# "call the ball" - what does this mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094 "2003-11-13T20:54:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/1 "2003-11-13T20:54:35Z")
In the movie “Top Gun,” Maverick is told to “call the ball” before he lands his fighter on the carrier. What does this mean? ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/2 "2003-11-13T21:03:45Z")
Disclaimer - My information comes from reading Tom Clancy novels and it has been a couple of months, but I am sure if I make any mistakes they will be corrected. When landing on a carrier there is a beam of light shining towards the incomming plane. The beam of light represents the perfect glide path/approach. When the pilot of the incoming plane looks directly at the beam it appears as a ball. When the pilot ‘calls the ball’ he as sight of the ball and is preparig to land. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/3 "2003-11-13T21:06:45Z")
The up-down visual aid for a carrier landing looks like a ball. So when the the pilot is coming in, he is asked to “call the ball,” which is just asking the pilot if he can see the ball and that he is on a safe glide path for the landing. The proper response is, of course, is to give the weight of the plane, and then “Roger Ball.” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/4 "2003-11-13T21:13:56Z")
Here’s a page describing the ball, how it works, and some follow-on systems in development. [http://www.lakehurst.navy.mil/nlweb/iflols.html](http://www.lakehurst.navy.mil/nlweb/iflols.html) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/5 "2003-11-13T21:15:12Z")
See [Automated Carrier Landing System](http://people.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier5.htm). ---
**Author:** ![redherring31](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@redherring31](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redherring31)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/6 "2013-07-05T15:29:18Z")
“Call the Ball” is an old expression that refers to a person being placed in charge - or given command - of “calling” or setting the music, song, and tempo for a dance. Landing a plane on an aircraft carrier is a “dance”. The pilot is given final decision control of the “grand ballroom dance” on final approach. Release of command and control is referred to as you will now “call the Ball”! ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/7 "2013-07-05T15:44:43Z")
> [@redherring31](#): > > “Call the Ball” is an old expression that refers to a person being placed in charge - or given command - of “calling” or setting the music, song, and tempo for a dance. Landing a plane on an aircraft carrier is a “dance”. The pilot is given final decision control of the “grand ballroom dance” on final approach. Release of command and control is referred to as you will now “call the Ball”! Do you have any evidence for that assertion justifying waking up a ten year old thread to contradict an explanation that seems sensible and has supporting evidence? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/8 "2013-07-05T15:52:26Z")
look at his user name and join date ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/9 "2013-07-05T16:03:43Z")
Per Wikipedia, > [@](#): > > Red herring is an English-language idiom, a logical fallacy that misleads or detracts from the issue.[1] It is also a literary device that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction. A little known fact about the origin of the phrase, is that it wasn’t originally a noun. It was a verb, and the act of telling someone a misleading bit of information was known as “red hairing”. This, due to the fact that gingers were long believed to be untrustworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/10 "2013-07-05T17:42:52Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > … the act of telling someone a misleading bit of information was known as “red hairing”. This, due to the fact that gingers were long believed to be untrustworthy. And because they were also believed to have a strong odor, someone hit on the idea of dragging them (by the hair, naturally) across a trail to confuse dogs being used to track a suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/11 "2013-07-05T18:12:55Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Per Wikipedia, > > A little known fact about the origin of the phrase, is that it wasn’t originally a noun. It was a verb, and the act of telling someone a misleading bit of information was known as “red hairing”. This, due to the fact that gingers were long believed to be untrustworthy. Unlike white hares which were trustworthy, just never on time. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/12 "2013-07-05T20:08:21Z")
> [@redherring31](#): > > “Call the Ball” is an old expression You don’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Bremidon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Bremidon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bremidon)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/13 "2013-07-05T20:41:38Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Per Wikipedia, > > Red herring is an English-language idiom, a logical fallacy that misleads or detracts from the issue.[1] It is also a literary device that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction. > > A little known fact about the origin of the phrase, is that it wasn’t originally a noun. It was a verb, and the act of telling someone a misleading bit of information was known as “red hairing”. This, due to the fact that gingers were long believed to be untrustworthy. Wikipedia, as usual, is wrong. The term actually comes from the first experiments with controlling nuclear reactors using water as a cooling agent. It was common practice to have the new guys check the water for fish, especially Atlantic Herring. Of course, they never found any radiactive herring, because it was just a hazing ritual. But the term “rad. herring” eventually mutated into the phrase we know and love today. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/14 "2013-07-05T20:48:45Z")
> [@Bremidon](#): > > The term actually comes from the first experiments with controlling nuclear reactors using water as a cooling agent. Unlikely in the extreme. The phrase is used in a Sherlock Holmes story ([here](http://doyle.thefreelibrary.com/The-Return-of-Sherlock-Holmes/5-1#red+herring)). Unless I’m grossly mistaken, Holmes predates nuclear reactors by a fair margin. Wikipedia looks to have the better of this one. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/15 "2013-07-05T20:51:01Z")
Redd Herring played shortstop for the Cedar Rapids Kernels from 1932-44. He enlisted in the Navy after Okinawa and became a deck ape on the USS Kearsarge, where he met his end while playing a pick-up game on the flight deck. A pop fly went a bit too near the edge of the deck, and Redd kept his eye on the ball, calling “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” until he vanished over the side into the South China sea, never to be seen again. It is in his memory that pilots still “call the ball” when landing. RIP, Redd. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/16 "2013-07-05T21:49:16Z")
As usual, everyone but me has it wrong. ‘Red herring’ is actually a mispronounced version of ‘red hearing’. Red hearing is an exceeding rare genetic disorder whereas the sounding of certain specific tones causes the afflicted to ‘hear’ the sound as a red plane in their field of vision. This effect has been well documented. The confusion caused by somebody with red hearing trying to describe their visions led to the ailment being referred to when somebody had reached false conclusions. The term became corrupted through time to become ‘red herring’. Now you know. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/17 "2013-07-05T22:25:06Z")
It’s actually from references to Keith “Red” Haring, the graffiti guy guy whose [work](https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&client=safari&hl=en&q=keith+haring+biography&revid=1642575990&bav=on.2,or.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmQ&biw=1024&bih=672&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=-kbXUYHZN-bT0wH25oCYBw) has somehow become valuable and well known. I hear the rattling of a giant padlock lumbering this way… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/18 "2013-07-05T22:37:26Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You don’t say. Who was it? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/19 "2013-07-05T22:48:38Z")
I can’t be the only one who knows that “red herring” proceeded from “Raid Hiring” in WWII, in which unlucky “volunteers” for suicide missions were “hired” when they drew the short straw. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094/20 "2013-07-05T22:51:04Z")
You guys is all wet, I tells ya. “Red Heering” was a liqueur invented by the Danes, who, being an unimaginative lot, were too lazy to call it by its eventual proper name of [Cherry Heering.](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://amountainofcrushedice.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/cherry-heering.jpg&imgrefurl=http://amountainofcrushedice.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/cherry-heering/cherry-heering/&h=500&w=322&sz=119&tbnid=Ri8LGvN3Stv1mM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=58&zoom=1&usg=__IapXfY4wwFgMlBSoLPHQPrYK9Rw=&docid=arv4uGeQkBNkgM&sa=X&ei=eE3XUaiCE4TniALX-4Fw&ved=0CE4Q9QEwBg&dur=1226) How anybody got from “Heering” to “herring” is another kettle of fish. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-ball-what-does-this-mean/213094.md?page=2)