Friendly Idioms



   A highly professional pilot in Russia will be referred to as an 'AS' – it has nothing to do with English 'as' but with the old Latin ‘AS’ or old French 'ACE', which means often the highest playing card. In life it is applied to someone of high professional performance and of excellence. 'AS' is someone who is exceptionally talented in a sport or flying the airplanes. In the military  jargon, a fighter ace is a pilot who has successfully shot down five enemy aircrafts. 'AS' refers to victory. 
   It started with pilots of the highest qualification and then was applied to other professions. In Russia, we say, “you need to become an 'AS' in your field,” while in America we say, “do not be such an ASS.”

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