Photo By Kaitlin Knauer | Doc Jargon, cutting through the jargon that is the U.S. Army. Send your Army...... read more read more
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Dear Doc Jargon,
I hear the word “flak” a lot and I know it means shrapnel and related stuff – but I’m really curious about how that came to be the word for flying metal debris and bullets. I can understand also how it came to be used by people under pressure from peers and bosses – as in, “I’m taking a lot of flak for my idea at work.”
Would you do a little digging and help me learn the source of all flak?
Signed,
Flak-less at Fort Riley
Dear Flak-less,
I am happy to find the origin for you – you know how much I love to dig into the words behind our military lingo.
Believe it or not, the word is short for the German word for antiaircraft gun “Fliegerabwehrkanone.” Don’t worry – I can’t pronounce it either and that is exactly why a shortened version of the word exists. Flak was reported as being coined during during WWII by American Soldiers who herd the Germans using the word for their antiaircraft artillery. Since then it has stuck and the meaning has broadened just like you said.
I hope you continue this year being flak-less and curious.
Sincerely,
Doc Jargon
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2022 17:18 |
| Story ID: | 430298 |
| Location: | KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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