# You may have your DEFCON levels mistaken **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144 "2014-06-05T18:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/1 "2014-06-05T18:30:33Z")
[LA Times article](http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-delaware-freeway-closure-20140604-story.html) claims that the Delaware freeway bridge that is tilting is a DEFCON level 5 incident. [According to wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEFCON) that means that the situation is normal. I think that I’ve seen this mix up before, but I always giggle when I see it. Other DEFCON level mix ups that you’ve seen? Other common mistakes of this type to discuss? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/2 "2014-06-05T18:52:10Z")
It came up in an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Fortunately, Sheldon was present to correct the error. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/3 "2014-06-05T19:41:55Z")
I must have seen that BBT episode somewhat recently. I knew that this had come up in the past six months or so. Couldn’t figure out where. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/4 "2014-06-05T19:43:48Z")
There are certain things that I eat that send me to DEFCON 1. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/5 "2014-06-05T19:46:41Z")
The title of the movie “Defcon 4” isn’t actually all that dramatic, film art notwithstanding. It’s basically saying “Everything’s normal…nothing to see here.” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/6 "2014-06-05T19:46:41Z")
It’s always best to go with “DEFCON 3” that way the people who know how DEFCON works and the people who don’t both think it sounds serious. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/7 "2014-06-05T21:57:32Z")
There’s also the old first-person shooter Defcon 5. I’m assuming they were going for more of a “Defcon 1” feeling with that title. ETA: Apparently, there’s a whole [TV Tropes page about the misuse of Defcon 5](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DefconFive). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/8 "2014-06-05T23:41:35Z")
Sounds like a badly-engineered bug spray. “DEFCON 5… leaves your roaches shiny and spotless!” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-may-have-your-defcon-levels-mistaken/690144/9 "2014-06-06T03:44:54Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > Other DEFCON level mix ups that you’ve seen? Other common mistakes of this type to discuss? Yeah, I saw this one in a series of private e-mails that I was cc’d on, between a brother (a friend of mine) and his sister (trustee of their late parents’ estate), regarding an outburst over whether I should be expected to keep an eye on their parents’ vacated house until they sell it: > [@](#): > > Oh, please - dial it down to DefCon 1. My message wasn’t an “outburst.” It says “drop by now and then.” By that I mean maybe cruise by once a week or so to see if the roof has caved in, etc. That isn’t unreasonable. And, once again, if you really think the place is a great investment and want to hold on to it, I’m happy to sell you my half… to which I responded: > [@Me](#): > > \> Oh, please - dial it down to DefCon 1. > > (Hee, hee.) Actually: > > ``` > A defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is an alert posture > used by the United States armed forces. The DEFCON system > was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and unified and > specified combatant commands. It prescribes five graduated > levels of readiness (or statuses of alert) for the U.S. military, > and increase in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to > DEFCON 1 (most severe) to match varying military situations. . . . > > Movies and popular culture often misuse the DEFCON system > by "going to DEFCON 5" during a state of emergency. > In fact, DEFCON 5 is the lowest state of readiness. > > -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defcon > > ```