WEBVTT - The Artifact: The Bazooka

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of

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<v Speaker 1>My Heart Radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb, and

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<v Speaker 1>this is the Artifact, a short form series from Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>to Blow Your Mind, focusing in on particular objects, ideas,

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<v Speaker 1>and moments in time. Imagine yourself inching your way through

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<v Speaker 1>the security line at the airport. You check the time

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<v Speaker 1>on your tickets, You double check your I D. As

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<v Speaker 1>you go to place your carry on bag a topic

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<v Speaker 1>conveyor belt, you run through a mental list of items

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<v Speaker 1>packed inside? Did I take out my liquids? Is my

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<v Speaker 1>cell charger in there? Is it okay that I packed

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<v Speaker 1>my bazooka. Now, for some of you, your mind probably

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<v Speaker 1>goes to bazooka bubble gum, and there's nothing inherently wrong

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<v Speaker 1>with that. You can bring gum on an airplane. But

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<v Speaker 1>of course there's more to the story. Introduced during the

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<v Speaker 1>Second World War, Bazooka gum is generally understood to be

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<v Speaker 1>named after the rocket propelled grenade that was introduced by

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<v Speaker 1>the U. S. Army as an anti tank weapon. Has

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<v Speaker 1>pointed out in Tanks one hundred Years of Evolution by

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<v Speaker 1>Richard O'gorkowitch, the U. S. Army pioneered the use of

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<v Speaker 1>rocket propelled shape charge grenades, deploying the first of these

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<v Speaker 1>in North Africa in nineteen forty two. The German military

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<v Speaker 1>followed suit in nineteen forty four with the pounds of Faust,

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<v Speaker 1>which fired the shaped charge from a disposable, preloaded launch tube.

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<v Speaker 1>These weapons presented a serious threat to armored vehicles, as

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<v Speaker 1>the shaped charge focused the blast energy in order to

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<v Speaker 1>pierce armor, and the projectile methods meant that it could

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<v Speaker 1>be deployed at range by infantry. Obviously, never try to

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<v Speaker 1>bring one of these on a flight. But this brings

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<v Speaker 1>us to the name bazooka. While the gum is named

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<v Speaker 1>for the weapon, the weapon in turn took its nickname

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<v Speaker 1>from a novelty brass musical instrument known as the bazooka,

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<v Speaker 1>invented by comedian and musician Bob Burns. This intentionally crude

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<v Speaker 1>musical instrument featured a wide flaring bell and a telescopic body.

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<v Speaker 1>In Clarity and Uncertainty about Bazooka, published in American Speech

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<v Speaker 1>Back in, author Robert Chapman explored the invention of the

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<v Speaker 1>bazooka and the etymology of the word. Burns seems to

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<v Speaker 1>have invented the instrument and coined its name as early

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<v Speaker 1>as possibly nineteen o five. He subsequently played in the

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<v Speaker 1>Marine Corps band in World War One and went on

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<v Speaker 1>to become a famous radio player of the day. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>While Chapman admits that full clarity on the question is impossible,

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<v Speaker 1>he contends that the word bazooka largely seems to stem

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<v Speaker 1>from the slang bazoo, which meant a person with a

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<v Speaker 1>big mouth or someone who talks a lot, though various

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<v Speaker 1>other semantic influences seemed possible as well. Either way, a

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<v Speaker 1>whimsical name for a farcical musical instrument would ultimately become

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<v Speaker 1>predominantly associated with a weapon to punch holes in tank armor.

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<v Speaker 1>Tune in for additional episodes of the artifact each week.

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<v Speaker 1>As always, you can email us at contact at stuff

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<v Speaker 1>to Blow your Mind dot com. Stuff to Blow Your

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<v Speaker 1>Mind is a production of I Heart Radio. For more

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