FRED

noun: railroad acronym for "Flashing Rear End Device", the "black box" attached to the rear of most freight trains in the US since the 1980's, replacing the caboose.

Officially known as an End of Train Device (EOT), this is attached to the rear coupler and air brake line of the last car on the train. The device incorporates a pressure sensor and a radio to transmit brake line air pressure back to the lead locomotive, and a flashing red light to serve as a warning marker to other trains at night.

Also referred to in less complimentary terms as a "Fucking Rear End Device", due to the fact that early versions were heavy, cumbersome to handle, and not known to be especially reliable.

"FRED is telling us we have no air. Either we broke the train in two (uncoupled cars or broke a coupler knuckle, which would disconnect an air line) or somebody closed an angle cock (valve that supplies air pressure to individual car brakes)."

46👍 25👎

Bought The Farm

phrase: refers to someone deceased in a military accident or operation. Phrase predates World War II, but came into common use at that time due to the large numbers of training casualties due inexperienced pilots/crewmembers trained in aircraft that are much less reliable than today. Common accidents in rural areas would result in aircraft crashing into barns, fields, or rural property, resulting in damages. The US Government would compensate the affected property owners with checks to pay for damages, or in some cases condemn land contaminated with undetonated/unlocated munitions/weapons, in effect "buying the farm".

"28 of us started out in my class in UPT (Undergraduate Pilot Training) but only 11 of us earned our wings. 13 washed out, 2 got held back, and Higgins and Baker bought the farm when they lost power on climb-out."

270👍 64👎

desk jockey

US Military term (ca. 1960s-1990s) used by "line" types (fleet, aviation crew & flightline, special forces, infantry) to refer with contempt to HQ and staff (non-operations) personnel, especially bureaucratic types who push petty regulations as a way to harrass others. Also used as mildly derisive term by aviation types to refer to crewmembers temporarily removed from flying and assigned "desk" (non-flying) duties for administrative or disciplinary purposes.

What asswipe desk jockey came up with the idea of prohibiting bags (flightsuits) and cammies in the NCO Club for lunch? Guess those clerks didn't want all those grubby SOBs who work for a living spoiling the view...

109👍 25👎

BUFF

Nickname for the US Air Force B-52 strategic bomber, referred to as a "Big Ugly Fat Fellow" or "Big Ugly Fat Fucker". Considered a term of endearment when used by aviation types.

The NVA types in Hanoi were a bunch of cocky bastards until Linebacker II (major Vietnam War bomber campaign in December 1972). The sight of all those BUFFs rattling their windows on a daily basis was enough to tighten their sphincters good.

6👍 10👎

ghetto logic

The reasoning process (or lack of it) that causes ghetto folk to screw up their lives, due to their general ignorance and poor or non-existent judgment skills. Ghetto logic usually manifests itself in a series of successively worse decisions that often turn small problems into progressively larger ones, often to the point where solving the problem is beyond the control of anyone. Ghetto person then blames society/police/white folks/whatever for problems.

Ghetto Logic Example #1: Unmarried girl gets pregnant by accident, babydaddy runs off. Girl tries to catch a man to take care of her and her baby by getting pregnant again. Repeat process...

Example #2: Ghetto driver gets traffic ticket, but does not pay it or show up for court. Small fine becomes bigger fine, and arrest warrant is issued for Failure To Appear. Fine is not paid, driver keeps on driving, practicing same behavior that got him/her ticket in the first place. Police try to pull over driver again. Driver fails to yield, leads police on 100 MPH police chase, hits and kills innocent person. $50 infraction becomes no-bail felony manslaughter charge.

40👍 6👎

attitude adjuster

A large, heavy, prominent object that can be used as a weapon for self-defense purposes under circumstances where conventional weapons are prohibited or impractical. An "attitude adjuster" is considered to have served its intended purpose if the mere display of the object is enough to keep potential antagonists at bay. Term is of 1970's-1980's vintage and commonly used by military, law enforcement, and railroaders in urban areas.

"I always keep a three-cell Mag-Lite under the seat when I drive downtown after dark. It's a good attitude adjuster to keep the locals from harassing me..."

9👍 4👎

warm body

noun: an uneducated, untrained or poorly trained individual placed in a given position in a workplace where he/she is neither technically capable of performing the required task nor performing any useful activity, but to deceive the observer in some manner. Warm bodies are often used to give the appearance of proper staffing, to make an organization look larger than it actually is during visits and official functions, or to fulfill some political agenda in the given organization (i.e. "diversity").

"Frank always uses his relatives as warm bodies whenever a customer visits the shop, to try to give the impression he has a zillion people working for him. He must have learned the warm body trick in the old country, when the Communists would take all 12 cars in town and park them in front of wherever they were filming propaganda movies, to make it look busy..."

67👍 17👎