make the rubble bounce

English translation: bombing an area that's already been destroyed

16:32 Jan 11, 2008

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Government / Politics

English term or phrase: make the rubble bounce

I would like to know the meaning of "to make the rubble bounce" in Winton Churchill's quote - If you go on with this nuclear arms race, all you are going to do is make the rubble bounce. Thank you.

Barbara Duarte
Brazil

Selected answer:bombing an area that's already been destroyed

Explanation:
Churchill's quote is in reference to another phrase from Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay:

"We should bomb 'em back to the Stone Age, and then make the rubble bounce."

http://www.acronym.org.uk/dd/dd80/80ccfhsr.htm#en08

And here's an explanation from another site:

It is doubtful if Washington has achieved anything of tactical or strategic value except to make the "rubble bounce"--as the consequences of multiple nuclear explosions in one area were cynically described during the cold war.
http://www.fpif.org/progresp/volume5/v5n36.html

Selected response from:

Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:17

Grading comment

thank you.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +4

bombing an area that's already been destroyed

Nesrin

4 +1

There is already enough nuclear capacity to turn the entire planet into rubble.

Jack Doughty

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

bombing an area that's already been destroyed

Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

thank you.

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

There is already enough nuclear capacity to turn the entire planet into rubble.

Explanation:
If you take it further, it won't do anything more except disturb the ruble.

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Note added at 59 mins (2008-01-11 17:32:14 GMT)
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disturb the rubble (it might disturb the ruble too, but there probably wouldn't be any such thing by that time).

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56

Notes to answerer

Asker: thank you.

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make the rubble bounce

English translation: bombing an area that's already been destroyed

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English translation: bombing an area that's already been destroyed

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