GRAPEVINE

By DAVID ELLIS

In the gulf war, the top brass and the G.I.s seem to be speaking two different languages -- neither of them English. William Lutz, a Rutgers University English professor, says military strategists have adopted M.B.A.-style buzz words that "represent an emphasis on managerial skills." The men and women in the ranks, however, have a more colorful way of communicating. A sampler:

TOP BRASS

Incontinent Ordnance. Bombs and artillery shells that fall wide of their

targets and hit civilians.

Area Denial Weapons. Cluster bombs that wreak great damage over a particular

zone.

Ballistically Induced Aperture in the Subcutaneous Environment. A bullet

hole in a human being.

Coercive Potential. The capability of bombs to harm and demoralize soldiers.

Suppressing Assets. The destruction of sites containing antiaircraft

weaponry.

Unwelcome Visit. British term for any foray into enemy territory.

Scenario-Dependent, Post-Crisis Environment. Conditions after the war.

GRUNTS

Echelons Beyond Reality. The source of orders from superior officers.

! High Speed, Low Drag. Phrase indicating that an operation went exactly

according to plan.

Micks. Abbreviation of minutes, as in "give me five micks."

9-4. A more chummy version of the traditional "10-4" radio sign-off.

Suicide Circles. Nickname for Saudi traffic roundabouts. Road accidents have

so far claimed the lives of 13 allied soldiers.

180 Out. The coordinate-minded soldier's term for a wrong answer -- 180

degrees from the truth.

Strack. To get on the right track, or frame of mind, for battle.

With reporting by Linda Williams