On this show , we explore the origin and uses of common expressions in American English . Today , we talk about some words that began life in the military . In the United States , Veterans Day is a national holiday held on November 11 . On that day in 1918 , all sides in World War I stopped fighting . Americans originally called this holiday Armistice Day . The name changed to Veterans Day in 1954 . A Veteran's Day kind of veteran is a current or former member of the armed services . However , “veteran ” also describes civilians . A veteran is someone who has a lot of experience in a particular activity , skill or job . The opposite of a veteran is a novice or a beginner . But let's get back to military veterans . People in the military like to use acronyms . An acronym is a word formed from the first letters of each word in a phrase . For example , the acronym NATO stands for “North Atlantic Treaty Organization .” But now people just call it “NATO .” Some other military acronyms have crossed over into civilian language . Radar , for example , is short for “RAdio Detecting and Ranging .” Radar is a device that sends out radio waves for finding the position and speed of a moving object such as a spy plane . This war term first came into use in 1941 . We use "radar " in a couple useful expressions . To fall off the radar means to disappear . For example , let's say I am too busy to play the ukulele . When a friend asks if I've been playing , I can say , “Playing the ukulele has kind of fallen off my radar . I'm just too busy these days .” The opposite of that is to be on someone's radar . When something is on your radar you are thinking about it or considering it . For example , let's say I have moved to a new city . I have a new job and a new apartment . Then , someone asks me if I have joined a ukulele group yet . I answer , “Not yet . But it is on my radar .” In other words , I am actively looking for one . But let's leave the ukulele and go back to war . If you are pilot of a spy plane , you want to fly under the enemy's radar . This way they will not detect you on their radar screens . And that is how we use this expression in everyday conversation . When you fly under the radar you want to be invisible -- unseen , undetected . If you disappear from a battle in a war , you are MIA . This acronym stands for “missing in action .” In civilian use , MIA often refers to a person dropping out of an activity . For example , if I miss a lot of ukulele practices my band mates might describe me as MIA . AWOL is a very different kind of military disappearance . "AWOL " stands for “absence without official leave .” This means a soldier is missing from duty without permission . A solider found guilty of an AWOL charge can suffer serious punishment . In civilian life , it has a similar meaning . AWOL means you were supposed to be somewhere but were not . For example , if my friend offered to help at my ukulele concert but did not show up , she is AWOL . Military people have great acronyms to describe a situation that has gone terribly wrong . FUBAR means something severely disorganized , damaged or ruined . Some say it stands for “fouled up beyond all repair .” Other say it stands for “fouled up beyond all recognition .” SNAFU has a similar meaning . This acronym stands for “situation normal : all fouled up .” In other words , things are not going well , as usual . We should note , the soldier who invented these acronyms may not originally have used the word “fouled .” They may have used a more offensive word that means the same thing . I am reporting for duty from Washington , D.C .