Do you know this term? I didn’t. I encountered it this morning, and have mentally caressed it ever since. I love it.
The Jesus nut secures the main rotor assembly to a helicopter. It’s typically pretty massive, as you might imagine. Here is a photograph of one:
The etymology seems to be that if you lose the Jesus nut, there’s not much left to do except pray to Jesus. (Many rotary wing malfunctions are probably more survivable than you think, but it’s pretty tough to write a happy ending if you physically lose the main rotor. That turns an aircraft into a rock.)
The term has become applicable to any simple component whose failure would cause the catastrophic loss of a complex system. Love it with me.
You might also like:
- “Acting white”
My friend Terri sent me the remarkable story of this man today. Go read it for yourself, for sure. H… - Nazi Christmas
There is a fascinating piece at The Independent this morning on a new exhibit at the National Social… - Playing gotcha with the Bible
“It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spir… - In trouble with the pastor’s wife
As I was greeting and passing out bulletins this morning, Elizabeth walked slowly toward me. She had… - No more “natural language” phonebots!
To whom it may concern: I will not talk to your stupid automated “natural conversation” phone menus …
Of all the vocabulary I picked up while in the Marine Corps (and there was plenty of it, believe you me) I think this was my favorite. The way I learned was that, if the Jesus nut came off, you were going to see Jesus, and soon. Once you learn the meaning, it’s impossible to forget. (It also might be one of my favorites because it is merely blasphemous, as opposed to obscene, or profane, or both.)
I’m on board the love fest with this term, it’s perfect.
Paul, I think I like your meaning even better. Plus, the word of a genuine Marine has a trumping power.
Mirth, isn’t it great?