Sergeant Jeffrey Sarver, the subject of the article that inspired The Hurt Locker, has claimed that he invented the term "hurt locker"...but that's not really correct. According to the BBC, the whole notion of a "hurt locker" has been around for years and has been used to apply to "hurts" ranging from war wounds to sports injuries.

The film's screenwriter, Mark Boal, says the meaning may change based on context, but basically a hurt locker is a place of pain and suffering—you know, somewhere you really don't want to end up.

So, it's pretty straightforward, right? The EOD team basically spends the entire film trying to avoid going to the hurt locker...with mixed results. (We're pretty sure if we asked Eldridge, he'd say having your leg shattered in nine places qualifies as hurt-locker territory.)

To put another spin on it, you could also say that the war itself is a hurt locker. Like the experience these guys have dismantling bombs and facing death and dismemberment every single day? No, thanks.