It seems everybody wants to be a fighter pilot, or at least pretend to be one.  Many people seem to quote fighter pilot movies without knowing what they’re actually saying.  Some quotes are accurate (pilots do say “Fox 3” when firing AMRAAMs and “Fox 2” when firing Sidewinders, a la Will Smith in Independence Day); others, not so much (pretty much everything in Top Gun).  While most fighter pilot-sounding quotes may just sound cool, quite a bit of real fighter pilot lingo is laced with sexual innuendo through the use of “clever” linguistic games.

Are you sure you want to play? 

“So to speak”

The most frequent fighter pilot linguistic “skill” is the phrase “so to speak” (sometimes written as “sts”).  It follows any phrase that can in any way, shape, or form be construed as a double entendre; the frequency of the phrase in a fighter pilot’s speech indicates how often he can come up with a sexual reference in virtually any combination of words in the English language.  If a pilot uses a phrase worthy of a “so to speak” other pilots in the room will generally cry out with “so to speak” and cajole those who do not.  (In some settings this becomes so distracting the speaker may claim a “blanket so to speak” or a “waiver.”)

Another less vulgar use of the “so to speak” phrase is in reference to the “misuse” of a pilot’s name.  For example, in the movie Top Gun, Tom Cruise’s weapons system officer had the nickname Goose.  If another pilot said they had to “goose the power,” a fighter pilot would suffix the phrase with “so to speak” to acknowledge the use of Goose’s callsign.

“Cranium?”

Another fighter pilot linguistic skill is replacing certain words that have a possible sexual connotation with their generic or scientific equivalent.  A generic example would be a fighter pilot using cranium in place of the word head, because head could have a sexual connotation.  E.g., instead of saying someone fell and hit their head, a fighter pilot would say someone fell and hit their cranium.

Fighter Pilot Speak

A veritable dictionary of fighter pilot terms is available here.  Some are simply explanations of terms used in aviation; others are explanations of the linguistic games described above.  Some are not intended for polite company.

The Christian Fighter Pilot and Linguistic Games

There is a potential for negative influence on a military Christian’s life should he participate in fighter pilot linguistic games (or the equivalent in much of the rest of thet military community).  These habits (also fighter pilot “traditions”) require constantly thinking in sexual undertones — hardly a virtue even outside Christian circles.  Should a pilot participate, every phrase he utters is first filtered against sexual connotation.  That thought process becomes part of the subconscious, and even a Christian will soon find himself analyzing his pastor’s sermon for potential sexual innuendo, or saying “so to speak” in the presence of his wife, children, and mother.  A military Christian should not put himself in the position of explaining to his family that he said “so to speak” because he heard sexual innuendo.  How would he explain to his child that he uses an unusual word for something because of its potential sexual connotation?

There is not necessarily a distinct line, and even Christians will disagree on how best to handle similar situations.  Some Christian fighter pilots have allowed themselves to use “so to speak” in reference to the misuse of other pilots’ names but not in the sexual way.  Others might risk faltering in that skill of mental gymnastics and using the phrase when they didn’t really want to.  In either case, the language a military Christian uses directly impacts his spiritual well-being, for better or worse.  It is also another way a Christian distinguishes his speech from the non-Christian, much as he does in avoiding profanity.

Biblical Basis

The use of “so to speak” or singing songs laced with innuendo is obviously not specifically addressed in the “Thou shalt nots” of the Bible.  The most explicit instruction comes from Ephesians, where Paul instructs the church of Ephesus in aspects of Christian living:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving (5:4).

In his instructions, Paul’s reference to coarse joking does not imply a lack of a sense of humor.  It’s what even non-Christians “know” are dirty jokes.  Paul says to the Ephesians — and the lesson can apply to Christians today, too — that there must not be an intimation, not even a perception, of sexual immorality or impurity in their lives; Paul’s reason is such behavior is unfitting for God’s people.  Because He is holy, His followers should strive to be holy (Leviticus 11:44, quoted in 1 Peter 1:16).  God has called Christians to be holy, and Paul’s list of vices is certainly not a pattern of sacred behavior.

If Paul says sexual immorality, impurity, obscenity, and coarse joking are unfit for the people of God, what does that say for a military Christian who thinks through a sexual “so to speak” filter covering the gamut of those vices?  By participating in such behavior Christians are not acting as God’s people should; this is not only an affront to God, but it is a contradiction that will actually undermine a Christian’s witness.  Non-Christians will seize on the inconsistency of an unholy Christian to criticize the hypocrisy of his faith.
   
The Biblical instructions for a Christian’s speech are actually one step more directive.  In Ephesians Paul also says,

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (4:29).

While the previous instructions have been what a Christian should not do, the second half of this verse describes what his speech should do:  it should be only that which builds up and benefits those who listen.  A Christian’s speech should be limited to that which improves, enlightens, and uplifts morally and spiritually.  The simple filter a Christian should use for his speech must be, “Is it edifying?”  A Christian fighter pilot using a different “filter” — because of a different worldview — will distinguish himself without separating himself from non-Christians.

While the public perception of a Christian’s speech is important, there is another reason for him to control his thoughts and words:

“For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

That which men speak on the outside is a reflection of who they are on the inside.  The use of “so to speak” and word replacement focus a Christian’s thoughts on carnal things, and forces his every thought to be filtered through a sexual paradigm.  This focus on base thoughts is injurious to a Christian’s internal spiritual life and will be reflected on his external.  A Christian cannot help but become what he is thinking, which is why Paul wrote to the Philippians:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (4:8).

The content of the heart dictates the words of the mouth, so a Christian should think about praiseworthy things not only because of the people around him but also because of the impact it has within himself.  Jesus also spoke about the reflection on the outside of an internal spiritual state when he said

…the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him (Matthew 12:35).

People store up the things to which they are exposed — things they read, watch on TV, study for school, and hear on the radio.  Often they do so subconsciously; ever wonder why people suddenly find themselves whistling the songs they heard on the radio hours ago?

In the same way, if a Christian does not actively work against it, he stores up inside his heart the profane phrases, sexual innuendo, and vulgarity to which he is exposed in his military life.  Unless he actively works against it, from this internal storage comes his external action.  Jesus continued to warn “that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (v36).  Ultimately, when men stand before God they will be held accountable for every word — however casual or thoughtless — they have said.  When it comes to the fighter pilot world of profanity and sexual innuendo, a Christian has been called to Christ and must live a life worthy of his Savior.

Would Jesus approve of the way you think and speak in your military life?

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Updated from June 2006.