Gotta go with BEagle here, I'll believe anything originated from the most wonderful game "Uckers"! Not too sure about the "absorbing wise consel from one's elders", though, perhaps severe abuse and physical maiming might be more accurate, especially in the crew-rooms I used.
BEagle - I was told we (RAF) nicked the game from the Navy, can you confirm or deny? Wherever it originated, I miss playing it, no-one outside the RAF seems to have heard of it, certainly not in these parts!
Kind regards,
TheNightOwl.