Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2024)

FAQs

What does the phrase "whisky, tango, foxtrot" mean? ›

whiskey tango foxtrot

Meaning: WTF (what the f*ck). Origin: NATO phonetic alphabet—W for “Whiskey,” T for “Tango,” F for “Foxtrot.” In a sentence: “Whiskey tango foxtrot, I can't believe he double-crossed you like that!”

The reaction at the Pentagon, said one official, was “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” — military slang for an expression of shock.

It is based on the memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker. The film stars Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, and Billy Bob Thornton. It was released on March 4, 2016, by Paramount Pictures.

Foxtrot is the military phonetic alphabet term for the letter F. That's all it means.

In the NATO phonetic alphabet, established by the 1930s, the letter T is tango and became slang for target, or “enemy.” To down a target is “to shoot” them, especially when grounding an aircraft, but also “to neutralize” or “kill” them. Tango down thus means the enemy has been defeated.

It's the type of alphabet the military uses. A=Alpha B=Bravo C=Charlie etc… Foxtrot stands for F . It helps someone that may have trouble hearing certain letters to clarify them.

"BZ" is widely used as shorthand vernacular amongst members of the sea services (i.e., navies, Marines, and those coast guards that are military services as opposed to civilian agencies).

Bravo Zulu is a phrase meaning "well done" and comes from the Allied Naval Signal Book (ACP- 175.

The police have code names for all their officers and heads of the government associated with their department. Hotel Mike is how they refer to the home minister, while the Prime Minister is Papa Mike. The state police chief, DG and IGP is Police, while the city police commissioner is Compol.

The final scene shows a flash-forward on Kim, now a regular news anchor in New York, about to interview Iain MacKelpie on her show for a book he has written. Iain tells her he will be in New York soon for his book tour and asks her if she would meet him like to meet him for coffee and Kim smiles.

What is the plot of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? ›

In 2002, cable news producer Kim Barker (Tina Fey) decides to shake up her routine by taking a daring new assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dislodged from her comfortable American lifestyle, Barker finds herself in the middle of an out-of-control war zone. Luckily, she meets Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie), a fellow journalist who takes the shellshocked reporter under her wing. Amid the militants, warlords and nighttime partying, Barker discovers the key to becoming a successful correspondent.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot / Film synopsis

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is set in Afghanistan but was filmed in New Mexico (remember actress Margot Robbie's comment about New Mexicans and teeth?)

Military Phonetic Alphabet Code Phrases

Oscar Mike: On the move. Bravo Zulu: Good job/well done. November Golf: No go/fail. Tango Mike: Thanks much. Tango Yankee: Thank you.

"Fox" is short for "foxtrot", the NATO phonetic designation for the letter "F", which is short for "fire". A fighter pilot announcing that a weapon has been fired is intended to help avoid friendly fire, alerting other pilots to avoid maneuvering into the path of the munition.

Oscar Mike: On the Move. Tango Mike: Thanks Much. Tango Uniform: Toes Up, meaning killed or destroyed. Tango Yankee: Thank You.

Oscar Mike is how the military references the alphabet; you might've heard in movies stuff like Charlie, Echo, Foxtrot. Regardless, oscar mike is OM which is his way of saying 'ON the MOVE', meaning that the payload is in motion.

“Whiskey” is the military's phonetic way of saying “W” over telephone and radio. The military assigns words to each letter of the alphabet. (These can change with time.

1. : a short broken slow trotting gait in which the hind foot of the horse hits the ground a trifle before the diagonally opposite forefoot. 2. : a ballroom dance in duple time with slow walking steps, quick running steps, and the step of the two-step.