A tongue-in-cheek name for rust removal duty (ferrous oxide being the precursor to rust on steel objects), especially on Navy ships, playing on the vivid contrast between the tedious and highly unpleasant nature of the duty, involving the use of wire brushes and toxic chemicals often under a blazing sun, compared to the delightful, carefree leisure tableau depicted by the three teen protagonists of the 1986 Matthew Broderick film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
Chief Petty Officer: It's your lucky day, sailor -- two weeks of Ferrous Oxide's Day Off starting at eight bells.
Sailor: Aye-aye, Chief.
Chief Petty Officer: And don't ask my daughter out again.
Sailor: Aye-aye, Chief.
Chief Petty Officer: And don't ask my daughter out again.
by FitofPeak2 September 28, 2023
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