Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
Original use in aerospace referred to the attitude of the pilot’s head, whether reading in-cockpit instruments (head-down) or looking through the canopy (head-up). Somehow, the interjection “Heads up!” (meaning “Look out!” as a warning of imminent danger) has supplanted the hybrid adjective “head-up.” This misuse is common throughout the defense industry and government, because the bureaucrats and engineers alike suffer from modern public school educations.
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