Watch your ass

Posted by Joe on May 18, 2009 at 22:14

In Reply to: Watch your ass posted by Smokey Stover on May 17, 2009 at 02:36:

: : "watch your ass'"
: : "watch your tail"
: : "watch your six"

: : Dates from WWII, 1917, likely first British then universally from WWII aviators and military. The everyone picked it up.

: Thanks, Joe. I should mention that it's helpful if, when posting a comment, you allow all previous comments to remain, posting your own comment at the end.
: Incidentally, I'm not familiar with "watch your six." Perhaps you can remedy my ignorance.
: SS

Certainly,

First I have weak vision and sometimes much up a posting, getting rather old :-).

As i noted the Google Books dated search lends that all are allied to military aviators, first British then all others as in "dog fighting" aerial combat.

One's "Six" or Six O'Clock: When engaging in a dog fight, it is necessary for the pilot to frequently check the rear or "six-o'clock" position in order to be sure that an enemy ...
is not there. As in "check my six", as it 12:00
High, etc.

Israeli pilots in 1967 used car rear view mirrors
on some jets, so many phrases are military, often puns or using other words than vulgar, despite what one hears much of the military culture does not allow vulgarity. In other words one can tell a senior rank to kiss his 6:00
and not get nasty.

First World War adage: 'Beware of the Hun in the sun!' Used famously in the film "The Battle of Britton" -