Salp & its Derivatives

Kremlin propaganda. It’s not very stealth, it’s badly built, only 18 deployed v 1,000 F35s by US alone. Not even a tickle never mind. Salp. https://t.co/rgMBHM6HIX

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) April 21, 2025

When I came across the acronym-turned-word above, I did consider how the field of military procurement was so apt a deployment.

Slower And Less Powerful.

How often are you on the solution sell battleground faced with such a combatant?

All my career I seem to be perennially up against such.

This delightful little label can come in very handy.

Indeed, if selling at any time from now when the Bear of Russia rattles its threats, you can cite them for being as hollow as your competition.

Although I'd never directly name said alternative, natch.

The case above concerns supposed fighter jet superiority.

Yet is a mere mirage.

Any semblance of edge surely fizzled out way back in the mid-60s.

And as is the case here, it is not just in the spec. Going beyond 'speed and feeds' you find inferior scope, volumes and quality. As can often be the case in our realm. Any sole flaw spotted seldom crops up in isolation.

Where are salps in your field?

You could also remix this.

After all, 'slow' is not the only deficiency you could better.

Move on adjacent terrain with price tag, for instance. Calp for Cheaper, Dalp with Dearer.

Although you could change it up to say, samp; Surpluses And More Pricey. Which I know is a word for a porridge-like starch served in S Africa. So should that then be osamp, as in, Over-Specified And More Pricey?

I wondered if the Scot might evoke the McAlp; More Complicated And Less Powerful.

You could even ask your chief supporter prospect-side what tweak from this template they reckon suits. If you haven't anyone there you feel comfortable doing so with, then maybe that deal ought not be on your forecast.

There's plenty of options.

One thing not to do though, is make salp spongier to say. For I fondly recall efforts from my childhood of a nearby English shire to rebrand itself. What they chose would slot in an 'o' as penultimate letter here. Ahem, the French were beside themselves with naughty humour. So the new name got dropped.

Yet we could still save our blushes invoking salp. And spare the very same of a prospect bedazzled when themselves receiving unidentified propaganda.