Copyright 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. All Rights Reserved by James Wesley, Rawles - www.SurvivalBlog.com™
10/.22: A semi-automatic .22
rimfire rifle made by Ruger
10 Meter: The 28.000-to-29.700
MHz Amateur radio band is approximately 10 meters in wavelength so
it is called the 10 Meter band. The 10 meter band is adjacent
to the Citizen's Band (27 MHz, or 11 meters), so it has been common
practice to modify
older 23 channel CB radio to operate in the 10 meter band. See also:
CB and Free Band.
100LL: See Avgas.
11B or "Eleven Bravo": The U.S. Army's MOS for Infantryman.
1911: See M1911.
24x7: 24 hours a day,
7 days a week
24x7x360: 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, 360 degrees
2A: The Second Amendment
2 Meter: The 144-to-148 MHz Amateur
radio band is approximately 2 meters in wavelength so it is called the
2 Meter band.
4GW: Fourth Generation War(fare)
2WD: Two Wheel Drive
4WD: Four Wheel Drive
401(k):One form of retirement savings
account used in the US. See also: IRA
5 Series: U.S. Army Engineer
manuals start with a 5 prefix, and 5 is also the prefix for
US Army Engineer branch MOSes.
550 Cord: See Paracord.
6 Meter: A VHF amateur
radio band from 50 to 54 MHz--approximately 6 meters in wavelength, so
it is called the 6 Meter band.
90% Silver: See: Junk Silver.
9/11/01: See 9-11.
9-11: The radical Islamic
terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 that took 3,000+ American lives. See also: OBL
and WTC
911: The standard US telephone
emergency number that connects to police and fire department dispatching.
AA: Depending on context, Antiaircraft
or Anachronistic Anomaly.
AAA: Depending on context: American
Automobile Association, or Anti-Aircraft Artillery.
A.A. Flu: Asian Avian Influenza
(See also: H5N1 and AAV)
AAR: After-Action Report
AAV: Asian Avian Virus
AB: Ammo Bearer. (From a machinegun
or mortar squad.)
ABC: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
ABO: Aviator’s Breathing Oxygen
ABS: Depending on context,
anti-lock brake system or asset-backed security
AC: Alternating Current
ACH: Advanced Combat Helmet
ACOG: Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight
(A tritium scope made by Trijicon)
ACP: Automatic Colt Pistol
ACT: American College Test.
ACU: Army Combat Uniform. The U.S.
Army's new "digital" pattern camouflage uniform replacing the BDU.
AD: Accidental Discharge
ADC: Depending on context AIDS Dementia
Complex or Animal Damage Control
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
AEC: Atomic Energy Commission
AED: Automated External Defibrillator.
See also: CASA.
AFAIK: "And For All I Know"
AFB: Air Force Base
AFN: Armed Forces Network.
AFRTS: Armed Forces Radio
& Television Service. Also known as "AFN" (Armed Forces Network).
AG: Depending on context: Assistant
Gunner, Attorney General, or Adjutant General.
AGL: Above Ground Level
AGM: Absorbed Glass Mat, a modern and
very reliable rechargeable battery design that uses saturated absorbent
glass mats instead of gelled or liquid electrolyte. Somewhat more expensive
than
flooded (liquid) type cells.
AI or A.I.: Depending on context:
Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Insemination, or Assistant Instructor.
AID: See: USAID.
AIDS: Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome--a disease stemming from HIV. See also:
HIV.
AIN: Animal Identification
Number. (See also: NAIS.)
AIT: Advanced Individual Training.
See also: MOS.
AK: Avtomat Kalashnikov.
The gas-operated weapons family invented by Mikhail Timofeyevitch
Kalashnikov, a Red Army sergeant. AKs are known for their robustness
and were made in
huge numbers, so that they are ubiquitous in much of Asia and the
Third World. The best of the Kalashnikov variants are the Valmets that
were made
in Finland, the Galils that were made in Israel, and the R4s that
are made in South Africa.
AK-47: The early generation AK
carbine that shoots the intermediate 7.62 x 39mm cartridge.
AK-74: The later generation AK carbine
that shoots the 5.45 x 39mm cartridge.
AKA or aka or a.k.a.: Also
Known As
AKC: American Kennel Club
AKO: Army Knowledge Online
ALICE: All-Purpose Lightweight
Individual Carrying Equipment.
Alpha Strategy: Storing
extra logistics, as a hedge against inflation, and for use in barter
and charity. This term was coined by economics writer John Pugsley.
A
PDF of Pugsley's
book titled The
Alpha Strategy is available for free download.
ALS: Advanced Life Support
AM: Amplitude Modulation
AMA: American Medical
Association
AMC: Depending on
context, Army Materiel Command or American Motors Corporation.
Ammo: Slang contraction
for ammunition.
AMSAT or AmSat: Amateur
Satellite. (Ham radio traffic "piggybacked" on commercial
communications satellites.
Anthracite (coal): A hard, compact
variety of mineral coal that has a high luster. It has the highest carbon
count and contains the fewest impurities
of all coals, despite its lower caloric content. Anthracite coal is the
highest of the metamorphic rank, in which the carbon content is between
92% and 98%.
The term is applied to those varieties of coal which do not give off
tarry or other hydrocarbon vapors when heated below their point of ignition.
Anthracite
ignites with difficulty and burns with a short blue flame, without smoke.
ANWR: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
AO: Area of Operations
AONB: Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty. (UK term.)
AOAP: Army Oil Analysis Program
AP: Armor Piercing (ammunition) or
Associated Press (news wire service)
APC: Armored Personnel Carrier.
Also the brand name of a manufacturer of short-term backup power supplies.
Apgar: A scoring
system used to evaluate the health of newborn babies, typically taken at
one minute and five minutes after delivery
APHIS: Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides tasked
with ensuring the health and care of animals and plants.
API: Depending on context, Armor Piercing
Incendiary, American Petroleum Institute, Application
Programming Interface,or American Pistol Institute (The forerunner of
Gunsite, founded by Col.
Jeff Cooper.)
APIT: Armor Piercing Incendiary
Tracer
APO: Army Post Office
APR: Annual Percentage Rate.
APT: Army Physical (Fitness)
Test
AQ: Al Qaeda
AQT: Army Qualification Target
AR: Automatic Rifle. This is the generic
term for semi-auto variants of the Armalite family of rifles designed
by Eugene Stoner (AR-10,
AR-15,
AR-180, et cetera.) See my FAQ on
this subject.
AR-7: The .22 LR semiautomatic survival
rifle designed by Eugene Stoner. It weighs just two pounds, and
when disassembled, all of the parts fit in the buttstock. The stock is
foam filled, so the
rifle floats.
AR-10: The 7.62mm NATO predecessor of the M16 rifle, designed by Eugene Stoner. Early AR-10s (mainly Portuguese, Sudanese, and Cuban contract, from the late 1950s and early 1960s) are not to be confused with the present-day semi-auto only "AR-10" rifles
that are more closely interchangeable with parts from the smaller caliber
AR-15.
AR-15: Semi-auto civilian variants
of the U.S. Army M16 rifle.
AR-180: A low cost gas piston-operated
.223 made primarily from stamped steel. Designed by Eugene Stoner. Early
AR-180s (made in the US, England, and and Japan) use a proprietary magazine,
some of which do not
interchange with AR-15 magazines, because their narrow magazine catch
notches were on the opposite side of the magazine. These are not to be
confused with
the current production AR-180B rifles that can use standard AR-15
or M16 magazines.
ARC: American Red Cross (Nicknamed "The
Red Curse" by
some SurvivalBlog readers) See also: ICRC.
ARDS: Acute
Respiratory Distress Syndrome
ARM: Depending on context: Adjustable
Rate Mortgage or Anti-Radiation Missile
Arm Chair Commando: An
individual that has a one track mind (guns!) and that never trains. Synonymous
with: Tommy Tactical, or regarding their fashion style: Mall Ninja
ARNG: Army National Guard
ARRL: American Radio Relay League
ART: Automatic Rangefinding
Telescopic sight.
ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam.
ASA: Army Security Agency. The U.S. Army’s
SIGINT branch, now sadly defunct.
ASAP: As Soon As Possible
ASAT: In the context of SurvivalBlog: An anti-satellite missile, laser, or particle beam weapon. In other contexts, the ASAT acronym also stands for All Season All Terrain—a
civilian camouflage pattern.
ASBO: Antisocial behaviour
order. (UK) See also: Yob.
ASL: Above Sea Level
ASPO: Association for the Study of
Peak Oil and Gas (in Ireland)
ASR: Alternate Supply Route
ASW: Anti-SubmarineWarfare
Associated Gas: See: Casinghead
Gas.
ATF: Depending on context, Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms or Automatic Transmission Fluid. See also: BATFE
ATM: Depending on context Automatic
Teller Machine, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, or At The Moment.
ATV: All Terrain Vehicle. Commonly
called a "quad" in
some regions. See also UATV and Quad
AU: About Uncirculated. (Coin Grade.)
See also: MS.
AUG: See Steyr AUG.
Aussie: Slang for Australian.
See also: Oz and Ozzie.
Austrian Economics: The
school of neo-classical economic thought established in Vienna during
the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It is strongly
opposed
to Marxism and, more broadly, to the use of economic theories to justify
government intervention in the economy. Prominent members included Friedrich
Hayek and Ludwig von Mises.
Avgas: Aviation gasoline (Leaded,
100 octane, also known as 100LL)
AVR: Automatic Voltage Regulator.
AWB: Assault Weapons Ban (The
1994 U.S. Federal ban on magazines over 10 round capacity and certain "assault" [sic} firearms. The
law sunsetted in 2004 and is now null and void.)
AWD: All Wheel Drive See also: 4WD.
AWG: Depending on context, American
Wire Gauge, the system for indicating the size of electrical wire.
(The higher the number, the smaller the wire. Most standard home wiring
is #12 or
#14 AWG.), or Ad-hoc Working Group
(on climate change)..
B100: 100% Biodiesel
B20: A blend of 80% standard
petroleum-based diesel with 20% biodiesel.
Ball (ammo): See FMJ.
Ballistic Wampum: Ammunition
stored for barter purposes. (Term coined by Col.
Jeff Cooper.)
Bananaland: JWR's generic term
for Central America and South America
Band: In analog transmission, the
range of frequencies between two defined limits.
BAR: Browning Automatic Rifle.
Bastard Crystal: A radio
transmitter frequency controlling quartz crystal that is cut to allow
out of band transmission. See
also: Free Band.
BATFE: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms, and Explosives (a U.S. Federal government taxing agency)
BBB: Better Business Bureau
BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation
BBS: Bulletin Board System
BBL or bbl: Barrel.
BCG: Birth Control Glasses.
Slang acronym used to describe the US military standard issue eyeglasses,
that have frames that are "so ugly that you'll never get married and
have kids." Also sometimes called "Buddy Holley Glasses."
BDC: Bullet Drop Compensator
BDU: Battle Dress Uniform. Also called "camouflage
utilities" by
the USMC.
BEA: Bureau of Economic Analysis
Benadryl: Trade name for diphenhydramine.
This drug reduces the effects of histamine release, which is triggered
by an immune response. It is a useful adjunct to epinephrine. It
will not prevent airway compromise or vascular collapse! See also:
Epi.
BFO: Depending on context: Beat Frequency
Oscillator (the circuitry in an amateur radio that allows you to hear Morse
code as tones), or Blinding Flash of the Obvious. (JWR gives copies of his
first novel away as the prizes for his "BFO Awards" to
anyone that e-mails a letter or article to SurvivalBlog that includes
a particularly brilliant, novel, or useful
concept.
BHO: Bolt Hold Open
BIB: Bug-In Bag. A kit of essentials
designed for "hunkering down", in place. See also: BOB.
Big Sandbox: Generic term
for the Middle East
Biochip: See RFID and NAIS.
Biodiesel: An alternative vegetable
oil fuel for diesel engines. Also called Greasel. See also: BTL and Dinodiesel
BIS: Bank for International Settlements
Bivvy: Slang for Bivouac.
BK: Buckshot
Black Rifle: Generic term
for a modern battle rifle with a plastic stock.
BLEVE: Boiling Liquid Expanding
Vapor Explosion. (Spoken "Blevy")
BLM: Bureau of Land Management (a U.S.
Federal government agency that administers public lands)
Blog: A Web Log (Internet On-Line
Journal)
BLOS: Beyond Line of Sight.
BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BLUFOR: Blue (friendly)
forces. Usually applies to military war games. See Also: OPFOR.
BMG: Browning Machinegun. Usually refers to .50 BMG, the U.S. military’s
standard heavy machinegun cartridge since the early 20th Century. This
cartridge is now often used for long-range precision counter-sniper
rifles.
BMI: Body Mass Index.
BoB, BOB, or B-o-B: Bug-out Bag. Synonymous
with G.O.O.D. Kit. See also: BIB, GOOD and INCH.
BOGO: Variously: Buy one,
give one, or Buy one,
get one. This acronym started out as a form of charity with the
Bogo Light campaign. (Where someone that buys a flashlight also provides
one as charity
top an African villager.) Sadly, this acronym was twisted by Internet
markerteers with other companies, who turned it into "Buy one,
get one"--nothing more than a 50% off sale, with no charitable giving.
BOL, B.O.L., or B.o.L.: Bug-out Location.
Synonymous with retreat.
Bollard: A stout object
that is used to confine traffic within or from a given area. These
are typically 4 to 6 foot long vertical members made of concrete, steel,
or wood set at least 18" in the ground with at least 30" exposed.
BOLO: Be on the Lookout.
(U.S. police acronym.)
BoV or BOV: Bug-out Vehicle. Synonymous
with G.O.O.D. Vehicle. See also: POV.
BP: Black Powder
BRAC: Base Realignment and Closure
Brady Bunch: Sarah Brady and
her civilian disarmament gang
Bravo Sierra: See: BS
BS: Depending on context:
Bachelor of Science, or Barbra Streisand. Sometimes spoken "Bravo Sierra." Barbra
Streisand's name has become synonymous with lying.
BSA: Boy Scouts of America.
BSD: Berkeley Software Distribution
BSE: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(a.k.a. "Mad Cow" disease) See also: TSE and CWD.
BSN: Bachelor of Science in
Nursing.
BTDC: Before Top Dead Center
BTL: Biomass-to-liquids. (Biodiesel.)
BTP: Boston T. Party the
pen name of a libertarian writer.
BTU: British Thermal Units
BTW: By The Way
BW: Biological Warfare.
BX: Base Exchange. See also: PX.
C1: The Canadian Army's version
of the L1A1.
C2: Command and Control.
C2H5OH: Ethanol. (Ethyl
or "Grain" alcohol.) See also: EtOH.
CH3OH: Methanol. ("Wood" alcohol
.) Toxic to drink, forms formaldehyde in eyes, causing blindness. Can
be absorbed through the skin. Also a suspected carcinogen.
C3CM: Command, Control and Communications
Countermeasures
C4: Depending on context: Command,
Control, Communications, Computers or Composition 4 (plastic explosive.)
C4I: Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Intelligence
C4ISR: C4, Intelligence, Surveillance,
and Reconnaissance
C4N: Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Navigation
C7: The Canadian Army's equivalent
of the US M16.
C.A.: Central America
CAD: Computer Aided Design
CALGLY: Calcium Chloride
and Glycerol mixture, used for preserving seeds.
Californication: The
tendency of other states to begin to resemble California (lifestyles,
culture, politics, gun laws, and so forth.)
Camo: Slang for Camouflage
CAR-15: See: M4
Carb: Depending on context, slang
for Carburetor
or Carbohydrate
Carry and Carry Trade: Carry
is defined as the difference between return on securities held and financing
costs, and "carry trade" refers to institutions and businesses taking
advantage of this differential. A positive/negative carry occurs when
the financing cost is less/more than the yield on securities that are
being financed. (Definition courtesy of OECD.)
CAS: Close Air Support
CASA: Cardiac Arrest Survival
Act. See also: AED.
Casinghead Gas: Unprocessed
natural gas containing natural gasoline and other liquid hydrocarbon
vapors produced from an oil well. Also called Wet Gas or Associated Gas.
In contrast,
dry natural gas usually comes from dedicated natural gas wells rather
than oil wells.
Cat: Depending on context, short
for Caterpillar (tractor) or Category. CAT is also used as an acronym
for Computed Tomography ("CAT Scan".) .
CB: Citizen's Band Radio. A HF
2-way transmission band at (27 MHz, or 11 meters) that requires no license
for operation in the United States. Some desirable CB transceivers
are capable of SSB operation. Originally 23
channels,
the Citizen's
Band was later expanded to 40 channels during the golden age of CB, in
the 1970s. See
also: Free Band and 10 Meter Band.
CBO: Depending on context,
Congressional Budget Office, Collateralized Bond Obligation
CBOT: Chicago Board of Trade. See
also: NYMEX and COMEX.
CBP: Customs & Border Protection
(Division of the U.S. Immigration Service.)
CBR: Chemical, Biological, and Radiological
warfare. This acronym has been largely superceded by "NBC".
CCA: Chromated Copper Arsenate
CCC: Depending on context:
Civilian Conservation Corps (a 1930s make-work program), California
Conservation Corps (a modern make-work program), Captain's Career Course
(U.S. Army officer development), or Commodity Credit Corporation
CCD: Depending on context:
Charge Coupled Device (electro-optics) or Colony Collapse Disorder (Beekeeping.)
See also: IAPV.
CCL: Concealed Carry License.
See also: CHL.
CCO: Collateralized Commodities
Obligation
CCRKBA: Citizens'
Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
CC&Rs: Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions
CCTV: Closed Circuit Television
CCW: Depending on context: Carrying
a Concealed Weapon or Counter-Clockwise. See also: LTC.
CD: Depending on context: Civil Defense,
Certificate of Deposit, or Compact Disc.
CDC: Centers for Disease Control
CDER: Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research
CDO: Collateralized Debt
Obligation
CDPOC:Credit Derivative Product
Company/Companies
CDS: Credit Default Swap
CEB: Compressed Earth Block
CEO: Chief Executive Officer
CEOI: Communications Electronic Operating Instructions. See
also: SOI.
CEP: Circular Error Probability. This
term is used in a variety of contexts, such as radio direction finding
(where it is more correctly rendered elliptical error probability),
and in describing the accuracy of nuclear warheads.
CERA: Cambridge Energy Research
Associates
CERT: Community Emergency Response
Team
CETME: The Spanish Army's predecessor
of the HK G3 (HK91) rifle. Currently
being re-built in the U.S. using surplus parts kits and U.S.-made semi-auto
only receivers.
CEWI: Communications, Electronic Warfare,
and Intelligence.
CFC: Chlorofluorocarbon.
See also: HFC.
CFI: Confidence Factor Index
CFN: Commercial Fueling Network
CFO: Chief Financial Officer
Charge Controller: A
device that regulates the voltage applied to the batteries from a generator
or PV array. A good charge controller is necessary to ensure that batteries
reach the maximum charge and have the longest life.
Channelized Areas: In
the context of SurvivalBlog, the most likely routes that the Golden Horde
will take WTSHTF. Also called Refugee Lines of Drift. See also: Golden
Horde and WTSHTF. The Chartist takes a purely technical
view towards the market
Chartist: A stock, bond, or commodities
analyst that takes a purely technical view towards the markets.
Chartist Gnome:
The nickname of a European market analyst that advises JWR.
Cheek Weld:
The contact of a shooter's cheek with the stock of a rifle. For consistent
accuracy, the cheek weld must be uniform each time that the shooter shoulders
the rifle. A supplementary cheek rest is sometimes needed to obtain correct
alignment of the eye with the sights (or scope) with a consistent
cheek weld.
Chemlight: Slang for
chemical light stick, such as the Cyalume brand.
Chinese Parliament:
The open session that typically follows a military operational briefing
in some organizations, where everyone involved can speak freely, regardless
of their rank, to give their input. (British SAS term.)
CHL: Concealed Handgun License. See
also: CCL.
Chrononaut: A
time traveler.
CHU: Containerized Housing Unit (a
CONEX retrofitted with a door, window, top vent, power cabling, and air
conditioning unit--as used by servicemen in Iraq.) Spoken "Chew"
CI/KR:Critical Infrastructure/Key
Resource
CIA: Central Intelligence Agency
CIDRAP: Center for Infectious Disease
Research and Policy (at the University of Minnesota.)
CINOs: Christians in name only.
CIO: Chief Information
Officer
Cipro: Short for Ciprofloxacin,
an anti-bacterial drug.
Civie: US Military slang
for civilian.
Claire Files: The
Internet discussion forums formerly hosted by libertarian writer Claire
Wolfe. Now
called The Mental Militia (TMM).
Class 3: The Federal tax category
for Machineguns, short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and suppressors,
mandated by the National Firearms Act of 1934.
Class 3 guns are not legal in all states. Regardless, there is a $200
Federal transfer tax, fingerprints, and background check required.
CLENS: Camouflaged Long Endurance
Nano-Sensors
CLEO: Chief Law Enforcement
Officer
CLO: Collateralized Loan
Obligation
CLP: Cleaner, Lubricant, Protectant.
A Mil-Spec lubricant, sold under the trade name "Break Free CLP"
CM: Compressed Meals (The U.S. Army'
new alternative to MREs, with a freeze dried entree. These are about
2/3s the size and weight of an MRE.
CMBS: Commercial Mortgage
Backed Security/Securities. See also: MBS and RMBS
CME: Coronal Mass Ejection.
(Solar flares.)
CMP: Civilian Marksmanship Program. (The
Federal government agency, formerly called the office of the Director
of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM).
CN: Alphachloroacetaphenone. A variety
of tear gas that can also induce vomiting if inhaled in high concentrations.
See also: CS.
CNC: Computerized Numerical Control
CNN: Cable News Network.
CO: Depending on context: Commanding
Officer, telephone company Central Office, Carbon Monoxide, or Conscientious
Objector.
COB or C-O-B: Depending on
context, Corn-Oat-Barley mix (for livestock), sweetened with molasses
(commonly called "Sweet
Feed"), or Contingency Operating Base, or “Close of Business” as
in “That report is due by COB today!”
CO: Telephone company Central Office.
COG: Continuity of Government.
COIN: Counterinsurgency
Combat Tupperware: See:
Glock.
ComBloc: Communist
Bloc.
COMEX: Commodity Exchange (U.S.
precious metals market.)
COMINT: Communications Intelligence
Comm, Commo: Communications
equipment.
COMSEC: Communications Security
Condensation Gasoline: See Drip Oil.
Condition 0: (SA
Pistol Carry Condition Code) Ready to fire: A round is in the chamber, hammer
is cocked,
and the safety off.
Condition 1: (SA Pistol Carry Condition Code) A cartridge is chambered, the hammer is cocked, and the safety is in the up (safe) position. Also known as "cocked and locked" carry.
Condition 2: (SA Pistol Carry
Condition Code) A cartridge is in the chamber and the hammer is down.
Condition 3: (SA Pistol Carry Condition Code) The chamber is empty and hammer is down with a full magazine in the pistol. Also known as "Israeli
Carry."
Condition 4: (SA Pistol Carry
Condition Code) The chamber is empty, hammer is down and no magazine
is in the pistol.
CONELRAD: Control of Electromagnetic
Radiation. The now defunct emergency broadcasting system for the United
States. In recent years it has been replaced by the Emergency Alert System
(EAS). See also: EAS.
CONEX: A CONtinental EXpress shipping
container. The standard steel or aluminum international shipping containers
used on trucks, railpacks, and on ships.
Usually manufactured in 20, 30, and 40 foot lengths. BTW, they make great
weatherproof lockable storage sheds, especially if you weld on a sleeve
to protect the padlock from attack by bolt cutters or bullets.
CONOPS: Concept of Operations
Contrapreneur:
Someone that foolishly invests is a declining market. (Term coined
by JWR.) See also: McMansion and Flipping.
Contrarian Investing: An
investing strategy that that run contrary to he popular opinion of the
MSM and the Sheeple.
CONUS: Continental United States
COO: Chief Operations Officer
COOP: Continuity of Operations
Plan.
Cooper Corners: Col.
Jeff Cooper popularized
using the "Vauban Principle",
wherein projecting bastion corners would prevent miscreants from being
able to approach a retreat's exterior walls in any blind spots. Retreat
building corners with this simplified implementation of a Vauban Star
are now called "Cooper
Corners" by JWR, in honor of Jeff Cooper.
COP: Combat Outpost.
Cord: A cord is a unit of dry
volume used in Canada and in the United States to measure firewood.
From Wikipedia: "One cord is defined as 128 foot3 (~3.62 m3), corresponding
to a woodpile 8 foot wide x 4 foot high of 4 foot long logs. In the metric
system, wood is usually measured in steres or cubic metres: 1 stere =
1 m3 ≈ 0.276
cords.
In the United States, the cord is defined by statute in most states.
Wood is also sold by the "face cord" (sometimes called a "rick"),
which is usually not legally defined, and varies regionally."
COSCO: China Overseas Shipping Company.
COSTCO: An American membership "warehouse" type
grocery store chain that sells everything from canned hams to home computers.
Most items are sold in case lots. See also: Sam's Club.
Couple, Coupling: See:
EMP.
CP: Candle Power
CPA: Certified Public Accountant
CPAP: Constant Positive Airway Pressure.
(Some sleep apnea patients require a CPAP machine at night.)
CPI: Consumer Price Index
CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
CPSC: Consumer Product Safety
Commission
CPU: Central Processing Unit
CQ: Depending on context: Charge of Quarters or the amateur radio code for "Calling
any amateur radio station"
CQB: Close Quarters Battle
C&R: Curio and Relic (U.S. Federal
firearms legal category.)
C-Ration: Combat
ration. The U.S. Army canned field rations that were replaced by MREs in
the mid-1980s.
CRB: Commodities Research Bureau
Cred: Short for Credential
Credit Spread: The
difference in yield between low risk U.S. Treasury bonds and more risky
fixed-income securities
Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease: (vCJD). A degenerative brain disease of cattle and
other hooved animals that is transmissible to man. Also called Chronic
Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer.
CRKT: Columbia River Knife and Tool.
CRNA: Certified Registered
Nurse Anesthetist
CRP: Conservation Reserve Program.
A Federal Government program designed to pay farmers to not grow
crops; -- leaving their fields fallow. See also: NRCS.
CRT: Cathode Ray Tube.
Crunch, The.: See: WTSHTF.
Crunchies: The
humorous U.S. Army tanker's term from dismounted infantry.
CS: Orthochlorobenzalmalonitrile.
A variety of tear gas. See also: CN.
CSA: Depending on context, Community
Sustained Agriculture or Confederate States of America.
CSAR: Combat Search and Rescue
CSRS:Civil Service Retirement
System
CSS: Cascading Style Sheets
CT: Depending on context,
Counter-Terrorism or Computed Tomography.
CTCSS: Continuous Tone Coded Squelch
System (also known as Private Line (PL) or Channel Guard). Uses subaudible
tones to allow co-channel users to operate without having to hear transmissions
directed to other users. “Private Line” [Motorola]
and “Channel Guard” [General Electric] are examples of trademarked
names for CTCSS. Newer
squelch systems that use digital codes are referred to as “digital
squelch” as opposed to the sub-audible tones used with the older CTCSS
concept.
CTIS: Central Tire Inflation
System
CTR: Currency Transaction
Report. See also: Structuring
cu. in.: Cubic Inch
CUCV: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle
(1980s vintage U.S. Army versions of diesel Chevy Blazers and Pickups,
currently being sold off as surplus.)
CW: Depending on context: Continuous Wave
(an operating mode for amateur radio gear, used for Morse Code.), or
chemical warfare (NBC defense), or Clockwise (Mechanics)
CWD: Chronic Wasting Disease.
See also : Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, BSE, and TSE. CWD is classified
as a
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)
CWP: Concealed Weapon(s) Permit.
CYA: Cover Your Assets
DA: Depending on context: Double
Action or District Attorney.
DAO: Double Action Only. (The type
of pistol action used on the Glock and HK VP-70 pistols.)
DARPA: Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (U.S.)
DB, db: Decibel.
DBA: Doing Business As.
(Fictitious business name.)
DB, db: Decibel.
DBDU: Desert Battle Dress Uniform.
Also commonly called DCUs.
DC: Depending
on context, Direct Current or District of Criminals.
DCI: Director of Central
Intelligence
DCM: See: CMP.
DCU: Desert Camouflage Uniform.
The common term for the U.S. military uniform that is officially
called the Desert Battle Dress uniform (DBDU.)
DD: Detroit Diesel.
DDS: Doctor of Dental Surgery
DE: Diatomaceous
Earth
DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency
Decon: Decontamination
Deep Cycling: (or deep
discharging): Discharging a battery to 20 percent or less of its full
charge. This
shortens the life of most types of batteries.
Deep Larder Concept: A
pantry stocked with foods and essential oils for a family for 2+ years
DEET: The active ingredient
in most modern topical insect repellents.(N,N-Diethyl-meta-Toluamide.)
DEFRA: Department
for Environment Food and Rural Affairs--(the UK's equivalent of the
USDA)
Delta Team: See: SFOD-D.
DEQ: Department
of Environmental Quality
Det cord, Detonating cord, Primacord: A
plastic tube 4 to 7 millimeters in diameter, filled with PETN high-order
explosive. Generally used for joining separate explosive charges to
make them explode almost simultaneously. See also: PETN.
Deuce Gear: Slang expression
for the obsolete LC-1 and LC-2 "ALICE" web gear that was issued
by te US military in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
DEVGRU: Naval Special
Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6. Roughly analogous
to the US Army's SFOD-D, See also: SEAL.
DEW: Directed Energy Weapon
DF: Direction Finding
DFP: Defensive Fighting
Position
DFW: Dallas/Fort Worth (metropolitan
area, also the designation for the airport.)
DGPS: Differential Global Positioning
System
DH: Darling Husband
DHS: Department of Homeland Security
(a U.S. Federal government agency)
DIA: Defense Intelligence Agency
DIAS or D.I.A.S. : Drop-in Auto
sear
DIC: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.
Widespread clotting in the blood vessels, (usually due to poisons and
infections) leading to hemorrhage.
Dinodiesel: Diesel
fuel oil extracted from petroleum. See
also: Biodiesel, SVO, and WVO.
DIY: Do It Yourself
Dirty Bomb: A conventional
explosive used to propel radioactive materials--designed solely to
cause contamination and incapable of reaching critical mass.
DJIA: Dow Jones Industrial
Average. A New York stock price index.
DLAB: Defense Language Aptitude
Battery-- the "pre-test" for US military personnel applying for
foreign language training school.
DLP: Defense of Life and Property
DMA: Day Moving Average (commodity
or stock price)
DMSO: Di-Methyl Sulf
Oxide. An industrial solvent that is also used as a folk remedy for
joint pain.One of its properties is that is a trans-dermal carrier
for pharmaceuticals, easily allowing drugs to be transmitted to the
bloodstream of an animal
or human. DMSO is sometimes used in veterinary medicine.
DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNR: Depending on context: Department
of Natural Resources or Do Not Resuscitate. (The latter is a common
clause in Living Wills.)
DNVT: Digital Non-secure
Voice Terminal. Late generation digital keypad-controlled field telephones.
The current U.S. military issue is the AN/TA-1042. See also: TA-1
/ TA-312.
DOA: Dead on Arrival. Traditionally
applied to cadavers, this term is now also used for describing a piece
of mail-ordered equipment that doesn't work.
DOD: U.S. Department of Defense.
It was more appropriately called The War Department before the onset
of political correctness.
DOE: U.S. Department of Energy (a
U.S. Federal government agency)
DOI: U.S. Department of the Interior(a
U.S. Federal government agency)
Doomer: The Peak Oil crowd's term
for someone that foresees a societal collapse when oil supplies get
short. See also: Hubbert's Peak.
DOT: U.S. Department of Transportation.
(a U.S. Federal government agency)
DPM: Disruptive Pattern, Marine. The
camouflage cloth pattern developed for the U.K.'s Royal Marines.
Drip Oil: The light oil or hydrocarbon liquids condensed in a natural gas piping system when the gas is cooled. Sometimes also called natural gasoline, condensation gasoline, or simply “drip.” Drip
oil can be burned like gasoline in most engines.
DRMO: Defense Reutilization Management
Office (The U.S. Military's "auction yard".) Local military base
DRMO offices report to the “Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service” or
DRMS.
Drop Box: In the context of fuel:
A container (usually a large tank); that is used to collect drip oil.
In other contexts: A commercial mail box, such as those rented at
UPS Stores.
Dry Gas: Depending on context either
another name for Casinghead
Gas, or generic name for an alcohol-based gas additive used to
absorb water. See also: Casinghead
Gas.
DSA: D.S. Arms (The
D.S. stands for Dave Selvaggio)
DSHEA: Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act
DSL: Digital Subscriber Line
DSLAM: DSL Access Multiplexer
DSP: Digital Signal Processor/Processing
DSS: State Dept. Diplomatic Security
Service
DTPA: Diethylenetriamine
pentaacetic acid
DTRA: Defense Threat Reduction
Agency
DTRC: Defense Threat Reduction
Center (HQ of the U.S. DTRA.)
DU: Depending on context Depleted
Uranium or Ducks Unlimited
DUG: Doom und Gloom. (Acronym
coined by JWR.)
DVD: Digital Video Disc
DWV: Drain, Waste and Vent pipe.
Typically black plastic pipe in modern U.S. house construction.
DX: Depending on context: Long
distance radio communication (amateur radio), Diagnosis (medicine),
or Direct Exchange (military supply system.)
E85: A fuel blend that 85% ethanol
and 15% gasoline
E911: Enhanced 911. The FCC-mandated
capability of cellular phone providers to be able to track the location
of their cell phone subscribers.
E100: 100% ethanol
EAS: Emergency Alert System.See also:
CONELRAD.
ECB: European Central Bank.
ECCM: Electronic Counter-Countermeasures
ECM: Depending on context, Electronic
Countermeasures (electronic warfare) or Electronic Control Module (automotive
electronic ignition systems.)
EDC: Everyday Carry. Usually
used to refer to pocketknives.
EDIS: Electronic Distributorless
Ignition System. (Ford Motor Company terminology for an electronic
ignition system.)
E&E: Escape and Evasion
EEO: Equal Employment Opportunity
(anti-discrimination)
EER: Extended Eye Relief (Scope, typically
used with pistols and "scout" rifles/carbines)
EFF: Electronic Frontiers Foundation
EFP: Explosive Formed Projectiles--a.k.a.
shaped charges.
e.g.: Exempli Gratia. Latin for "For
example"
ELB: Depending on context, Electronic
Logbook or Emergency Locator Beacon
ELE: Extinction Level Event
Eleven Bravo (or 11B): The
U.S. Army's MOS for Infantryman.
Elmer: A volunteer who helps new
folks interested in amateur radio. (A mentor or volunteer tutor.)
EMC: Electromagnetic Compatibility.
EMCC: Emergency Mass Critical
Care.
EMCOMM: Emergency Communications
EMCON: Emission Control
EMD: Electro-Muscular Disruption.
The politically correct term for the effect of getting zapped with a Taser.
EME: Earth-Moon-Earth. EME is
shorthand for "moon bounce" radio propagation techniques.
EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse. Described
at Wikipedia. See also: Faraday Cage and TREE.
EMI: Electromagnetic Interference
EMS: Emergency Medical Services
EMT: Emergency Medical Technician
EMT-A: Emergency Medical
Technician - Ambulance
EMT-B: Emergency Medical
Technician - Basic
EMT-C: Emergency Medical
Technician - Cardiac
EMT-CC: Emergency
Medical Technician - Critical Care
EMT-D: Emergency
Medical Technician - Defibrillator
EMT-FR: Emergency
Medical Technician - First Responder
EMT-I: Emergency
Medical Technician - Intermediate
EMT-P: Emergency
Medical Technician - Paramedic
EMV: Electromagnetic Vulnerability
Encryption: The systematic
encoding of a message or bit stream before transmission to prevent
unauthorized recipients from understanding it. The process of again
rendering the
information readable
is Decryption.
EO: Depending on context Electo-optics,
Equal Opportunity, or Executive Order
EOD: Explosive Ordnance Disposal
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
(U.S. Federal government agency)
Epi, Epi-Pen: Trades name for Epinephrine.
An injectable drug used for treating anaphylaxis. See also: Benadryl.
EPS: Encapsulated Postscript file format.
Can be opened by most Adobe products, including Acrobat Reader
ER: Emergency Room
EROEI: Energy Return on Energy Invested.
The ratio of the amount of energy needed to generate a unit of energy
from a fuel source. When oil was first produced over
150 years ago the EROEI was 40 (or more) to 1. The oil gushed out of
the ground. Just 30 years
ago it was as high
as 20:1. Today, the oil EROEI is variously reported as 2.5 to 1.2 to
1 for light sweet crude. As Peak Oil occurs, oil shale
production is expected to see an EROEI of less than 1. That
means it takes more than one energy unit to produce a single unit of
energy from the
oil shale. Thus, it doesn’t matter how much it costs, because
the extraction operation will have become an energy sink. See also: Peak
Oil.
ERP: Effective Radiated Power. (The
resulting combined output of a transmitter & an antenna with dB gain factor)
ERRB: Enhanced Radiation Reduced
Blast nuclear warhead.
Commonly called a Neutron Bomb.
ESA: Economics
and Statistics Administration
ESHTF: Economic Schumer Hits the
Fan. (See also: WTSHTF and SHTF.)
EST: Eastern Standard Time.
ETA: Depending on context, Estimated
Time of Arrival or the Basque terrorist group Euskadi ta Askatasuna.
(Which means“Basque
Fatherland and Liberty” in Euskara, the Basque language.)
ETF: Exchange Traded Fund
EtOH or ETOH: Ethanol.(Ethyl
or "Grain" alcohol.) See also: C2H5OH
E-Tool: Entrenching Tool.
ETS: Expiration Term of Service.
(The end of a military duty.) See also: PCS.
EU: European Union
Euro: The common currency
unit for the European Union. Usually expressed as EU or or € .
EW: Electronic Warfare
Ex-pat: Slang contraction
for expatriate.
F2F: Face to Face
FA: Forward Assist. (A feature
on later M16s, AR-15s, and Israeli FAL rifles, designed to push the bolt
carrier forward under dusty/dirty conditions.)
FAC: Forward Air Controller
FAE: Fuel-Air Explosive
FAIK: "For All I Know"
FAK: First Aid Kit
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
FAL: Fusil Automatique Leger --A Belgian
7.62mm NATO battle rifle (+ clones thereof) See also: L1A1 and
my FAQ on
this subject.
FALFiles: The web site for FAL
and L1A1 owners. See: http://www.falfiles.com/forums/index.php
Fannie Mae: See: FNMA.
Faraday Cage: A
shielding enclosure for electronics. See: EMP
FAS: Federation of American Scientists
FAS 157: The U.S. general accounting rule
that (as of 2008) dictates that banks can no longer conceal Level
Three assets. See also Level and. Derivative.
FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation
FBO: Fixed Base Operator. The
authorized vendor at an airport that sells aviation fuel and provides
services to all the aircraft there. Even large municipal commercial airports
have a “FBO”.
It is the vendor that won the contract to provide services at the airport
on an exclusive basis. In rural
areas these are sometimes "mom and pop" operations.
FCC: Depending on context Federal Communications
Commission (a U.S. Federal government agency) or Food Chemical Codex
(USDA).
FCSA: Fifty Caliber Shooters Association.
See: www.fcsa.org
FDA: Food and Drug Administration.
(A U.S. Federal government agency)
FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(A taxpayer guaranteed bailout fund for banks.)
FDR: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Fed: Slang shorthand for
The Federal Reserve--a private banking cartel and the de facto central
bank in the
United States.
Feds: Slang shorthand for
agents of any Federal agency, but most commonly the FBI.
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency. (A U.S. Federal government agency) The acronym is also jokingly defined as "Foolishly
Expecting Meaningful Aid."
Ferret: Depending on
context: 1.) A post-WWII British armored scout car, made by Daimler,
in several variants. 2.) A shotgun shell that fires a CS tear gas liquid
capsule that
vaporizes on impact. 3.) The Ferret .50 single-shot .50 BMG rifle that
utilizes an AR-15-type lower receiver.
FET: Field Effect Transistor
FFE: Fuel Flame Expedients
FFL: Federal Firearms License
FFV: Flexible Fuel Vehicle. (Gasoline
engine vehicles that are E85 Ethanol compatible.)
FFTAGFFR: Food for Thought and
Grounds for Further Research (Acronym coined by JWR)
FG: Coarse grain black power, normally
used only in shotguns and cannon
FFG: "Two F" Black power,
normally used in rifles with a bore of .50 to .75 caliber
FFFG: "Triple F" black
power, used in most single shot pistols and percussion revolvers. It
is also popular for rifles up to .50 caliber.
FFFFG: "Four F" black power.
Can be used for priming the pans of flintlocks.
FFFFFG: "Five F" extra
fine black power--the preferred granulation for priming the pans of flintlock
rifles.
FHLM: Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation. Nicknamed"Freddie Mac". A Federally-chartered corporation
that purchases residential mortgages, securitizes them, and sells them
to investors; this provides lenders with funds for home buyers. See
also FNMA
Fiat Currency: Any paper currency
that is issued at will, without convertibility to precious metals
or other
tangibles. (From
the Latin "Let it be done.")
FICA: Federal Insurance Contributions
Act. (The Social Security program tax.) See also: SSA.
FIFO: First In, First Out—used
for food storage rotation.
FIJA: The Fully Informed Jury Association
FinCEN: Financial Crimes Enforcement
Network. A division of the U.S. Department of
the Treasury tasked with stopping money
laundering.
Flipping: The process
of buying and then quickly reselling an asset in a rising market, to
turn a profit. This
is often accomplished with borrowed money. See also: Contrapreneur
and McMansion.
FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared
FM: Depending on context, Field Manual
or Frequency Modulation)
FMA: Filipino Martial Arts
FMJ: Full Metal Jacket. (A bullet that does not expand when it strikes tissue.) Also called "ball:" ammunition
by the U.S. Military.
FMS: Foreign Military Sales
FN: The Belgian arms maker Fabrique
Nationale de Herstal.
FN-49 or FN49: A post-WWII
semi-auto rifle produced by FN, with a 10 round magazine fed from
stripper clips. Variants were made in several calibers including 7x57,
8x57, and
.30-06. A later
arsenal conversion made in Argentine was made in .308, with detachable
20 round magazines.
FN/FAL or FN-FAL: See: FAL
FNMA: Federal National Mortgage
Association. Nicknamed: "Fannie Mae". A Federally-chartered enterprise
owned by private stockholders that purchases residential mortgages and
converts them into securities for sale to investors; by purchasing mortgages,
Fannie
Mae supplies funds that lenders may loan to home buyers. See
also FHLM
FOB: Forward Operating Base
Fobbit: Someone who is stationed
at a Forward Operating Base (FOB.)
FOIA: Freedom of Information
Act
FOMC: Federal Open Market
Committee. A 12-member committee which sets interest rate
and bank credit policies for the Federal Reserve banking cartel.
Force Multiplier: A capability
that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases
the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability
of successful mission accomplishment. (US DOD definition.)
Force Recon: Force Reconnaissance
is the U.S. Marine Corp's elite commando force.
FOREX: The foreign exchange
market, where currencies are traded.
Forward (contract): The
original and basic derivative contract, a forward transaction is an agreement
to buy or sell a certain quantity of
an asset or commodity in the future at a specified price, place, and
time.
FPO: Fleet Post Office. (U.S.
Navy/USMC/USCG postal service.)
FPS: Feet Per Second
FRA: Forward rate agreement.
An agreement to borrow or lend a certain amount of principal at a specified
interest rate and time. In other contexts: Försvarets Radioanstalt (The
Norwegian equivalent of the NSA.)
Frag: Short for fragmentation. In
one context a "frag order" or "FRAGO" is an abbreviated
military operations order.
Freddie Mac: See: FHLM.
Free Band: The bands for
CB radio frequencies just above and just below the official CB channels.
Also known as illicit "out of band transmission." Use
of the Free Band is illegal. See also: Bastard crystal.
Free Gun: A tripod-mounted
weapon that is detached from its T&E mechanism, for greater flexibility
of fire. See also: T&E.
FRN: Federal Reserve Note(s)
FRS: Family Radio Service (A type of
UHF-FM walkie-talkie that requires no license in the U.S.) See also:
GMRS and MURS.
FSB: Federalnaya
Sluzhba Bezopasnosti. The main successor of the KGB.
FSBO: For Sale
By Owner
FSK: Frequency Shift Keying.
See also: PSK.
FSLIC: Federal Savings
and Loan Insurance Corporation (A taxpayer guaranteed bailout fund for
thrift institutions.)
FSP: Free States Project
FSNH: Free State New Hampshire
FSR: First Strike Ration
FSW: Free State Wyoming
FTE: Failure to Eject
FTF: Failure to Feed
FTRSS: Flexible Temperature Range
Sleep System. Modular synthetic sleeping bags made by Wiggy's.
FUBAR: Fouled up beyond all recognition.
FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
Futures (Contract): An
agreement to buy or sell a given quantity of an asset or commodity
in the future at a specified price, place, and time.
FWIW: For What Its Worth
g: Gravity. (Earth's gravity = 1g.
Acceleration and deceleration forces are expressed in terms of g ("gees").
G1: The West German Army's version
of the FN/FAL rifle. G1 parts kits have been used in recent years for
building semi-auto only FALs in the U.S.
G3: The West German Army's selective
fire battle rifle of the 1960s/70s/80s. Its
civilian (semi-auto only) equivalent is the HK91
Galil: See: AK.
Garand: See: M1.
GATA: Gold Anti-Trust Action (GATA.org)
GBP: Great Britain Pound
GBS: Group B Streptococcus
GCA or GCA-68: The Gun Control Act of 1968.
The law that first created FFLs and banned interstate transfers of post-1898
firearms, except "to or through" FFL holders.
GCC: Gulf Cooperation
Council
GD: A persistent nerve gas developed
for the Soviet army.
GDP: Depending on context, Gross Domestic
Product or Generally Dumb Public.
Gen: Generation
Gen 1: First Generation
Gen 2: Second Generation
Gen 3: Third Generation
Genny: Slang
for generator.
Genset: Generator Set.
(U.S. military terminology.)
GGGGG: God, Gold, Guns, Groceries,
and Ground (farm land). Acronym coined
by Richard "Doc" Sweeny.
Ghillie, Ghillie Suit: A ragged-texture
camouflage suit, originally developed by Scottish game wardens.
G.I. or GI: Depending on context,
General inductee (draftee), Government Issue (equipment specifications),
or Gastro-Intestinal tract. See also: U.S.G.I.
GIS: Geographical Information Systems
Glazis: Globalist Socialists. Coined
by Lawrence Rayburn.
Glock: The popular polymer-framed pistol design by Gaston Glock of Austria. Also derisively known as "Combat Tupperware " by
their detractors, because they were the first maker to ship their pistols
in a plastic box with a snap lid. Glocks are a favorite of gun writer
Boston T.
Party.
GM: Depending on context General Motors
or Genetically Modified.
GMAW Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW).
See also: MIG.
GMC: General Motors Corporation
GMO: Genetically Modified Organism
GMRS: General Mobile Radio A licensed
UHF-FM 2-way radio service. Service. See also: FRS and MURS.
GNC: Gaz naturel
comprimé. See also: LNG.
GNIS: Geographic Names Information
System. An excellent resource when you are looking for specific areas
on a map. See: http://geonames.usgs.gov/ See
also: USGS.
Gold Cup: The target version
of Colt's M1911. Has fully adjustable target sights, a tapered barrel
and a tighter barrel bushing than standard M1911s.
Golden Horde: In historical
contexts, the Mongol Horde of the 13th Century, but in the context of
SurvivalBlog, the anticipated large mixed horde of refugees and looters
that will pour
out of the metropolitan regions WTSHTF. See also: WTSHTF.
GOA: Gun Owners of America
G.O.O.D.: Get Out of Dodge--the
author’s generic acronym for leaving the big city in a hurry WTSHTF.
(Acronym coined by JWR). I also use the term “bug out” and the
British soccer term “take
the gap.” The term Get Out of Dodge kit is synonymous with Bug Out Bag.
See also: BOB, INCH, and WTSHTF.
Goretex: A patented breathable
fabric.
GP: Depending on context General
Practice (physician) , General Purpose, or General Principal
GPH: Gallons Per Hour (usually
in the context of diesel marine engine fuel specifications.)
GPM: Gallons Per Minute (usually in
the context of water wells or springs.)
GPO: Government Printing Office.
GPS: Global Positioning System
Gray: The standard unit
of measurement for radiation exposure, that replaced Roentgen, Rem,
and Rad. Conversion from Grays are as follows. See also: Rad.
1 Gy = 100 rad
1 mGy = 100 mrad
1 Sv = 100 rem
1 mSv = 100 mrem
Greasel: See: Biodiesel
Greenlight, Greenlighted: The
Hollywood and Bollywood term for the "go" decision to produce
a movie.
Grid Down: An
extended period of time when the power grid is non-functional
Grid Up: A situation
where the national power grids stay functional except for brief
interruptions.
Group Therapy: Slang
term for full automatic fire. See also: Rock-'n-roll.
GSM: Global System for Mobile
Communications
GTAW: Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
(GTAW), See also: TIG.
GTG: Good To Go
gtt: Drop. (Medicinal dropper measure,
from the Latin gutta.) The plural (drops ) is written gtts
GU: Genitourinary
Gunsite: The firearms training
school in Arizona founded by Col.
Jeff Cooper.
GVW: Gross Vehicle Weight
GWB: George Walker Bush
GWOT: Global War on Terror
H2H: Human to human (disease transmission.)
H5N1: The CDC's designation for one
of the current strains of the Asian Avian Flu Also called Highly Pathogenic
Avian Influenza (HPAI). See my article on the subject: http://www.SurvivalBlog.com/asianflu.html
Hadji: Slang for an
Iraqi native-born resident.
Ham: (A slang term for an amateur
radio operator. It is not an acronym and therefore should not have
all the letters capitalized (HAM" , as is often seen in print.).
HARM: High Speed Anti-Radiation
Missile
Haole: The Hawai’ian word
for Anglos.
Hardened (electronics): See:
EMP.
Hard Money: Currency
that is either redeemable in precious metals, or issued in the
form of precious metals.
Ha-Shem, Hashem: Hebrew for “His
Name.” My
Jewish friends use it in reference The Creator. (They consider it disrespectful
to use His name directly.)
Hazmat, HazMat, or HAZMAT:
Hazardous Material(s)
H-BAR: Heavy Barrel.
HD or H.D.: Heavy Duty.
HDPE: High Density
Polyethylene is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to
take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Most
five gallon "food grade" buckets are made from HDPE.
HDR: Humanitarian Daily
Ration
HDTV: High Definition
Television
Helicopter Ben:
A derogatory nickname for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. In
2002, when the word "deflation" began appearing in the business news, Bernanke
gave a speech about deflation. In that speech, he mentioned that the
government in a fiat money system owns the physical means of creating
money. Control of
the means of production for money implies that the government can always
avoid deflation by simply issuing more money. (He referred to a statement
made by
Milton Friedman about using a "helicopter drop" of money into the
economy to fight deflation.) Bernanke's critics have since referred to
him as "Helicopter Ben" or to his "helicopter printing press".
In a footnote to his speech, Bernanke noted that "people know that inflation
erodes the real value of the government's debt and, therefore, that it
is in the interest of the government to create some inflation." (Definition
courtesy of Wikipedia.)
Heller: The DC v.
Heller US supreme court decision in June, 2008 affirmed that the "right
to keep and bear arms" is an individual right of
all citizens.
HEI: High Energy Ignition. (Patented
by General Motors.)
Helo: Short for helicopter.
HEPA: High Efficiency Particulate
Air (Filter). In the context of SurvivalBlog, I refer to HEPA filters
used to trap the dust from the air pumped into fallout shelters. Some
of the best (and
most expensive) HEPA filter systems are made by Luwa of Switzerland.
HERF: Hazards of Electromagnetic
Radiation to Fuel
HERO: Hazards of Electromagnetic
Radiation to Ordnance
HERP: Hazards of Electromagnetic
Radiation to Personnel
HF: High Frequency
HFC: Hydrofluorocarbon.
HFCs are now often being used as replacements for Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), because they are thought to be less damaging to the Earth's
ozone layer.
hh or HH: Hands High. The abbreviation
for the unit of measurement for horses,
donkeys, ponies, et cetera. One hand equals four inches.
HHS: Health and Human Services
High Acid: Foods that have
a high acid content that inhibits spoilage.
H.I.P.S.: Hide In Plain Sight. This
often refers to urban survival or the construction of discreet hiding
places. (Acronym coined by JWR.)
Hitlery: JWR's nickname
for Hillary Rodham Clinton
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency
Virus. See also: AIDS.
HK: Heckler und Koch, the German
gun maker
HK91: Heckler und Koch Model 91.
The civilian (semi auto-only) variant of the 7.62 mm NATO G3 rifle.
HMG: Heavy Machinegun.(Such as the
M2 Browning .50 Caliber.)
HMMWV: High Mobility Multipurpose
Wheeled Vehicle, also commonly called a Humvee
HOA: Homeowners association. Sometimes
called a landowners association (LOA)
Hopolophobe: Someone that
fears firearms.(Term popularized by Col.
Jeff Cooper.)
Hotel Sierra: Aviator lingo for "Hot
Stuff!"
H.P., h.p., HP: Depending on context:
Horsepower, hollow point (bullet), High Power (as in High Power Rifle
Target Competition) or Hi Power, as in Browning P-35 Hi Power 9
mm pistols.
HPAI: Highly Pathogenic
Avian Influenza (HPAI). Called "high path" in epidemiologist slang.
See also: LPAI and H5N1
HPBT: Hollow point boat tail (bullet)
HR: Human Remains. In other contexts,
Human Resources.
HRC: Hillary Rodham Clinton
HRT: Hostage Rescue Team.
(FBI). Often spoken "Hurt Team."
HSA: Health Savings Account
HSS: High Speed Steel (Machining
term.)
HTF: (Schumer) Hits the
Fan.
Hubbert’s Peak: The
presumed peak in oilfield production that is expected to occur +/-
2015. See also: LATOC.
HUD: Housing and Urban Development
(U.S. Federal government agency)
HUMINT: Human Intelligence
HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and
Air Conditioning.
HVACR: Heating, Ventilation,
Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration
Hydrometer: An instrument
for measuring the density of liquids in relation to the density of
water. Used to indicate the state of charge in lead-acid cells by
measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte. Also used in commercial
food
canning.
IANSA: International Action Network
on Small Arm). The umbrella lobby group for all the anti-gun groups
at the United Nations.
IAPV: Israeli Acute Paralysis
Virus. A disease linked to honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder.
See also: CCD
IAW: In Accordance
With
IBA: Interceptor Body Armor--the current U.S. Military issue Kevlar body armor. The base vest weighs 6 pounds. The front and rear trauma plates are additional 6 pounds each. Additional
shoulder armor and groin protectors add even more weight.
IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IC: Depending on context Integrated
Circuit, Independent Contractor, or Internal Combustion.
ICBM: Intercontinental Ballistic
Missile
I.C.E.: Depending on context Institute
for Christian Economics (Founded by Dr. Gary North), or U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (a Division of the DHS), or “In Case of Emergency”.
ICF: Insulated Concrete Form. (House
construction method.)
ICRC: International Committee
of the Red
Cross/Red Crescent. See also: ARC.
ICS: Incident Command System (See
also: FEMA.)
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
ID, I.D., i.d.: Depending on Context:
Identification or Inside Diameter
IDF: Depending context, Israeli Defense
Force or Indirect Fire
IDI: Indirect Injection
(diesel fuel engines).
IDIQ: Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite
Quantity
IDPs: Internally Displaced
Persons
IDPA: International Defensive Pistol
Association
i.e.: Id Est. Latin for "That
is"
IED: Improvised Explosive Device
IEDTF: Improvised Explosive Device
Task Force
IEEE: Institute of Electrical & Electronics
Engineers
IER: Intermediate Eye Relief (Scope, typically used with "scout" rifles/carbines)
IEW: Intelligence and Electronic
Warfare
IEWCS: Intelligence and Electronic
Warfare Common Sensor
IEW&S: Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors
IFV: Infantry Fighting Vehicle. See
Also: M2 Bradley.
IG: Depending on context, Instructor Greg (who teaches "Tac Tuesday"),
or Inspector General
IIRC: If I Recall Correctly
IM: Depending on context, Instant
Messenger or intramuscular (drug injection).
IME: Institute of Makers of Explosives
IMF: International Monetary
Fund
IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
IMO: In My Opinion
INCH: I'm Never Coming
Home (kit). An "INCH" kit is the gear that you would take
in the event of a worst case, wherein you would only have one
trip "Out
of Dodge." See also BOB, GOOD, WTSHTF, and INCH.
ING: Iraqi National Guard
The Insider: The nickname
of SurvivalBlog's source inside the investment banking community.
In-Town Retreat: A retreat
inside or adjoining town limits that depends on some local infrastructure.
See also: Isolated Retreat.
Inverter: A device that converts
DC electricity (anywhere from 12 to 600 VDC) to AC electricity (typically
120/240 VAC.)
IOU: "I Owe You". An informal
note of indebtedness, usually without any interest charged.
IP: Internet Protocol
IPB: Intelligence Preparation
of the Battlefield
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change
IPO: Initial Public
(stock) Offering.
IPSC: International
Practical Shooting Confederation.
IQ: Intelligence Quotient
IR: Infrared
IRA: Depending on context: Individual
Retirement Account or Irish Republican Army. See also: 401(k).
IRR: Depending on context:
Internal Rate of Return (bonds and CDOs) or Individual Ready Reserve
(U.S. military.)
IRS: Internal Revenue Service (a
U.S. Federal government taxing agency)
Isolated Retreat: A
privately owned stronghold designed to be almost entirely self-sufficient
and self-contained.
Also, often called a Remote Retreat. See also: In-Town Retreat.
ISAF: International Security Assistance
Force
ISB: Interact System B.
The Dodge/Cummins Diesel term for their proprietary fuel injection
systems.
ISID: International Society
for Infectious Diseases
ISR: Intelligence, Surveillance,
and Reconnaissance
ISS: International Space Station
ISTAR: Intelligence,
Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance
IT: Information Technology
IV or i.v.: Intravenous
IWB: Inside-the-waistband
(pistol holster design)
IWBA: International Wound
Ballistics Association
Izzy: Slang for Israeli
JASBORR: Jim's Amazing Secret
Bunker of Redundant Redundancy. (A variation on an acronym coined by
Richard Daughty, who writes under the pen name The
Mogambo Guru.) The JASBORR is also sometimes called the Flaggermus
Grotte.
JBT: Jack Booted Thug
JHP: Jacketed Hollow Point (ammunition)
JIT: Just In Time. See
also: Kanban.
JMHO: Just My Humble Opinion
JP4: High grade aviation kerosene.
JPFO: Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
"Junk" Silver: 1964
or earlier mint date circulated U.S. silver dimes, quarters, or half
dollars with little or no numismatic value. These coin have a
silver content of 90%.
JWR: James Wesley, Rawles (The primary
author/editor of SurvivalBlog.)
K-1: "Water Clear" grade
Kerosene
KADE: The acronym used
as a mnemonic memory aid, for the fat-soluble vitamins Vitamins K,
A, D, and E. It is important to avoid overdosing any of these vitamins!
Kalashnikov: See: AK.
Kali, Kalifornia: California. See
also: PRK.
Kanban: The Japanese
term for a Just In Time (JIT) inventory control system. See also:
JIT.
KBR: Kellogg, Brown and Root.
KD: Known Distance
KGB: Komitet Gosudarstvennoy
Bezopasnosti. Committee for
State Security. Now defunct, the Soviet KGB has been succeeded by the
Russian FSB. See also: FSB.
Keynesian: Those
who believe in the socialistic economic theories of John Maynard
Keynes.
Keynesians advocate
government intervention, or "demand-side management" of the economy,
ostensibly to achieve full employment and stable prices.
KG or kg : Kilogram
KI: Potassium Iodide
KIO3: Potassium Iodate
KHz: Kilohertz
KIA: Killed In Action.
Killer Caravans: Kurt Saxon’s
term for Rover Packs.
KISS or K.I.S.S. : "Keep it
Simple, Stupid!"
KJV: King James Version of The Bible
Klick: Slang for Kilometer (km)
Kludge or Kluge: Slang
for an expedient "crude, but effective" fix to a problem. Spoken "klooj".
An ugly fix ix often described as "kludgy."
km: Kilometer
KR: Key Resource. See also:
CI/KR.
KT or Kt: Kiloton. Most commonly
used in describing the yield of nuclear weapons.
Kva: Kilo Volt
Amp. This term describes power in a relationship of thousands
of volts (voltage) and amperage.
KW or Kw: Kilowatt
KWh: Kilowatt Hours. One
KWh is one thousand watts acting over a 1 hour period.
KYPD: Keep Your
Powder Dry
L1A1: The British and Australian "Inch" measurements
versions of the metric FAL Rifle. Also known as the SLR (Self-Loading
Rifle.) See my FAQ on
this subject.
LATOC: Life After The Oil
Crash. See: LifeAfterTheOilCrash.net,
a blog edited by Matt Savinar. See also: Hubbert's Peak
LAV: Light Armored Vehicle
LAW: Light Anti-Tank Weapon
LBE: Load Bearing Equipment. A generic
name for military style suspenders or vest used for carrying magazine
pouches, canteen, pistol holster, et cetera. Also called Web Gear, or in
some cases Deuce Gear.
LBO: Leveraged Buyout
LBV: Load Bearing Vest.
LC-1: Load Carrying, Type 1. (U.S. Army
Load Bearing Equipment, circa 1970s to 1990s.)
LCD: Liquid Crystal Display.
L&D: Labor and
Deliver. (Childbirth.)
LD: Lunar Distance
LDPE: Low Density Polyethylene is
used in grocery shopping bags and trash bags. Not all LDPE is "food grade." See
also: HDPE.
LDS: The Latter Day Saints, commonly
called The Mormons. (It the opinion of JWR they have flawed doctrine
but a great family food storage program.)
LDT: Depending on context:
Light Duty Truck, Light Displacement Tonnage, or Lowest Dose Tested.
LED: Light Emitting Diode
LE: Law Enforcement
LEO: Depending on context: Law Enforcement
Officer, "Law Enforcement
Only" (product sales restriction), or a Low Earth Orbit satellite.
LER: Long Eye Relief (Scope, typically
used with pistols and "scout" rifles/carbines)
Level 1 Asset: Under
US banking general accounting rules, Level 1 Assets are investments
such as stocks and bonds. See
also FAS 157 and Derivative.
Level 2 Asset: Under
US banking general accounting rules, Level 2 Assets investments include
some mortgage-backed securities. See also FAS 157 and Derivative.
Level
3 Asset: Under US banking general accounting rules, Level 3
Assets are obscure and exotic investments such derivatives. See also
FAS 157 and Derivative.
LGD: Livestock Guardian
Dog or Large Guardian
Dog
Li: Lithium
LIA: Little Ice Age
LIBOR: London Interbank Offered
Rate
LIC: Low Intensity Conflict
Lines of drift: See:
Channelized Areas.
LLC: Limited Liability Corporation
LLDPE: Linear Low-Density
PolyEthylene
LMG: Light Machinegun.(Such
as the M249 SAW.)
LNG: Liquefied Natural Gas.
See also: GNC.
LOA: Depending on context
Length, over all. (Sailing ship term.) or Landowner's Association
See
also: HOA.
LOL: Laughing out loud.
LOS: Line of Sight. Many
communications technologies require an unobstructed path between
transmitter
and receiver, as in microwave radio, satellite communications, and
laser/infrared optical communications links.
Low Acid: Foods that have little
acid and therefore can contain food poisoning bacteria if poorly processed.
LOX: Liquid Oxygen.
LP: Depending on context: Liquid
Propane (fuel), Long Playing (record album), or Lumbar Puncture (Spinal
tap).
LPA: Log Periodic Antenna
LPAI: Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza
(LPAI). Called "low path" in epidemiologist slang. See also
HPAI and H5N1
LPCs: Leather Personnel Carriers
(A humorous reference to boots.)
LPI: Low Probability of Intercept
LP/OP: Listening post/observation
post: Usually the same position, used for observation in daylight hours
and for listening and use of Starlight devices at night. See also: Starlight
LR: Depending on context: Lactated
Ringers (Or Ringer's Lactate) an IV support fluid. or Long Rifle (as
in .22 LR rimfire.)
LRP: Long Range Patrol (See also: MCW/LRP)
LRRP: Long Range Reconnaissance
Patrol
LRRS: Long Range Reconnaissance
and Surveillance
LSA: Depending on Context, Lubricant,
Small Arms, or Logistics
Support Area
LSB: Lower Sideband. One of the two “single
side bands” that
can be selected on a suitably-equipped radio transceiver. See also “SSB” and “USB”.
LSD: Depending on context:
Low self discharge (batteries) or Lysergic acid (illicit hallucinogenic
drug.)
LSE: Depending on context: London
Stock Exchange or London School of Economics.
LTC: Depending on context:
Lieutenant Colonel or License to Carry. See also: CCW.
LTCM: Long-Term Capital
Management. The infamous derivatives hedge
fund that went bankrupt in 1999. LTCM had only about $4 billion in net
asset value, with assets totaling
over $100 billion but they had about $1.4 trillion in derivatives
bets on the table when the house of cards collapsed.
M or m: Meter
M1 Garand: The U.S. Army's primary
battle rifle of WWII and the Korean conflict. It is semi-automatic,
chambered in .30-06, and uses a top-loading 8 round en
bloc clip
that ejects after the last round is fired. This rifle is commonly
called the Garand. (After the name of its inventor.) Not to be confused
with the U.S.
M1 Carbine, another semi-auto of the same era, which shoots a
far less powerful pistol-class cartridge.
M1A1 Abrahms: The United State’s
current main battle tank, with a 120mm cannon.
M1 Carbine: The U.S. Army semi-auto
carbine issued during WWII and the Korean conflict. Mainly issued to
officers and second echelon troops such as artillerymen, for self-defense.
Shoots .30 U.S. Carbine, an intermediate (pistol class) .30
caliber cartridge. More than six million were manufactured, and several
hundred thousand were released as surplus by the DCM in the 1960s.
M1A: The civilian (semi-auto only)
version of the U.S. Army M14 7.62mm NATO rifle. See my FAQ on
this subject.
M14: U.S. Army issue 7.62mm NATO
selective fire battle rifle. These rifles are still issued is small
numbers, primarily to US Army designated marksmen and as US Navy deck
rifles. The civilian semi-auto only equivalent is the
M1A. See also: M21.
M16: U.S. Army issue 5.56mm NATO
selective fire battle rifle. The current standard variant is the M16A2
that has
improved sight and three shot burst control. The civilian semi-auto
only equivalent is the AR-15.
M1911: The Model 1911 Colt semi-auto
pistol (and clones thereof), usually chambered in .45 ACP. See my FAQ on
this subject.
M2 Bradley: The U.S. Army's
current tracked APC.
M2 Carbine: The selective
fire variant of the U.S. M1 Carbine.
M21: The match grade sniper
version of the U.S. Army M14 7.62mm NATO rifle
M203: The current
U.S. Army issue 40mm grenade launcher. These single-shot launchers
are mounted beneath the barrels of some M16 rifles and M4 carbines.
M240B: The current U.S. Army
issue 7.62 mm NATO belt fed light machinegun.
M4: U.S. Army issue 5.56mm NATO selective fire carbine. (A shorter version of the M16 rifle, with a 14.5" barrel
and collapsing stock.) Earlier issue M16 carbine variants had designations
such as XM177E2 and CAR-15.)
M4gery: (Spoken "Em Forgery")
Civilian (semi-auto only) version of the U.S. Army issue 5.56mm NATO carbine.
(Typically with a 16" barrel
instead of the military issue 14.5" barrel--to
meet the U.S. 16" minimum rifle barrel length requirement--and a collapsing
stock.)
M60: The semi-obsolete U.S. Army
issue 7.62 mm NATO belt fed light machinegun. It utilized some design
elements of the German MG-42 LMG.
M9: The U.S. Army issue version of
the Beretta M92 semi-auto 9mm pistol.
M&A: Mergers
and Acquisitions
MAC: Depending on
context, Military Airlift Command or Military Armament Corporation.
(The latter was the original manufacturer of the Ingram M-10 submachinegun--commonly
called a "MAC-10", although that nomenclature was never used
by the company.)
Mag: Depending on context,
short for magazine, magnum, or magnesium.
Mag Dump: Expending an entire
magazine of ammunition rapidly--in either semi - or full-automatic
fire. Not a
recommended tactic!
MAG-LITE: A popular American
brand of sturdy flashlights with an aluminum casing.
maH: Mil-Amp Hours (Battery
capacity rating.)
Mall Ninja: Someone
that values style over substance. See also: Arm Chair Commando
MAM: Military Age Male
MAP: Minimum Advertised
Price
MARC: Meal,
Alternative Regionally Customized. An MRE-equivalent originally
developed for
WOT prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
MARPAT: MARine PATtern. The U.S.M.C's
new "digital" pattern camouflage uniform, replacing the BDU.
MARS: Military Affiliate Radio
System
MAST: Modernized Appropriate
Sustainable Technology. Describes rebuilt,
restored, updated, and modernized old technology from times past that
frequently still closely resembles the original from the past but also
incorporates modern
knowledge, craftsmanship, technology, and/or materials to make it more
functional and efficient -- technology that can still be repaired,
rebuilt, and/or totally
manufactured new by one or more of the various highly skilled and specialized
cottage industries within your community or region This may include
cottage industries and highly skilled craftsmen and technicians in
nearby communities
that are within your commuting distance. The MAST acronym was
coined by Paul Olson.
MAT: Depending on context,
Motion Activated Transmitter or Military Air Transport.
MBITR: Multi-Band Inter/Intra Team
Radio (AN/PRC-148)
MBR: Main Battle Rifle
MBS: Mortgage Backed Security/Securities.
See also: CMBS and RMBS
M-C-C-Ls: Murdering Commie
Cannibal Looters (Coined by JWR)
MacGyver or MacGyvered:
To improvise, using reading available household materials. (Term derived
from the
television series MacGyver.)
McMansion: The derogatory
term used for a large, outwardly ostentatious house built on a small
lot. See also: Contrapreneur and Flipping.
MCW/LRP: Meal, Cold Weather/Long
Range Patrol (MCW/LRP)
M.D. or MD: In most contexts, Medical
Doctor
MDR-TB: Moderately
Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. See also: XDR-TB
MEDCAP: Medical Civic Action
Programs .
Medevac: Medical Evacuation.
(Typically via helicopter.)
Meds: Medications
MEK: Methyl ethyl ketone
MELIOS: Mini Eye-Safe Laser Infrared
Observation Set (AN/PVS-6)
Memsahib: The darling Mrs.
Rawles
Meprolight: A maker of Tritium-lit
sights and scopes
Meth: A contraction for
methamphetamine.
METT-T: Mission,+Enemy,+Terrain,+Troops+Time
Available
MEW: Mortgage Equity Withdrawal.
MFC: Military Fuel Container.
The standard 20 liter plastic fuel can that replaced the traditional
five gallon steel "Jerry" or "Blitz" can, for US military
organizations. These new containers are commonly called "Scepter" cans,
after the name of their
main manufacturer.
mg: Milligram
MG: Depending on context, megagram
or machinegun.
MGTEOTWAWKI: Multi-Generational The
End of the World as we Know It. (A derivation of the TEOTWAWKI acronym
coined by Mike Medintz) (Spoken “Tee-ought-walk-ee”).
MHSA: Mine Safety and Health Administration
MI or M.I.: In most contexts: Military
Intelligence. In the context of Robert A. Heinlein's fictional writings:
Mobile Infantry.
MIA: Missing In Action.
MICH: Modular/Integrated Communications
Helmet
MIG Metal Inert Gas (welding.)
Also called Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
MILES: Multiple Integrated Laser
Engagement System. Laser tag for grunts.
Military Crest: A position on a hill or mountain that is near the summit but low enough to avoid be seen "skylined" when
standing.
Mil-Dot: A type of telescopic rifle
sight scope reticle with precisely sized and positioned black
dots spaced along the center of both the horizontal and vertical
crosshairs. These dots allow accurate range estimation.
MIL-SPEC: Military specification.
(A product made to the demanding standards of military organizations.)
Milsurp: Slang acronym for military
surplus.
MIM: Metal Injection Molding
Mini-14: A 5.56mm NATO
semi-auto carbine made by Ruger.
MIRV: Multiple Independently targetable
Reentry Vehicle. See also: RV.
misc.survivalism: The
Usenet newsgroup dedicated to survivalist topics (It has now sadly
degenerated into endless flame wars.)
MIT: Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
ML: Milliliters
MLM: Multi-Level Marketing
MLR: Main Line of Resistance
MLS: Multiple Listing Service (Real
estate.)
MMG: Medium Machinegun.(Such as
the M240.)
mmHg: Millimeters of Mercury (Measure
of barometric pressure.)
MOA: Minute of Angle (1.047" at
100 yards)--a measurement of rifle accuracy)
MOAB: Mother of All Bailouts
(Acronym coined by JWR.)
MOBEX: Mobilization
Exercise.
Mods: Modifications
MOLLE: Modular Lightweight Load-carrying
Equipment
Molon Labe: Greek for "Come and Take [It]" --the
rallying cry of the modern Second Amendment Movement. Also the title
of a novel by Boston T. Party.
Money Pit: The Memsahib's
beloved saddle horse.
Monoculture: A local or regional
agricultural economy that is dependent on a single crop. (Such as corn
in some parts of the Midwest.)
MOPP: Mission Oriented Protective
Posture
MOS: Depending on context, Military
Occupational Specialty or Metal Oxide Semiconductor (microcircuits).
Mouse Gun: Derisive term for
a rifle chambered in 5.56mm NATO/.223 Remington. (JWR prefers .308
Winchesters.) See my FAQ on
this subject.
MOUT: Military Operations on Urbanized
Terrain
MPG or m.p.g.: Miles per
gallon.
MPH or m.p.h.: Miles per
hour.
MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat (U.S. Army
field rations) a.k.a.: "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians", "Meals
Rarely Eaten" and “Three lies for the price of one”—viz., “It
isn’t a meal, it’s not ready, and you can’t eat it.”) See
also: CM.
MREA: Midwest Renewable Energy Association
MROD: Manual Reverse Osmosis
Desalinator
MRSA: Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus
MS: Mint State (Coin Grade.) See
also: AU.
MSA: Depending on context
Mine Safety Administration or Metropolitan Statistical Area
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet(s).
Used in US industry to identify toxic or otherwise dangerous materials.
MSG: Monosodium Glutamate
MSSA: Military Style
Semiautomatic. The term used in New Zealand to designate paramilitary-looking
rifles or shotguns.
MSM: Mainstream Media
MSR: Main Supply Route