
YIN - YANG :
-
in Chinese philosophy and religion, the two complementary
principles whose interaction influences the existence and destiny
of all things and events; 'yin' represents the dark, inactive,
negative, and feminine aspect while 'yang' represents the bright,
active, positive, and masculine aspect within this life symbol.
-
YIPPIE :
-
politically active HIPPIEs who attempted to impose the
countercultural tenets of the 1962 "Port Huron Statement" upon
the greater society, along with other radical groups, like the
Action Faction, Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC), Weatherman ("You Don't Need A Weatherman to Know Which
Way the Wind Blows"), Angry Brigade, and Students for a
Democratic Society (SDS); the acronym derived from Youth
International Party. See NEW MOBE, NCC, FIFTH COLUMN, RUNNING
DOG, BLACK BLOC, BULLSHITVIK, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, DAYS OF
RAGE, POWER TO THE PEOPLE, PROTESTOR, SILVER-TAIL, TRIPPIE,
APOCALYPSE. [v: 1848 Seneca Falls "Declaration of Sentiments"]
[cf: yuppie (young urban professional); yeppie (young educated
professional); buppie (black upwardly-mobile professional);
fuppie (female upwardly-mobile professional); guppie (gay urban
professional)]
-
YO-HO POLE :
-
a flexible bamboo carrying yoke, sized about 5' long with a
diameter from 1" to 3", as used to transport heavy loads by human
labor in Burma (Myanmar); so-called by Allied prisoners in POW
camps during WWII ... also called yoke, balancing rod, shoulder
pole, shoulder bow, or carrying pole. See DUMMY STICK. [v:
syzygy]
-
YOKE :
-
see YO-HO POLE, DUMMY STICK. Also, slang for marriage; see
HOOKUP, RING THE BELL. [v: syzygy]
-
YO' MAMA WEARS ARMY SHOES :
-
see YOUR MOTHER WEARS COMBAT BOOTS.
-
(YOU) BET YOUR BOOTS :
-
see BET YOUR BOOTS.
-
YOU BET YOUR LIFE :
-
the informal name of the final test exercise in several military
training courses, such as the MACV Recondo School and the USAF
survival program; it was a sardonic adoption from the popular
radio and television quiz show (1947-61) of the same name that
was famously hosted by Groucho Marx.
-
YOU CAN RUN BUT ... :
-
a phrase expressing prowess and determination in the settlement
of disputes, in the MIL-CRAFT conclusion of CONFLICT RESOLUTION,
as in the SNIPER slogan: "You can run but you'll just die
tired!", or the assault motto: "You can run but you cannot
hide!"; a catch-phrase meaning that "We'll get you no matter what
you do!". Seemingly derived from Joe ("the Brown Bomber") Louis
when defending his championship title against Billy Conn in a
rematch (June 1946), saying before the bout: "He can run but he
can't hide." ... Conn was faster but Louis was stronger.
President George W. Bush used this phrase about Saddam Hussein
during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), who was later captured by
American troops, tried for WAR CRIMEs, and duly executed by the
new government in Iraq.
-
YOUNG LIONS :
-
enthusiastic and fierce young servicemen who seek glory, by
analogy with untested beasts, but probably related to lionize,
for deserving accolades; the reference to a "pride of young
lions" has the double meaning of a proud corps, also known as
"New Breed", "New Centurions", or "Young Turks"; these
inexperienced upstarts who are full of untested ideas believe
that they know better than their elders, which zestful innovation
may or may not be true. Compare MOSSBACK, OLD BREED; see
MAVERICK, BOOTSTRAP. [nb: "Behold, I am against thee, saith the
Lord of Hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the
sword shall devour thy young lions, and I will cut off thy prey
from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be
heard." Nahum 2:13] [nb: "An army of asses led by a lion is
preferable to an army of lions led by an ass."; "An army of lions
commanded by a deer will never be an army of lions." by Napoleon
Bonaparte]
Also, one of the many designations (eg: Tiger Battalion, Leopard
Brigade, etc) for BABY BRIGADE units in foreign MILITIAs composed
of male and female children or adolescents specifically recruited
and trained for a suicidal zeitgeist or psychopathic nihilism.
[nb: an underlying objective of military indoctrination is to
discern those trainees who are intuitively aggressive combatants
without also being psychotic; while excluding immoral misfits is
an essential part of the winnowing process, and since anyone can
be taught to shoot or swim or fly, it's crucial to identify those
altruistic persons with inherent "fighting spirit", because
nobody can teach "guts"!]
-
YOU PISS WITH THE DICK YOU GOT :
-
a dysphemistic phrase for the necessary compromises inherent in
any less-than-ideal tactical situation; any make-do or makeshift
accommodation to a less than perfect state of affairs; an
admonition to resolve a predicament with the available resources,
rather than wasting time and effort by complaining about the lack
of better support. See FIELD EXPEDIENT, PLAN B, PUTAINESQUE, AD
HOC, IMPROVISE / IMPROVISATION, ADAPT / ADAPTABILITY, SCRATCH,
JURY-RIG, JERRY-BUILT, PATCH, BAND-AID, SEAT OF THE PANTS,
WORK-AROUND. [v: "wishin' an' hopin' an' schemin' an' prayin'";
"wish in one hand and spit in the other..."; "curse the
darkness"] [nb: "The misuse or abuse of something is no argument
against its proper use." variously attributed to Paracelsus,
Virgil, and Aquinas]
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YOUR MOTHER WEARS COMBAT BOOTS :
-
a slur or taunt, jeer or mock, gibe or jape, as to insult or
put-down, ridicule or lambaste, which is also expressed as: "Your
mother wears Army boots!", "Yo' mama wears Army shoes!", "Your
mother wears soldier's sandals!". This colloquialism has been
used to mean: your mother is unwomanly (rough, brash, crude,
assertive); your mother is unlady-like (not stylish,
unsophisticated, unmannerly); your mother is a CAMP FOLLOWER
(dependent upon the leavings of the troops); your mother is a
laborer (not a pampered housewife). While the intent of this slur
is apparently to slander someone's mother, it actually disparages
the low-grade off-spring of such a mother, so the offense is
subtly indirect. This expression has been infrequently rendered
in the post-Vietnam era, not only because modern women are
perceived as more capable than demure, but because almost 15% of
the military is now female and these "soldier girls" actually
wear combat boots with their work uniforms! [nb: designation of
"combat boots" first dates from 1941] [cf: "doin' the dozens"]
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YOUR RIGHT FOOT FORWARD :
-
'Footedness' is the natural preference for using one's left or
right foot for various purposes, typically work or play; while
this preference is related to a person's ability to exert more
force or to exercise more skill, 'footedness' is most commonly
associated with dexterity or agility in the leading or dominant
position while performing some act ... over 90% of right-handed
people are also right-footed, and of the 10.8% left-handed
people, only about half are left-footed, hence right-footedness
clearly predominates in the general population. Regardless of
this trait, the origin of "putting one's right foot forward" has
less to do with demonstrated ability or asserted talent, but has
to do with the proper coordination of marching soldiers, going
back to ancient Greece, and that means stepping-off with the left
foot!
Also, a figurative allusion to presenting oneself to proper
advantage by showcasing one's finest qualities or best features;
this contrasts with making a bad start to a project or
relationship, as "We set off on the wrong foot.", but it also
relates to 'sinister' ill-omens (cf: cack-handed, goofy-footed,
etc) and righteous piety. See RIGHT FOOT, WRONG-FOOTED, AN ARM
AND A LEG. [nb: Muslims are directed by the Koran / Quran to
always step forward with their right foot first, and to cross a
threshold or doorway entrance with their right foot first] [nb:
"... make haste; the better foot before." by William Shakespeare;
"He is still setting the best foot forward." by Thomas Overbury;
"Thou putst the wrong foote before." by Richard Harvey]
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YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND :
-
a leadership style that attempts to exemplify the suitability for
command of lieutenants and other aspiring deputies for the
edification of the chief or ultimate authority, who is often
aloof or remote ... the high-handed practices of the Bataan Gang
seeking to anticipate and appease the "genius" of General Douglas
("El Supremo") MacArthur is a case in point. The misfeasance or
maladministration of henchmen or wheeler-dealers on behalf of
vest-pocket despots and double-breasted tyrants is not new (eg:
"Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?" said of Thomas
Becket by Henry II); it's seemingly intrinsic to the social
dynamics of hierarchical associations, as evinced by military and
religious organizations, academic and governmental institutions,
all of which allege a higher calling to a nobler service. See
BRASS-COLLAR, MARTINET, BRASS EAR, HIGHER, BROWN NOSER, KHAKI
MAFIA, MILICRAT, HERO-WORSHIPER, STANDARD-BEARER, LDR, NATIONAL
SECURITY, PARTY LINE, POLITICIAN.
[nb: the exact statement is disputed, and even the Latin
quotation recorded by Edward Grim varies: "What sluggards, what
cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their
allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome
priest." or "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished
and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated
with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"; however, the
four knights (Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Moreville, William de
Tracy, and Richard le Breton), who sought to curry favor with the
king by assassinating the archbishop of Canterbury on 29 December
1170, fell into disgrace for their (mis)deed, but later, during
the Revolt of 1173, the king performed a public act of penance,
which reputedly absolved him of all responsibility]
-
Y SI :
-
MONTAGNARD term for a MEDIC, CORPSMAN, or physician. Compare Bac
Si; see DOC, BABY DOC, BONE CUTTER, SAWBONES.
-
YUAN :
-
the basic monetary unit of currency in China, as derived from
circular or round ("chin yuan"); compare YEN; see TAEL, SYCEE,
RENMINBI, LEGAL TENDER.
-
YUT :
-
a motivational expression used by Marines (USMC), possibly
acquired in Korea from the enthusiasm expressed over the playing
of a traditional board game of the same name; see OORAH, HOISE,
CHANTEY, GUNG-HO, ESPRIT DE CORPS, MORALE PATCH.
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