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Post by Bookman on Jan 31, 2006 19:27:47 GMT -5
Have you ever been accussed of making a sexist remark when you yell out the phrase:
Go ahead and give it "Balls to the Wall!"
I know I have and it irritates me everytime somebody tries to correct me! And here's why:
Contrary to popular belief, this phrase has nothing to do with testicles. In fact, it is a phrase taken from the early days of aviation when the throttle(s) were mounted on the sidewall of the cockpit and fitted with round balls on the ends of the rods in a position perpendicular to the floor.
When the pilot advanced the throttle(s), the rods, and thus the "balls" moved forward towards the dashboard or firewall.
If one wished to really "get the hell outta Dodge" he simply advanced the throttles to the full forward position -- usually smack up against the firewall.
Thus the origins of the phrase: "BALLS TO THE WALL"
As Paul Harvey always likes to say,
"And now you know the rest of the story..."
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Post by Boomer on Jan 31, 2006 19:57:08 GMT -5
Good one Kevin,
Heres another factoid for the group.
You have heard the saying 'Go the whole nine yards'. Many people think that is a football saying. Not so, that is actually a WWII aviation term. Back then belts of 50cal ammo for aircraft measured.... You guessed it, nine yards long. If a pilot had a hard time bringing down an especially tough bogey he would say 'Had to go the whole nine yards'.
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Post by jimslost on Jan 31, 2006 19:59:13 GMT -5
Just before I left (in disgust), the company had changed all manuals to replace the word "cockpit" with the term "flight deck" because the former was considered sexist. And here I always thought a flight deck was that part of the ship onto which the Navy types came to rest at the end of their flights. jim
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