When a jet fighter uzzes another airplane, whats the history of the word buzz, what actually is it?
The word “buzz” is very old. It goes back to the 14th Century in English. It’s of “imitative” origin: it sounds like the sound. That bee flying around by your ear that sounds like Bzzzzzzzz is buzzing. In aircraft terms, buzz goes back almost to the beginning and for the same reason. When a plane flew low and fast it made a buzzing sound (this is the days of rotary piston engines which sounded nothing like jets). Pilots were “buzzing the tower” about 5 minutes after the first one was built. German V-1 missiles in WWII were called “Buzz Bombs” for the same reason. The used a pulsing jet engine that sounded like a buzzing bug. The term is alive and well even though planes, except for the little private planes, don’t really buzz anymore. It’s still means flying low and/or close with the intent of startling or frightening the target, be it on the ground or another plane.
