{"id":2638,"date":"2024-10-16T15:37:36","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T15:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2638"},"modified":"2024-10-16T15:37:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T15:37:36","slug":"what-does-stay-frosty-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2638","title":{"rendered":"What Does Stay Frosty Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Will Dabbs, MD<\/a><\/p>\n

Ever wonder what the phrase \u201cstay frosty\u201d means? This bit of military slang is part of the modern English language, used by soldiers and popularized by Hollywood in movies. So, what does stay frosty mean and is the slang term used still by military personnel? Dr. Will Dabbs, a former U.S. Army pilot, gives us his take in today\u2019s article.<\/em><\/p>\n

I<\/span> really, really like\u00a0Aliens. Aliens<\/em>\u00a0was one of the last true analog sci-fi epics done in the era before the widespread use of digital imagery. Stan Winston did the creature effects when he was at the top of his game.\u00a0Aliens<\/em>\u00a0was arguably Hollywood\u2019s greatest sequel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What does stay frosty mean? Fundamentally, it is a directive or warning to stay alert during a time of stress or danger.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to a killer story, epic weapons and equipment, Hollywood\u2019s best-ever monsters, and an arguably perfect cast,\u00a0Aliens<\/em>\u00a0had some simply magnificent dialogue. Remember when Corporal Hicks said, \u201cWe\u2019re all in strung out shape, but stay frosty, and alert. We can\u2019t afford to let one of those things in here.\u201d?<\/p>\n

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The fictitious (but utterly awesome) M41A Pulse Rifle carried by the U.S. Colonial Marines in the movie\u00a0Aliens\u00a0<\/em>is the author\u2019s dream gun. He advised he would willingly trade a kidney for a live version.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But what does \u201cStay Frosty\u201d actually mean, and how does this apply to personal defense out here in the real world?<\/p>\n

Militarized Etymology<\/h2>\n

Of all the many-splendored aspects of my time as an Army officer, the unique and distinctive lexicon has been one of the most persistent. I no longer recall how to load secure fills into a SINCGARS radio, calculate the weight and balance of a military helicopter, or prep a HUMVEE for sling load. However, my wife informs me that, on my deathbed, my dying word will still be, \u201cHooah.\u201d Use stuff like that when you\u2019re young, and it sticks with you forever. So it is with the term, \u201cStay Frosty.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You will not typically be called upon to defend yourself or your family while being well-rested and enjoying plenty of warning.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you likely guessed, \u201cStay Frosty\u201d indeed has martial origins. According to Google, \u201cStay Frosty\u201d is milspeak for, \u201cBe alert and ready for action, while remaining calm and not letting fear or other emotions get in the way\u2026Staying alert in dangerous situations.\u201d Distilled to its essence, this means to remain ever vigilant and to assiduously avoid panic. Maybe it can be further reduced to the definition of stay alert.<\/p>\n

High-Dose Reality<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ll let you in on a little secret. As a physician, I oftentimes don\u2019t immediately know exactly what to do when faced with something weird, unusual or rare. If that situation is also bloody, chaotic and terrifying, part of my job becomes simply to be a fixed point. When deep in the suck, it helps to have somebody who is reliably not freaking out. That\u2019s what Stay Frosty really means. No matter what you do, don\u2019t lose your cool and make things worse.<\/p>\n

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\u201cStay Frosty\u201d suggests that you should work on being cool, calm and prepared at all times. Should bad things happen, you will be ready to address any threats.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The term also concerns alertness and attention to detail. This requirement is beaten into new recruits in the military. Guard duty is reliably tedious. However, stop paying attention at a critical moment, and your entire unit pays the price. Staying frosty also means to keep sharp and remain focused, even if the world might not seem acutely threatening.<\/p>\n

Applications of Stay Frosty<\/h2>\n

With more than a million burglaries in the U.S. every year spread across more than 100 million households, there is a roughly one-in-100 or so chance we will face a home invasion each and every year. Live long enough, and those numbers start to catch up to you. When you hear glass breaking downstairs in the middle of the night, it is time for well-reasoned, controlled action, not unfettered panic.<\/p>\n

\"definition\n<\/picture>
Staying frosty means to be calm, cool and decisive in a crisis. A crisis could be virtually anything \u2014 not just a home invasion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Precious few of us will ever be called upon to HALO into the Hindu Kush to rescue the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from the clutches of some evil despot. However, we might actually be the first to drive up on a horrible car wreck or be present when a coworker suffers a reversible medical emergency. Under those circumstances, it behooves us to keep our heads.<\/p>\n

Tactical Practicalities<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s obviously more to being awesome in a stressful situation than just willing oneself to be so. However, there are things that normal people can do to prepare themselves for decidedly abnormal circumstances. Most of it is actually pretty easy.<\/p>\n

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Live The Armory Life.<\/strong> The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our monthly gun\u00a0giveaways!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

First, keep yourself in good shape. If you drink excessively or smoke, then, for the love of all that\u2019s good, stop doing those things. Don\u2019t eat garbage, and get some exercise. That\u2019s the easy stuff.<\/p>\n

When you shoot, try shooting against a timer. That heartless little rascal can become your best and worst friend. However, actually quantifying performance does help us improve. It is also a safe stress analog. It\u2019s typically not too difficult for a serious gun nerd to shoot fairly well when they\u2019re comfortable. The goal is to shoot well when stressed.<\/p>\n

\"stay\n<\/picture>
Thriving in the face of adversity is equal parts attitude and tools. A proper tool could be this superlative Springfield Armory Hellcat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If your range space allows, move while you shoot (but do it safely!). Precious few live defensive encounters will occur while you are stationary in your Barcalounger after a hearty meal and a good night\u2019s sleep. Train as you fight. That means moving while assiduously maintaining muzzle discipline and trying to add a little pressure to the equation. Incorporate \u201cfriendlies\u201d targets into the target mix to help hold yourself accountable for every round fired.<\/p>\n

Classical English Origins of a Classic Military Term<\/h2>\n

No less a literary luminary than Rudyard Kipling wrote, \u201cIf you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you\u2026you\u2019ll be a Man, my son!\u201d In a crisis one should always strive to be that fixed point, the immovable object upon which your friends, family and coworkers can always rely. Doing so requires repetitive training, personal discipline, and a survivor\u2019s mindset.<\/p>\n

Keep your head on a swivel, and watch out for trouble. Pay attention to those Spidey senses \u2014 that still, small voice that lets you know something\u2019s not right. There\u2019s usually a reason for that. Then if something does go sideways, approach the problem as calmly and rationally as possible. In short, stay frosty, my friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in!<\/em><\/p>\n

Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n

Go to forum thread<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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By Will Dabbs, MD Ever wonder what the phrase \u201cstay frosty\u201d means? This bit of military slang is part of the modern English language, used by soldiers and popularized by Hollywood in movies. So, what does stay frosty mean and is the slang term used still by military personnel? Dr. Will Dabbs, a former U.S. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}