National Affairs: MISSILE GLOSSARY

Ball-Peen Adjustment: lit., a strike of a hammer, as in "I made a ball-peen adjustment on that sticky valve."

Cooking Bird: a missile that is building up thrust.

Green Bird: a missile that launches and flies perfectly.

Red Bird: a missile that fails.

Counting: operating, moving on time.

Destruct: v.t., barbarism of destroy; also adj., as used in "destruct button."

Drum Patter: one who feels drums, containing unstable propellants, for signs of heat.

EG ADS (for Electronic Ground Automatic Destruct Sequencer): the ground-operated mechanism that destroys a missile in flight.

Eyeball Instrumentation: a look with the peepers, i.e., without the aid of instruments.

Holding: stymied, stalled.

Input: hot news or modification thereof; anything from a new bow tie to a fresh rumor.

Lox: liquid oxygen.

Lox on the Rocks (humor): a stiff drink.

Loxed Up: stewed to the gills.

Orbiting Wheel: supervisor at a busy launching pad.

Plugged In: ready for action; e.g., a Missile Miss, stopping by to pick up a friend before repairing to the beach to watch a missile launching, asks: "Are you plugged in?"

TGIF: lit., Thank God it's Friday, i.e., payday, end of the work week, etc.