[enemigo]

Quote:

Black Shoe Axiom: There are more airplanes in the ocean than there are submarines in the sky.

Since most of the people around me are Norwegian, I can't get anyone to explain "black shoe axiom" to me. I get the rest of the joke, more planes crash and sink than subs fly, but what is the relation to the "black shoes" and their/its axiom? I take it it's a phrase I'm not familiar with.

Please help, I'm stuck and can't seem to let it go!

Knut

 

[tjkurita]

From what I could find this refers to the US Navy, particularly the "black shoe Navy" as opposed to the Brown shoe Navy which includes Naval Aviators. The context of the Axiom quickly becomes apparent with this info. I read somewhere also that the term "black shoe" refers to the shoes of the men who work in the engine room, which quickly become black with grease. This also seems to place it in the realm of "working class" or "blue collar" Navy as opposed to the "Top Gun" Naval pilots.

I'm not in the military, so I could be wrong. This is just stuff I found on the web.

 

[enemigo]

Thanks for the info, made it a little easier to search for it my self as well.

I take it "Black shoe axiom" is not a common expression like... like "black shoe"

K

 

[StevieDvd]

No it's a bit like:

The old man's axiom or an old soldier's axiom.

Change 'Black Shoe' to 'Navy'
Change 'Axiom' to 'saying'

and you'd get something like:

"The old navy saying is there are more airplanes in the sea than submarines in the air."

 

[tjkurita]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevieDvd No it's a bit like: The old man's axiom or an old soldier's axiom. Change 'Black Shoe' to 'Navy' Change 'Axiom' to 'saying' and you'd get something like: "The old navy saying is there are more airplanes in the sea than submarines in the air."

I'm not sure if this is quite right because the phrase "Black Shoe" SPECIFIES a sub-group of the Navy. Its specificity (black shoes as opposed to brown shoes) within the Navy is what gives it meaning.

 

[StevieDvd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjkurita I'm not sure if this is quite right because the phrase "Black Shoe" SPECIFIES a sub-group of the Navy. Its specificity (black shoes as opposed to brown shoes) within the Navy is what gives it meaning.

I was just trying to explain the splitting out of 'axiom' from the phrase. As it's not part of the 'Black Shoes' term per se.

For example breaking into 3 parts:

"Head-fier's" - "Axiom" - "An empty wallet is a bad thing"


Steve

 

[Bill Ward]

I think it's a mariners vs. aviators joke. The sailors (black shoes) jeering at the likelihood that the flyboys (brownshoes) will land in the drink.

 

[electrathecat]

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought it would be about the Heaven's Gate cult that all wore new black Nikes and castrated themselves just before "departing" on the Hale-Bopp comet.

 

[enemigo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Ward I think it's a mariners vs. aviators joke. The sailors (black shoes) jeering at the likelihood that the flyboys (brownshoes) will land in the drink.

I'm thinking this might be the answer. So unless we've got some navy fellows around here claiming otherwise, I'll stick to this one.

Knut