From a 1952 Promotional Package for the Radio Program

(Revised version (C) 1997 by Geoffrey Tolle)



"TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET"

INTRODUCES NEW "LANGUAGE"



"T hey're rocketing on all tubes" might be a very apt description of the action-packed science fiction radio series, "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet", to be presented over ____ and the American Broadcasting Company every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 P.M. The above phrase, as any followers of the program can tell you, is simply a 24th Century version of out own more common expression of satisfaction -- "They're cooking on all burners".

C oncerned with adventure among the planets of outer space 400 years hences, "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" has evolved a language all its own. And children, quick to adapt to any new lingo, are expressing themselves in strange and futuristic ways. In case your own offspring sound especially puzzling these days, here's a brief lexicon of space talk to clear it all up:

Space happy - Slap happy

Plug your jets! -- Shut up!

Rocket liners, space freighters, jet scouts, spacers -- Types of space ships

Space Ace -- A crackerjack space pilot

Blast me for a martian mouse! -- Boy, am I a dope!

Cut your jets! -- Lay off!

Stand to! -- Attention! (an order)

Rocket-ranger -- Space cowboy

You've been drinking jet juice -- You're off the beam

Speak of Saturn -- Speak of the devil

He's as unstable as a heavy isotope -- He's "teched" in the head

Blow up some meteor dust -- Paint the town red; "meteor dust" is also a handy expression for "hot air" or "baloney"

Space hobo -- An unidentified meteor

Get those firecrackers popping! -- Get those jet engines working!

Spaceslug, spacecrawler, neptunian gnat -- (as in "You worm, you!")

By the moons of Jupiter!

By the rings of Saturn!

By the clouds of Venus!

By the craters of Luna!, etc. -- These expressions indicate surprise ("Well, for Heaven's sake!"), anger ("Darn it!"), or amazement ("Gee whiz!")

Space station -- Rocket ship airport

Blast off! -- Scram!

Spaceman's luck! -- Good luck, Luck o'the Irish!

Plus a few new ones...

The Big Empty -- Outer space

Ground pounder -- Planet-bound person

Spacer -- A person who makes his living working on spaceships

Railing - Sailing through space, This refers to the use of a linear proton accelerator (a railgun) to propel a ship through interplanetary space