YEARS ago; Back in he early '90s during one of my annual In-Service Training classes, and later on the range for firearms recertification, the Sr. Trainer kept referring to cartridges as "bullets" and to make sure to keep our "clips" topped off while waiting for other shooters on the line to finish firing.
I couldn't help myself at the time, and I loaded some plain 9MM bullets alternately in one mag for the G17 with which we were qualifying that day.
The Sr. Trainer was only one shooter from me when I would shoot, fire once, and then raise my hand to signal a misfire. After the third or fourth time, the Sr. Trainer approached and took the G17 from me to inspect it.
Upon removing the mag and seeing the plain bullets, he made some remarks which cannot be repeated here, and called over another instructor to see the bullets. When asked why the Bull s**t stunt, I merely stated in front of the other instructor that we were told to keep the mags topped off with fresh "bullets" and that is what I topped them off with.... "Fresh BULLETS".
After some chuckles from a couple other instructors who had wandered over to see what was so important and funny, I was chastised by the Sr. Trainer for my apparently arrogant insolence, and told I would to make up recertification at the next scheduled date.
The "incident" made it back to my duty station before I did and I was called into my supervisor's office upon return for an explanation, which then drew another chuckle or two from the Lt. and Sgt. over me.
However, at the next recert, and every one thereafter, and even in annual training classes until I retired in '05, the Sr. Trainer always used proper terminology in referring to cartridges and magazines.
In retrospect.... Perhaps not so funny now but I thought it was downright hilarious back then.
WILL.