steely-eyed missile man
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An astronaut or engineer who quickly comes up with a solution to a difficult problem while under extreme pressure.
Register: humorous, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The "hold" in the countdown of a rocket firing has a long and infamous history. It doubtless is as old as the "countdown" itself. We Brevardians have seen thousands upon thousands of pictures of countdowns in progress, of green lights flashing, green buttons being pushed, fuming LOX [liquid oxygen]
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “steely-eyed missile man” mean?
An astronaut or engineer who quickly comes up with a solution to a difficult problem while under extreme pressure.
Is “steely-eyed missile man” formal or informal?
steely-eyed missile man is generally humorous, slang.