I did come across a bar in Michigan named Bravo Zulu. 
HA! I talk to different people on the phone at some of the police agencies quite a bit, and it is always funny when they try to make up a phonetic alphabet to spell something to me.
"My name is spelled N as in nightlight, O as in Other, R as in Ring-a-ling, M as in Marry, A as in Alphabet, N as in New."
Usually with a lot of stammering and thinking up a word that starts with a particular letter.
I've tired that, too, because I'm guessing most people aren't familiar with the phonetic alphabet, and as mentioned, I can't always remember all of them. Funny how all of the sudden you can't think of a single word that begins with K or V or . . .
I've tried researching Bravo Zulu a couple times without a satisfactory explanation. Maybe I'll have to make up my own scenario a la Whiskey.
My husband was a captain in the army and when he spells out our last name he uses male names -- not the beloved phonetic alphabet -- but he says, "S in Sam, T in Tom . . ." I always say "S as in Sam, T as in Tom." ROTC at Ohio State is what got him through college, so I wonder if that's the proper way to "call" a word?
Where does the term
"Bravo Zulu" originate?
The term originates from the Allied Signals Book (ATP 1), which in the aggregate is for official use only. Signals are sent as letters and/or numbers, which have meanings by themselves sometimes or in certain combinations. A single table in ATP 1 is called "governing groups," that is, the entire signal that follows the governing group is to be performed according to the "governor." The letter "B" indicates this table, and the second letter (A through Z) gives more specific information. For example, "BA" might mean "You have permission to . . . (do whatever the rest of the flashing light, flag hoist or radio transmission says) "BZ" happens to be the last item in the governing groups table. It means "well done".
My DH tells me *** OVER was a military term long before *** became popular. (hope that is ok to type)
WTFO meant something different in the Marine Corps... when the verbal message was confused or not heard correctly and needed a clearer answer. That from my retired Lt.Col DH. He laughed at "words to follow", I then explained it was perhaps about signal flags..
I'm another retired Marine LtCol. Been using it for decades!
Oh, I know all too well what WTFO means in today's military.
I was just passing on that it was, in fact, used for something else (and still is) before what it is commonly used for now.
Where does the term
"Bravo Zulu" originate?
The term originates from the Allied Signals Book (ATP 1), which in the aggregate is for official use only. Signals are sent as letters and/or numbers, which have meanings by themselves sometimes or in certain combinations. A single table in ATP 1 is called "governing groups," that is, the entire signal that follows the governing group is to be performed according to the "governor." The letter "B" indicates this table, and the second letter (A through Z) gives more specific information. For example, "BA" might mean "You have permission to . . . (do whatever the rest of the flashing light, flag hoist or radio transmission says) "BZ" happens to be the last item in the governing groups table. It means "well done".
My DH tells me *** OVER was a military term long before *** became popular. (hope that is ok to type)
WTFO meant something different in the Marine Corps... when the verbal message was confused or not heard correctly and needed a clearer answer. That from my retired Lt.Col DH. He laughed at "words to follow", I then explained it was perhaps about signal flags..
FUBAR. I'll give you the last 4 letters, and you can use your imagination on the first 1!
Up Beyond All Recognition
<---- I can't find the blushing one, so this will have to do.
FUBAR. I'll give you the last 4 letters, and you can use your imagination on the first 1!
Up Beyond All Recognition
