panic [E17th] Pan was the Greek god of flocks and herds, usually represented with the horns, ears, and legs of a goat on a man’s body. His sudden appearance was supposed to cause terror similar to that of a frightened and stampeding herd. In Greek his name probably originally meant ‘the feeder’ referring to his role as god of flocks, but it was early on interpreted as from pan meaning ‘all’ and he was identified as a god of nature or the universe. Panic button originated in the US Air Force. Second World War bombers had an emergency bell system that was used if the aircraft was so badly damaged by fighters or flak that it had to be abandoned—the pilot gave a ‘prepare-to-abandon’ ring and then a ring meaning ‘jump’.