General
blooper
What does blooper mean?
A Vietnam-era nickname for the M79 single-shot 40mm grenade launcher, named for the distinctive hollow 'bloop' sound it makes when fired.
"The old-timers still call the grenade launcher a blooper."
Origin
US military slang from the Vietnam War, onomatopoeic.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'blooper' mean in the military?
It's a nickname for the M79 40mm grenade launcher, a single-shot shoulder-fired weapon used heavily in the Vietnam War.
Why is it called a blooper?
The name is onomatopoeic — it imitates the distinctive hollow 'bloop' sound the M79 makes when it fires a round.
Is 'blooper' the same as the everyday word for a mistake?
No. In civilian English a blooper is an embarrassing gaffe or filming error, but in military slang it specifically means the M79 grenade launcher.
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