10 commonly-used, foreign words adopted into the English language
Some of the words we presume as English are actually borrowed from other languages like Japanese, French and Spanish. While the exact number of words adopted still remains a mystery,…
The spectacular naval origin of the phrase, ‘son of a gun’
These days, Americans are less likely to exclaim “son of a gun” than the more-explicit “son of a b*tch,” but there was a time when “son of a gun” itself was not used in mixed company — and that time was more than 200 years …
This medieval warrior was the first to use a now-famous insult
Götz von Berlichingen was known for a lot of things. The most obvious was that he lost an arm to cannon fire in the heat of battle. Unfortunately for him, it was his right arm, the one that swung swords and dealt death. Unfortunately for all of his…
6 terms you won’t believe have military origins
There’s a long history of military slang, probably dating all the way back to when the first people hit each other with sticks and rocks. While military slang can be fun, it’s even more fun when it seeps into the common vernacular of ev…
Civil War re-enactors have their own POG-level slang
The life of a Civil War re-enactor is a very dedicated one. They’re dedicated to the history, the stories, and the lives of those who fought in The War Between the States. They take care in being as accurate as possible, representing the true hist…
5 cringeworthy military slang terms (that we should actually retire)
Anyone who knows what Marines call the jerry can tube adapter knows there are a lot of inappropriate nicknames in the military. American troops come up with a simple shorthand for just about everything. Think about it: is it easier to ask for the je…
The military origin of ‘turning a blind eye’ to something
There’s something to be said for aggressively pursuing the job you want. For British Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson, that opportunity came at the Battle of Copenhagen when the famous admiral disobeyed the orders of a less-famous, less successful one …
Russian propaganda has one surprising shortcoming
You ever seen those Google Translate music videos? Where singers or other entertainers sing songs that have gone through Google translate or another “machine translation” program? Whelp, it turns out, that’s how Moscow often creates its lower-tie…
The childish origins of the word ‘infantry’
In the days of antiquity, being in the cavalry was a privilege specifically reserved for those who ranked higher in the social order than the common people. Those who were too young, too inexperienced, or too poor to have a horse, usually ended up i…
How Navajo code talkers helped win the Battle of Iwo Jima
Thomas H. Begay didn’t want to be a radio operator. In fact, up until he graduated from bootcamp, he thought he was going to become an aerial gunner for the Marine Corps during World War II.
“They sent me to a confidential area,” he said. …