Word.ws English Dictionary

strangle the parrot

Syllables: stran·gle the par·rot/ˌstɹæŋɡ(ə)l ðə ˈpæɹət/US/ˌstɹæŋɡəl ðə ˈpæɹət/

strangle the parrot verb: to switch off the transponder, for example, because it is interfering with the radar system.

Verb

strangle the parrot (third-person singular simple present strangles the parrot, present participle strangling the parrot, simple past and past participle strangled the parrot)

  1. (idiomatic, slang) To switch off the transponder, for example, because it is interfering with the radar system.
    • If you fly jets, you know what it means to strangle the parrot (turning off the transponder that identifies aircraft as friendly or hostile) and that the howgozit is a dial that shows how much fuel is left.1990, Tom Fahey, “Types of Jargon”, in The Joys of Jargon, Hauppauge, N.Y.; London: Barron’s Educational Series, →ISBN, pages 21–22
    • Over the radio, Kincaid heard the sounds of flights into the north: Air Force pilots talking to one another. […] Davis broke in with a radio call. “We strangle the parrot in five minutes.” Kincaid grinned. It meant that they would be turning off the IFF equipment.1990, Kevin D. Randle, chapter 6, in Carrier War (Wings over Nam; 4), Naples, Fla.: Speaking Volumes, published 2014, →ISBN
    Antonyms:
    squawk the parrot

Antonyms of strangle the parrot

  • squawk the parrot

Forms of strangle the parrot

third-person singular presentstrangles the parrot
present participlestrangling the parrot
past participlestrangled the parrot
paststrangled the parrot

Origin of strangle the parrot

From parrot (“(aviation, slang) transponder”). “Parrot” was the British codename for the identification friend or foe system on World War II aircraft which used transponders.

Words that rhyme with strangle the parrot

Questions about strangle the parrot

What does strangle the parrot mean?
Strangle the parrot means to switch off the transponder, for example, because it is interfering with the radar system.
What part of speech is strangle the parrot?
Strangle the parrot is a verb.
How do you pronounce strangle the parrot?
Strangle the parrot is pronounced /ˌstɹæŋɡ(ə)l ðə ˈpæɹət/ (UK).
What is the past tense of strangle the parrot?
The past tense of strangle the parrot is strangled the parrot.

Words near strangle the parrot in the dictionary

  1. Strangio
  2. Strangios
  3. Strangite
  4. Strangites
  5. strangle
  6. strangle the parrot
  7. strangleable
  8. strangled
  9. strangled the parrot
  10. strangledly
  11. strangleheld

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: strangle the parrot (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strangle the parrot.wav.

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