ATTN JMS : expression

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN JMS : expression
+  1: Oct 24, 1995: ZMTR76A at prodigy.com (John Jay)
   2: Oct 24, 1995: Robert Holland <rholland at triton.mayfield.hp.com>
   3: Oct 25, 1995: spp at icarus.sunfire.com (Stephen P Potter)
+  4: Oct 27, 1995: epawtows at cray-ymp.acm.stuorg.vt.edu (Eric Pawtowski)
*  5: Oct 28, 1995: straczynski at genie.geis.com

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From: ZMTR76A at prodigy.com (John Jay)
Lines: 4

        Twice during this season ("GROPOS", "THE LONG TWILIGHT STRUGGLE"),
 I heard the expression "The baloon's going up."  Could you tell me the 
origin of that phrase?


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From: epawtows at cray-ymp.acm.stuorg.vt.edu (Eric Pawtowski)
Lines: 21

>ZMTR76A at prodigy.com (John Jay) wrote:
>>        Twice during this season ("GROPOS", "THE LONG TWILIGHT STRUGGLE"),
>> I heard the expression "The baloon's going up."  Could you tell me the 
>>origin of that phrase?
>>
>
Originaly derived from military jargon, when ballons were often used
as a signaling device or for artillery spotting.  

These days, it means the same thing as "the solid waste matter is about
to impact the rotary air impeller", if you get my meaning.  Some people
use it a lot, some people don't.  

   Eric


-- 
epawtows at vt.edu----------------------------------------------------
Technicon 13 - SF&F return to SW Virginia!  March 22-24, 1996.
Guests: Author L.E. Modesitt, Games designers Lori&Corey Cole,
Artist Ruth Thompson

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From: straczynski at genie.geis.com
Lines: 11

     There have been many explanations for where this phrase comes
from.  SoMost of them are obviN%=yously spook etymology, but the first one I
heard -- and who knows if this is right -- comes from WW I, where just
before one side would go into battle, they'd send one man up in a hot
air balloon to scout the enemy's location.  If you saw the balloon
going up, you knew combat wasn't far behind.

     Wherever it comes from, though, that's the general meaning of
the phrase.

                                                              jms