English Today

Magazine Overview

Title: English Today
Issue: Volume 12, Issue 01
Date: January 1996
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Article Title: Saucers and sightings: the lexicon of UFOLOGY
Author: Thomas DuBose

Saucers and Sightings: The Lexicon of UFOLOGY

This article by Thomas DuBose examines the linguistic landscape of ufology, focusing on the evolution and interplay of key terms such as "flying saucer" (FS) and "UFO." DuBose argues that the jargon of ufology, despite its subject matter, is often derived from common, workaday words that have been invested with an otherworldly aura.

The Origin of "Flying Saucer"

The term "flying saucer" is traced back to a misunderstanding by reporter Bill Becquette in 1947. After pilot Kenneth Arnold reported seeing inexplicable objects flying near Mount Rainier, Becquette asked him to describe their flight. Arnold replied they flew "erratic, like a saucer [would] if you skipped it across water." Becquette misinterpreted this as a description of shape, leading to his article describing "Nine bright saucer-like objects." Arnold himself stated the objects looked like tadpoles, not saucers. Despite this misattribution, the phrase "flying saucer" quickly gained media attention and became a popular, albeit inaccurate, descriptor.

The Rise of "UFO"

The article details how "flying saucer" was a convenient term for the mood of the moment, functioning as a marketing device. It was featured in influential books like Major Donald Keyhoe's "Flying Saucers Are Real" (1950) and President Truman's public statement in 1950. However, by the mid-1950s, "UFO" emerged as a lexical rival. The Oxford English Dictionary lists 1953 as the first recorded use of UFO in print, though its exact meaning (acronym or full phrase) is unclear. Air Force Captain Edward Ruppelt is credited with coining the term "UFO" to distinguish rational sighting reports from fanciful ones, and he used it in his book "Report on Unidentified Flying Objects" (1956).

The Shift from FS to UFO

One primary reason for UFO's rise was the devaluation of FS. As reports of objects with diverse shapes emerged, "flying saucer" became inappropriate. UFO offered greater accuracy because it was less specific about shape. It also appealed to both believers and skeptics, as demonstrated by Isaac Asimov's definition: "I assume that by UFO you mean 'unidentified flying objects.' I certainly believe that many people have seen objects in the air or sky that they can't identify, and those are UFOs." The Air Force's adoption of UFO was seen as a "ceremonial necessity" to lend credence to the field.

Linguistic Adaptability and Derivatives

The acronym UFO proved more adaptable for derivation than FS. While "saucerian" and "saucerology" failed to gain traction due to their awkwardness, UFO lent itself to suffixes derived from Greek, leading to terms like "ufology" (the study of UFOs), "ufologist," "ufological," "ufoism," "ufonauts," and "UFOcal." Acronyms like BUFORA, MUFON, and CUFOS also emerged. The article notes that UFO is significantly shorter than "flying saucer."

The Paradigm of FS and UFO Usage in the 1960s

Despite the emergence of UFO, FS continued to be used, particularly for sensation and "imaginal richness" to attract attention. Writers would often use FS in titles or early paragraphs before switching to UFO for serious discussion. Examples include Donald Menzel's "The World of Flying Saucers" (1963), a Catholic periodical's editorial (1966), Evert Clark's "New York Times" article (1966), Frank Edwards' "Flying Saucers - Serious Business" (1966), and Jay David's "The Flying Saucer Reader" (1967). This pattern is also seen in Carl Jung's "Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies" (1958), where FS is used in the title and preface, but UFO dominates the main text.

Decline of "Flying Saucer" and Continued Use of "UFO"

After 1971, the use of FS in titles largely disappeared, except in cases where the article was explaining the term's origin or discussing early ufology. Books with "Flying Saucer" in their titles became rare. In contrast, UFO became the constant term used by everyone in the field, including skeptics like Philip Klass. Even in Jacques Vallee's extensive trilogy, "Dimensions," "Confrontations," and "Revelations," FS appears only six times in 845 pages, mostly in definitions or historical context.

Mundane Terminology for Extramundane Subjects

DuBose highlights the surprisingly mundane nature of ufological terms. "Flying saucer" had a colloquial sound, and "unidentified flying object" is straightforward officialese. Other terms like "flap" (a surge in sightings), "wave" (prolonged sightings), and "window" (an area of repeated sightings) are equally common. Even in the context of alien abductions, terms like "abduction" and "grays" are not elaborate coinages. The term "sighting" itself is borrowed from nautical jargon. Dr. Allen Hynek's categorization of sightings (Close Encounters of the First, Second, and Third Kinds) also reflects simple, unadorned language.

The Future of Ufological Lexicon

As ufology moves into new phases, such as the alien-abduction scenario, new lexical items are expected to emerge. The term "ufology" itself has gained "pop" status, appearing on T-shirts and associated with media like "The X-Files." The article concludes by noting that simplicity of phrase seems to be a premium in ufology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The central theme of this article is the linguistic evolution and social construction of terminology within the field of ufology. It emphasizes how common language is adapted and imbued with meaning to describe extraordinary phenomena. The author's stance is analytical and historical, tracing the origins and shifts in usage of key terms like "flying saucer" and "UFO" without necessarily endorsing or debunking the phenomena themselves. The article positions ufology as a field where language plays a crucial role in shaping public perception and scholarly discourse.