"They'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".

Concerned 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

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Comments & suggestions may be sent to the Solar Guard Academy