Well, I mentioned yesterday, talking about aviation slang and the words and expressions that have come from the skies, so we talk about "going for a Burton" or "gone for a Burton", which is one of the phrases that attracts most debate, probably, in ethymological circles. Lots and lots of theories abound for this one. What we do know is that it definetily does go back to the RAF, which was a home for a lot of slang, actually, in current English. It means, if you've gone for a Burton in the RAF, it means you have been killed, sadly. So, ruined or destroyed. But of course, we use it slightly more figuratively now, to mean, it's just... it's broken. So you might say, "My laptop has gone for a Burton". But what is the Burton and where did the phrase begin? Well, two main theories. I have to say, there are many, many more, but two main ones which hold most water... which is slightly inappropriate pun for the skies. But they both demonstrate tha black humour, really, that is needed to deal with the fact that during the World Wars, aviators did die, obviously, in some of the horrible dogfights that took place up there. The first involves the English town of Burton-upon-Trent, which is known for its brewing industry. And a Burton came to refer to a type of delicious ale. And when an aviator crashed into the sea, which is known, of course, as "the drink", informally, the idea was that the person was aabsent because they'd gone for a pint of beer. So it was a nice, friendly, slightly affectionate euphemism for an aviator that had died in action. The second one involves a very famous family of tailors called Montague Barton. Burton's, of course, you can still find, I think, in high streets today. But if an airman went for a Burton, he'd died and gone to be fitted for a wooden suit. That was the idea. So, again, a lot of black humour there, that he'd got a wooden overcoat, if you like, ie a coffin because he'd died, again, in action.
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