Gear of Living Dangerously

"Bullet-proof vest." There's a phrase with a comforting sound to it. Unfortunately, it's more of a misnomer than "maintenance-free" battery, for instance. The battery is only maintenance-free because there's no way for you to maintain it -- just use it till it stops working, and then off to the recycler's. The bullet-proof vest, on the other hand, isn't necessarily bullet-proof at all. Some calibers it'll stop, some it will slow down, and others it will yield to, given the right (or wrong) circumstances.
"Flack jacket" actually sounds more secure, even if it makes a far less specific (and so, far less false) promise of protection. The vest is nowadays an anachronistic, decorative garment.