The language of armed forces

Very few people know these 10 words come from the military. Do you?

Credit: israel palacio

Throughout human history, one profession has stood the passage of time and remained constant even in our modern days: Most nations, kingdoms, or empires in history have taken great pride in the strength and honor of their military. In that sense, it seems only logical that something as valuable for any society has a profound and direct impact on the way we communicate with each other. However, this influence can sometimes be overlooked, so we have decided to select a few words we use every day that have military origins. We guarantee you’ll be surprised by more than a few of these entries! Enjoy!

Credit: Mitchell Orr

Considering its meaning and silly-sounding nature, you might find it surprising to learn that the slang word "skedaddle", which means to hurriedly run away from a situation, rose to prominence during the American Civil War. While the exact origins of this word are unclear, it was first printed and popularized in 1861 by Northern newspapers, referring to the advancement and withdrawal of opposing troops.

Credit: Kyle Johnston

Just like "skedaddle", the word "ginormous" seems more akin to a Dr. Seuss book than to the severity and discipline of the British army. And yet, that’s exactly where "ginormous" comes from: It was a slang term originated by British soldiers during WW2, naturally used to describe something extremely (and ridiculously) large, resulting from the combination of the words "gigantic" and "enormous".

Credit: Markus Spiske

Nowadays, almost all forms of the word "picket" are associated with protesting: It can be used to refer to the act of protesting, to a group of protesters, or to a structure raised as a sign of protest. In fact, the meaning less linked to this word is its original definition: In the 17th century, the word "picket" described a post or fence with a sharp point, which was used as a defense against cavalry soldiers. In fact, this word comes from the French term piquet, which literally means "pointed stake".

Credit: Indra Projects

"Jamoke" is a rather interesting term. Nowadays, this word is considered an insult, used to refer to someone uninteresting and dull. However, that wasn’t always the case: You probably already know that "jamoke" is originally a slang word used for coffee. It wasn’t until WW1 that soldiers started using this word as a derogatory term, used to insult someone as boring and plain as a cup of coffee.

Credit: Lucas Lenzi

The word "raunchy" might be used to describe both a joke in bad taste or a messy and filthy place: It’s basically used to describe something dirty or in bad shape. While the etymology of the word remains unclear, we do know that it is a common slang term in the U.S. Air Corp, and some believe that it comes from cadets comparing an unkept place with a filthy "ranch".

Credit: Kier in Sight Archives

The origins of the word "skosh", which is used to describe a small amount or a pinch of something, are truly fascinating. It was brought back to the United States by American soldiers deployed to the Korean War. Interestingly, this word comes from the Japanese word sukoshi, which means "a little", so although the word has changed when brought to an American audience, the meaning of both terms is basically the same.

Credit: Johann Walter Bantz

The word "clobber" means to hit something or someone particularly hard: You might be familiar with the term from the Fantastic Four member "The Thing", whose iconic catchphrase is "It’s clobberin’ time!". In any case, most etymologists believe that the origins of this word come from the British Air Force, since "clobbering" was once used as a synonym for bombing.

Credit: Andrew Neel

In our days, the word "hotshot" is usually used to describe someone of great importance, or of outstanding success in a particular field: For instance, you might employ the services of a hotshot lawyer or doctor. However, there’s also a derogatory side to this word, since a hotshot might be someone who recklessly jumps into action. Regardless, some historians believe that the origins of this word date back to the times of old naval battles, when sailors who loaded heated cannonballs (the titular "hot shots") were usually regarded as people with great skill for battle.

Credit: Designecologist

This entry doesn’t refer to the etymology of the word itself, but rather to the military origins of the fireworks you might enjoy on a 4th of July. You might be surprised to learn that fireworks date back to Ancient China, since the earliest evidence of recreational fireworks can be dated back to the Song dynasty which ruled between 960 and 1279. However, the bright lights of fireworks were developed from early military rockets and explosive missiles, which employed the same kind of gunpowder.

Credit: Megan Menegay

Think back on your first day at a new school or a new job, and focus on both the excitement and nervousness that you probably felt: With any luck, you had a more experienced friend or coworker who "knew the ropes" and was able to show you how everything worked in that new environment. As you probably guessed, the expression "to know the ropes" comes from the world of sailing, where sailors had to be extremely familiar with the ropes of their ships: Any sailor worth its salt knew which rope raised which sail, and how to properly tie them.

Are passwords, words?

If you use one of these, better change it: 10 most used passwords

Credit: rc.xyz NFT gallery

Passwords hold the keys to our digital lives, protecting our personal information and securing our online accounts. However, the proliferation of instances where we are repeatedly asked to choose a password leads to a natural tendency to simplify them. It’s easy to understand—if we have to remember 50 passwords, we’ll try to come up with ones that are easy to recall. This leads to the use of weak and predictable passwords that are easy to guess or crack. Scroll down to see if you use any of these common passwords. If so, do yourself a favor and change them!

Credit: Alexander Grey

Probably the most common and overused password in the world is a name—whether it’s your own, a loved one’s, or even a pet’s. Perhaps you type your name followed by your birth year or the current year.

In any case, this type of password is among the most insecure, as anyone trying to access your personal information likely knows your name—and, if they’ve done their homework, the names of those around you. And yes, that includes your pets, past and present. Even if used on a personal computer at home, it’s best to replace it.

Credit: Wesley Hilario

There was a time—before smartphones—when everyone remembered at least a few telephone numbers. Chiefly, your own, but also those of your parents, grandparents, friends, and so on. Perhaps you even remember a couple to this day—do you?

This once-useful information has now become meaningless, yet millions of people still use their old phone numbers—and even addresses—as passwords for email accounts, online banking, and all sorts of password-protected services.

Credit: William Warby

This is one of the laziest passwords on the list. Believe it or not, a huge number of people use an entire row of numbers or letters on their keyboards as a password. In fact, according to several specialized websites that track this sort of thing, "123456" is the most common password globally.

And, as it happens, this is also one of the easiest passwords to crack—not just for hackers, but, actually, for anyone.

Credit: Jakub Żerdzicki

Believe it or not, some people still think using the word "password" as their password is clever—as if no one had ever thought of that. Not only is this one of the most commonly used passwords, but it’s also incredibly easy to guess.

Another overused password is "whatever." This adolescent expression of indifference is often chosen when someone doesn’t feel like coming up with a new password.

Credit: Stanley Dai

One of the most irritating instances of creating a new password is the moment when the code word you created is rejected for lacking special characters or uppercase letters.

When this happens, most people simply capitalize the first letter and add an exclamation mark (!) at the end, as it’s the first special character on the keyboard. However, using a different uppercase letter and a unique special character instantly makes your password much more secure.

Credit: rivage

If you were wondering what the laziest password of all is, "Abc123" is it. What’s even more astonishing is that it’s not rare but a hugely popular choice for millions of people worldwide.

Sure, many of us think, Who would bother trying to hack me?—as if we weren’t a typical target for a hacker. But you’d be surprised. And not in a good way.

Credit: Jonas Leupe

Perhaps you’re struggling to come up with a password and glance at the brand on your keyboard or smartphone, thinking no one will guess it. Think again. Using "Samsung," "Genius," "Motorola," or any other major tech brand—whose logos are as ubiquitous as the air we breathe—is an extremely common choice for countless people.

Hackers know this and test these brand names early in their password-cracking attempts. So don’t be lazy—come up with something better than "Intel-Inside" for your password.

Credit: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1624969862644-791f3dc98927?q=80&w=2070&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D

This one is especially common in workplaces where the IT department uses the same name and password for every computer—for practical purposes. And we get it—no one wants to create hundreds of unique passwords for every employee. But it should be done anyway, because "Admin" and "Admin123" are among the most widely used usernames and passwords in offices everywhere.

Credit: engin akyurt

Don’t be ashamed—it can happen to the best of us. When the website that has asked you for a new password suddenly "rejects" your password. Maybe it’s missing special characters, numbers, or a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. Or perhaps it’s one you’ve used before. Either way, it can be a very infuriating experience.

When pushed to that limit, many people resort to using an insult as a password—often aimed at the website itself. The problem? Hackers expect this. They routinely test common epithets and curses when cracking passwords.

Credit: Tim Mossholder

"Speak ‘friend’ and enter," said Gandalf. And when he uttered the Elvish word for "friend," the massive stone door magically opened. But unless you’re a wizard in a Tolkien novel, it’s best to choose a more cryptic password than "welcome" or "hello."

These two words rank among the most commonly used passwords worldwide, and once again, hackers test them early in their attempts. A simple yet poetic word like "friend," "hello," or "welcome" might be tempting—it can make your personal computer or smartphone feel like an extension of your home. But, alas, hackers often exploit this cozy feeling. So do yourself a favor and pick something harder to crack.