I’m hopelessly un-hep to the new lingo these kids are using today…and new words are appearing in beer commercials and California Milk Advisory Board commercials…so what’s a “wingman”?
What was the original meaning–presumably something to do with military aviation?
What does it mean in the context of guys picking up girls?
When did it move from #1 to #2–please cite earliest known usage in the new context.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 1356 (10th ed. 1997).
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged 2622 (1993)
Just as a flying formation’s leader was supported and protected by the wingman, a male on the prowl sometimes brings along a friend who performs the same function when the males approach a group of females. The lead male pursues his target, while the wingman distracts or deflects her friends who might block the lead male’s pursuit.
Sorry, no idea when the term came into use in the dating context. I first heard it about a decade ago, and thought that it was a pretty silly usage, but it had obviously been around for quite a while before that.
It must be from Top Gun.
I had heard the term in regards to dating tactics as well, but it was a bit more specific.
It was used when trying to pick up an attractive woman that was hanging out with considerably less attractive friends. I’ve noticed women do that often, perhaps the attractive girl does it to make herself look prettier 
Anyway, the wingman/wingmen start hitting on the uglier girls to clear the way for the main guy to have access to the pretty girl. It isolates the women and counters their ability to use numbers to their advantage. If a guy didn’t have a wingman, a lot of undesirable results could happen, such as one of the uglier girls being attracted to him causing the pretty girl to lose intrest, someone telling him to fuck off, one of the other girls trying to distract him in an attempt to ditch him, etc.
Exactly, it’s like the quarterback wanting to throw a pass, but he needs his linemen to block out everybody else that might get in the way.
Also, it’s easier for one guy to approach one woman and keep a conversation that it is for one guy to try to keep a conversation with multiple women. The wingman keeps the others conversationally occupied, allowing the main guy (point man) to focus on the main girl (target).
I’m seconding the Top Gun notion. That must be what brought “wingman” into the popular parlance. When was Top Gun, 1986? I recall it for the first time in college, 96 or so, but it must have been around before then.
This may constitute a hijack but maybe this is best in here anyway…
What good does a wingman do in aviation? There for protection? How? Protection for the lead plane maybe. You are flying in close formation with the leader who is presumably chasing someone else and an enemy plane swings in behind the two of you. How does giving the enemy two targets improve matters except that the trainling plane is likely first to go? Further, in Top Gun, Maverick goes on and on about ‘not leaving his wingman’ while he is getting perilously close to getting shot down himself. I understand it is a movie but is there anything to the “I will NOT leave my wingman” schtick?
a wingmans job is to protect the lead aircraft. They stay behind the leader and engage any aircraft that attempts to engage the lead plane. The whole thing about “not leaving your wingman” really has to do with the almost overpowering urge to continue the pursuit of an engaing plane thus exposing the lead to other possible attacks. Even without a second plane the wingmans job is to protect the lead from any possible countermoves also from the other plane. In a circling fight, the advantage can swiftly change from one plane to the other, having a wingman will nullify that advantage (such as the enemy plane out turning the lead attack plane so as to get on his tail).
It is easy as a wingman to get pulled inot your own “dogfight” which leaves yourself and your lead exposed to other attacks as well as turns the fight into one of plane against plane rather than team against team.
By using tactics like this a duo of heavy dual purpose planes like the f-15 can effectively fight against more manueverable fighters.
Wingman can also be used to bait enemies into crossing into the firing paths of their lead or vice versa. The whole point really is to act as a team.
The wingman is not necessarily stuck in a single position behind the leader. There are a whole series of maneuvers involving changing relative positions so that each plane will continue to protect the other.
One classic maneuver (more typically described in terms of flights) involves a weave pattern, where two pairs of planes constantly weave back and forth across each other’s paths so that if either pair is attacked, the attacker will present a broadside (“full deflection”) shot for the other pair. Similar tactics are involved in the two-plane scenario.
One aspect of air combat tactics in WWI and WWII in terms of picking flight leaders was their ability to bring home their wingmen. In other words, while it was up to the wingman to protect the leader in close combat, it was up to the leader to be sure that he placed his flight in a good position to win the battle in the first place. I have read several accounts from top scoring aces (of several air forces) in which they took far more pride in never losing a wingman than they did in racking up their own scores.
Folks, you’re all very obtuse. I have been Wingman many times.
The tactic is like such: there’s a guy you know, with serviceable manners and a reasonable banter who seems to be a good “lure” for the ladies. He’s the Wingman. You go to the bar with Lt. Wingman and you and he attract a couple of chicks, only he backs off to let you get in on the Hot Babe of the two.
So he sits and endure the blather, 'cause he’s not into simply Scoring, thereby “Taking One for the Corps.” You get to cop a feel on her goodies. Don’t feel bad, I had to 'splain it to my Dad recently.
WTF: Are you guys old?
Mr. B, how is your answer significantly different than the ones already offered by Incubus, Bearflag70, and my first post in this thread? The potshots hardly seem warranted.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I have never been that desperate…
It’s not a matter of being desperate.
I finally got to use the “wingman” tactic last week.
I went in and took the hit for my bud. I kept 3 girls who weren’t what he considered to be “all that”, while he talked up the primary target.
He got the main target, and I got the two secondary targets. We both won.
Just as a ‘me too’ post, Brianmelendez, Incubus, and Bearflag 70 have pretty much nailed it. Being a wingman (also known as ‘Taking one for the team,’ or ‘Falling on the grenade’) pretty much means chatting up the less desireable girls of a group so that your buddy can zero in on the one he wants without distraction.
It’s usually the sign of a damn good friend. He’s basically killed his night in the hopes that you’ll have a good one. 
Although I’ll have to admit, Spit sounds like he managed to work it into a pretty interesting win-win situation.
sigh And then, then I married the grenade.
Hey, somebody else saw “Stiffed”.
brianmelendez: sorry, I’ll use an emoticon next time so you don’t get your feelings hurt. Tongue was firmly in cheek. BTW, the other “on-target” posts had not arrived until long after mine was finished. My fault.