The Language Compression Edition

On acronyms, codes, and shared culture

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Noah here. WITI contributor and Special Forces vet Chris Papasadero started up an excellent newsletter called OODA Soup. It is all about connecting military concepts to entertainment and creativity. I was particularly struck by a piece from last week on funny-sounding military slang. It compiles a small collection of amusing language used on the battlefield, including midrats (“midnight rations … reserved for those who are coming back after a long night of running and gunning”), battle rattle (“used to describe the webbing, rigs, helmets, pads, armor, magazines, radios, wires, and other bullshit a soldier must carry when going into the thick of it”), and gerbil launcher (“the M203 grenade launcher”).

Ostensibly, the point of the article is to better arm writers with real military language, but there’s a deeper message in there about the role of this kind of language that connects with a few ideas that have been bouncing around in my own head for the last few weeks. 

Part of the story is that slang like this is generated by close-knit groups who share a lot of context and culture. Anyone who has worked inside a company will recognize the way a unique language starts to develop, complete with acronyms and phrases that would make little sense outside the walls of that organization. While that can make it difficult for newcomers who need to learn this new vocabulary, it also carries with it some real benefits.

Why is this interesting?