Speedog's definitions

Essex

Noun: a 238-ton whaling ship, based out of Nantucket Island (USA), famously sunk on November 20, 1820 in an encounter with "Mocha Dick", an albino sperm whale defending his pod against human predation. Incident widely acknowledged as the direct inspiration for Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby-Dick, or The Whale".

"Following the second hull strike by Mocha Dick, the Essex crew had only minutes to provision the surviving boats and cast-off before the ship sank."

by speedog June 16, 2010

Admiral of the Ocean Sea

Noun (naval terminology): the universally supreme naval rank, awarded historically only to one seaman (Christopher Columbus) jointly by HRM Ferdinand and HRM Isabella of Spain, in recognition of his achievement in successfully navigating the Atlantic Ocean westward and (presumed at the time) the discovery of a shorter, less hazardous, and less expensive trading route to India from Europe.

"Upon his return from his first voyage to America, Christopher Columbus received the rank and title of "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" from Ferdinand and Isabella,
which rank he holds in perpetuity."

by speedog May 2, 2010

POD

Acronym: Passed Out Drunk

After the party nobody could locate Chuck, but it turned out he was POD in the back of Wendy's van.

by speedog July 7, 2010

self destruct

Verb: to voluntarily destroy oneself, and/or any property under ones control, in order to deny any advantage to ones enemy(ies).

"As the Soviet Army surrounded the Stalingrad bunker, Hitler gave the order to Field Marshall von Paulus to self destruct, which he disobeyed."

by speedog May 3, 2010

tortoise

Noun (ancient Roman military term): a battle tactic in which a squad of soldiers close ranks into a tight square and link their shields over their heads and at their sides all around, creating a nearly impenetrable formation which can advance and engage enemy positions at close range without taking heavy casualties.

During the battle at the Moon Gate in Alexandria, Caesar ordered the deployment of the tortoise formation to neutralize the enemy ballistas.

by speedog July 27, 2010