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major_clanger's revelation of buzzwords within the RAF, here's a selection of slang that seems to crop up regularly in my specific line of work, many of them originating within BA.
"...for Africa"
Indicating a great quantity of a particular item surplus to requirements, e.g. blankets, meals, washbags, as in: "We've got blankets for Africa today," simply meaning 'too many'. Originated around 1985 after famine-relief flights to Ethiopia took charity donations of blankets, clothing and food there.
"Helicopter across"
Not a method for positioning crew over short distances, but a rather camp management-speak term for the suggestion of an idea, similar to 'run it up the flagpole'. Usually accompanied by fluttering hand movements and the equally sickening "cascade down", to indicate the receptability of people to said idea, e.g.: "So I just thought I'd helicopter that across to you and cascade it down..."
"Marshall-speak"
A distant cousin to Steve Jobs's 'reality distortion field', 'Marshall-speak' is a type of management talk designed to give bad news a positive spin, e.g. the way job losses can be put across as an altogether good thing for everyone concerned. Named after Sir Colin Marshall, an earlier chief executive notoriously adept at this form of deception.
"Aylingitis"
A term to indicate the denial of responsibility of a company's chief executive, no matter how bad a situation gets. Named after Robert Ayling, BA's last-but-one incumbent of that role. 'Aylingitis' is also now used in the City of London as a term of disapproval of other business leaders who suffer from the same allergic reaction to responsibility.
"To chalk the wheel"
To speculate on the outcome of a situation where any imaginable outcome is possible, as in: "We're all chalking the wheel on this one." It refers to a game often played by pilots and cabin crew before take-off, the idea being that they each put money into a sweepstake and then mark the aircraft's nosewheel with chalk along with their name. After coming to a stop at the destination the person whose chalkmark is closest to the vertical in the direction of the ground wins the sweepstake.
"hatstand"
Used as an adjective to indicate the mental state of a colleague known to be a bit mad, as in: "That guy is absolutely hatstand." I have no idea how this term originated.
"Nigels"
The collective term for BA's pilots because most of them, by some strange quirk of fate, seem to be called Nigel. Applies equally to men and women.
"Nigelburger"
Sliced banana on cornflakes, a BA pilot's traditional breakfast.
"Junior Jet"
A co-pilot who looks so frighteningly young he's probably just left flight school (and will probably be in command of a 747 by the time he's 30).
"Pocket Rocket"
A small twin-engine jet such as a 737, the term possibly originated with BAC 1-11s whose engines were very loud.
"Pottering (about)"
A quite normal phrase to describe how one relieves the boredom while staying in one's hotel room instead of going out, but among my colleagues 'pottering' quickly became a euphemism for masturbation after it was described as such in a BA magazine about ten years ago. The term has since stuck so is therefore avoided if at all possible. Applies equally to men and women.
"See you next Tuesday"
To be said to passengers whose company you have most definitely not enjoyed as he/she leaves your aircraft. Might need some creative thinking to understand, but it's quite commonly understood in the English-speaking service industry so is therefore rarely (if ever) said to English-speaking people.
"Cheerio"
To be said to passengers that you fancy when they get off your plane, the idea of the game being you have to get 10. Not easy to get past 4.
"Delsey-dining"
The act of bringing a supply of food in your suitcase because you're too tight to spend any money.
major_clanger's revelation of buzzwords within the RAF, here's a selection of slang that seems to crop up regularly in my specific line of work, many of them originating within BA."...for Africa"
Indicating a great quantity of a particular item surplus to requirements, e.g. blankets, meals, washbags, as in: "We've got blankets for Africa today," simply meaning 'too many'. Originated around 1985 after famine-relief flights to Ethiopia took charity donations of blankets, clothing and food there.
"Helicopter across"
Not a method for positioning crew over short distances, but a rather camp management-speak term for the suggestion of an idea, similar to 'run it up the flagpole'. Usually accompanied by fluttering hand movements and the equally sickening "cascade down", to indicate the receptability of people to said idea, e.g.: "So I just thought I'd helicopter that across to you and cascade it down..."
"Marshall-speak"
A distant cousin to Steve Jobs's 'reality distortion field', 'Marshall-speak' is a type of management talk designed to give bad news a positive spin, e.g. the way job losses can be put across as an altogether good thing for everyone concerned. Named after Sir Colin Marshall, an earlier chief executive notoriously adept at this form of deception.
"Aylingitis"
A term to indicate the denial of responsibility of a company's chief executive, no matter how bad a situation gets. Named after Robert Ayling, BA's last-but-one incumbent of that role. 'Aylingitis' is also now used in the City of London as a term of disapproval of other business leaders who suffer from the same allergic reaction to responsibility.
"To chalk the wheel"
To speculate on the outcome of a situation where any imaginable outcome is possible, as in: "We're all chalking the wheel on this one." It refers to a game often played by pilots and cabin crew before take-off, the idea being that they each put money into a sweepstake and then mark the aircraft's nosewheel with chalk along with their name. After coming to a stop at the destination the person whose chalkmark is closest to the vertical in the direction of the ground wins the sweepstake.
"hatstand"
Used as an adjective to indicate the mental state of a colleague known to be a bit mad, as in: "That guy is absolutely hatstand." I have no idea how this term originated.
"Nigels"
The collective term for BA's pilots because most of them, by some strange quirk of fate, seem to be called Nigel. Applies equally to men and women.
"Nigelburger"
Sliced banana on cornflakes, a BA pilot's traditional breakfast.
"Junior Jet"
A co-pilot who looks so frighteningly young he's probably just left flight school (and will probably be in command of a 747 by the time he's 30).
"Pocket Rocket"
A small twin-engine jet such as a 737, the term possibly originated with BAC 1-11s whose engines were very loud.
"Pottering (about)"
A quite normal phrase to describe how one relieves the boredom while staying in one's hotel room instead of going out, but among my colleagues 'pottering' quickly became a euphemism for masturbation after it was described as such in a BA magazine about ten years ago. The term has since stuck so is therefore avoided if at all possible. Applies equally to men and women.
"See you next Tuesday"
To be said to passengers whose company you have most definitely not enjoyed as he/she leaves your aircraft. Might need some creative thinking to understand, but it's quite commonly understood in the English-speaking service industry so is therefore rarely (if ever) said to English-speaking people.
"Cheerio"
To be said to passengers that you fancy when they get off your plane, the idea of the game being you have to get 10. Not easy to get past 4.
"Delsey-dining"
The act of bringing a supply of food in your suitcase because you're too tight to spend any money.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 09:06 pm (UTC)No time for a drink or a biscuit. It went up, it went down... No cruise at all!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 11:16 pm (UTC)I doubt if this has anything to do with Viz or BA slang, though....
no subject
Date: 2005-12-18 03:26 am (UTC)Also, can you please tell your colleageues the world over that the Nigelburger would be a perfectly acceptable VGML breakfast and will they stop trying to serve me eggy things?
no subject
Date: 2005-12-18 09:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 11:16 pm (UTC)In Canadian ice hockey lore, there was a star called Maurice "Rocket" Richard (that would be the French "ree-shard"). His younger brother Jacques was then termed the "Pocket Rocket"
no subject
Date: 2005-12-18 12:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 11:26 pm (UTC)Sordid Secrets of the Skyways
Date: 2005-12-18 02:01 am (UTC)I'm not sure I understand. Is it that you have to pick ten passengers getting off the plane you wouldn't be embarrassed to admit fancying?
Re: Sordid Secrets of the Skyways
Date: 2005-12-18 09:21 am (UTC)Re: Sordid Secrets of the Skyways
Date: 2005-12-19 10:24 am (UTC)I'll listen out for the Cherio's now. I'm sure one of my co-workers got one.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-18 12:05 pm (UTC)Hatstand
Date: 2005-12-18 12:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-19 10:22 am (UTC)