tinkerfive Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Today I was doing the mundane task of moving fire wood from the seasoning rack to the cart to be taken up to the house for the winter. The weirdest stuff pops into your head when you are doing such a simple task. I was thinking about the Indiana Jones movie where Dr. Jones refers to a boy as 'short round'. I've never heard anyone use that phrase elsewhere so I thought that this was the place to ask. Is it a firearms term or a drinking term? I figure the guys here know both pretty well. If it is a firearms term is it anything akin to a 'squib'? If it is a drinking term is it like just having a single 'shot' and nothing else? Puzzled Tinker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlunity Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 A "short round" is when the propellant of a mortar round fails to completely ignite and the round lands short of the target and close to your own troops. Not a happy making thing. : ) Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 This is from my daughter: she says in the movie if memory is right is that the boy's elevator doesn't go to the top "floor". Just a tad slow on the draw!! It's been years since she has seen the movie. She say's not to quote her on it though...Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Seeing a round drop back to the ground a few yards away will definately help cure any constipation problem you may have had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimro Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 As a complete aside.... When adjusting indirect fire; "short" means nearside impact, this is corrected by an "add" adjustment "long" means far side impact, corrected by a "drop" adjustment "Left" means the round impacted right "Right" means the round impacted left If the rounds need a vertical adjustment the corrections "up" and "down" are used. The observer calls the adjustments, and the Fire Direction Center translates those adjustments into elevation/deflection numbers that the gun crews can use to put steel on target. The preferred method of delivery is perpendicular to the axis of friendly advance. This means that the adjustments "short" or "long" can really be "left" or "right" adjustments for the gun crew. The reason for not having overhead fires is that if there is a "short" round it won't cause spontaneous bowel evacuation, if the fires are perpendicular the "short" round will appear as a "Left" or "Right" adjustment to the observer. However, Marine Infantry Platoons have organic 60mm mortar teams that have a hard time displacing to 90 degrees of the target, so it is much more likely that Marines will have overhead fires during offensive operations. The smallest Army unit to have organic mortars is a Company. But in the Indiana Jones movie I think "Short Round" applies as an affectionate nickname, kinda like the 9mm Browning Short isn't really "grownup" like the 9x21 Largo (meaning Long). Kinda like we call children "half pint" but not adults "full pint". Jimro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Does anyone remember "cheese charges"? I wonder if they're still used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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