M.P. military police.
macabre literally, dance of death; grim; horrible; gruesome.
Mae West inflatable life jacket for use by aviators downed at sea; named after a shapely movie actress of the 1930s and 1940s.
Mais c'est la guerre (French) "But such is war."
marchese an Italian nobleman, ranking above a count but below a prince.
Marrakech a prominent city in, and former capital of, Morocco, in northwestern Africa.
medulla oblongata (Latin) the widening continuation of the spinal cord, forming the lower part of the brain and controlling respiration as well as other bodily functions.
Messerschmitt a german fighter plane during World War II, manufactured by Willy Messerschmitt (1898–1978).
milk run a mission so easy and safe that it's compared to the daily delivery of milk.
Miniver Cheevy title character in a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935).
motley here, composed of many different or clashing elements — Nately and his friends form a "motley rescue party."
moue (French) "a pouting grimace"; a wry face.
obsequious showing too great a willingness to serve or obey; fawning.
obstreperous noisy; boisterous; unruly.
obtuse not sharp; slow to understand or perceive.
Old Blood and Guts nickname for General George Smith Patton (1885–1945), commander of the Seventh and Third Armies during World War II; the comparison is sardonic.
ontology the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being or reality.
oscillate to swing or move regularly back and forth.
Où sont les Neigedens d'antan The well-known phrase, from the French poet François Villon (1431–1463) actually is, où sont les neiges d'antan ("where are the snows of yesteryear"). Yossarian alters the fourth word to match his pun on the plural "Snowdens."
