Military Phrases in Civvy Life
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Domestic Sunray - Wife
Radio Silence - What happens when Domestic Sunray discovers your slush fund
Gash - Surplus to requirement
Harry Black - Masking Tape
Jack - To be selfish / Non team player
Doggers - Poor visibilty
Harry Roasters - Hot weather conditions
Heaving - Unclean
Zinging - Clean
The Colonel - NAAFI (Colonel Gaddafi)
Alright, maybe civvies aren't using these terms that much...but it's fun to highlight some of the old slang we used.
Would "Heads Up" and "Scope" be of military origin, both frequently used in civvy life ?
Radio Silence - What happens when Domestic Sunray discovers your slush fund
Gash - Surplus to requirement
Harry Black - Masking Tape
Jack - To be selfish / Non team player
Doggers - Poor visibilty
Harry Roasters - Hot weather conditions
Heaving - Unclean
Zinging - Clean
The Colonel - NAAFI (Colonel Gaddafi)
Alright, maybe civvies aren't using these terms that much...but it's fun to highlight some of the old slang we used.
Would "Heads Up" and "Scope" be of military origin, both frequently used in civvy life ?
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Both from the RN -
BZ - Bravo Zulu - an RN ship-to-ship code for manoeuvre well executed.
Three square meals a day - ref to the square plate used on ships of old
[ 17 September 2001: Message edited by: EGDR ]
BZ - Bravo Zulu - an RN ship-to-ship code for manoeuvre well executed.
Three square meals a day - ref to the square plate used on ships of old
[ 17 September 2001: Message edited by: EGDR ]
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Sorry, the plates weren't square, there were raised squares on the mess tables, (still visible on HMS Victory I believe) which held the plate in place.You are otherwise quite right about the origins!
Here's another though! "Tell it to the Marines" emanating from King Charles the Second, who was reputedly talking to one of his Captains when a sailor mentioned that he had seen fish that flew. Charlie 2 was rather doubtful of the accuracy of the statement and, turning to a Marine Officer, asked his opinion. The Marine officer informed the King that he had also seen fish that flew. "Flying fish, flying fish!" the King announced. Well, should I in future have occasion to doubt any statement, I will first tell it to the Marines."
Here's another though! "Tell it to the Marines" emanating from King Charles the Second, who was reputedly talking to one of his Captains when a sailor mentioned that he had seen fish that flew. Charlie 2 was rather doubtful of the accuracy of the statement and, turning to a Marine Officer, asked his opinion. The Marine officer informed the King that he had also seen fish that flew. "Flying fish, flying fish!" the King announced. Well, should I in future have occasion to doubt any statement, I will first tell it to the Marines."
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The wooden plates were square, indented on one side flat on the other.Main course in the indented side, Duff on the flat. Mess tables were flat. Both can still be seen "IN" HMS VICTORY. The Navy has given us many expressions whos origins are not immediatly obvious. My particular favourites being "Pigs Ear",a small urinal on an open bridge for the use of the OOW so he did not have to leave his place of duty and "Can Of Worms", a canister containing nail shot. Also "Straight Laced", discribes a regular officer as opposed to one of the reserves. Sadly my source of all information does not tell me if the "Cut Splice" was named after the part of the female anatomy that it resembles or Viccy Verccy. (It used to be spelt with four letters the third one being N.) I could bore you with "Swinging the Lead/Lamp or a Cat, or even "Brass Monkeys", But I need several beers to realy go on about this subject.
I believe that the phrase "the full Monty" originates from after the War, when a serviceman was discharged from the forces or de-mobbed, he was given a suit, two shirts, two ties, an overcoat, a hat and a pair of shoes. This demob suit was provided by the tailors Montague & Burton, hence being dressed in the "full Monty" means having your best gear on. How Elstree studios managed to turn it around to mean the opposite defeats me. For a reference book, Surg Cdr Rick Jolly's Jack Speak is good WC material (this from an Army man!). Enjoyed this thread.
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My nickname (should truly be spelled 'Bumf') was originally army slang for 'bum fodder' = toilet paper, now meaning any bit of paper. BUMPFF was coined as an original WW2 RAF term, a mnemonic used by single-seat fighter pilots before take-off and landing checklists were devised, and recalls:
Brakes
Undercarriage
Mixture
Propeller
Flaps
Fuel
Brakes
Undercarriage
Mixture
Propeller
Flaps
Fuel
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Not military, but in regular use in the forces. "Balls out," comes from the old steam engines. When moving with a full head of steam the governors rotating balls were fully extended. Hence the expression.
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Sweet Fanny Adams - almost right, but it wasn't Deptford Navy Yard where she turned up but Alton in Hants. Her grave is still there in the churchyard.
Sweet Fanny Adams
From Hampshire, rising up through underlying beds
In verdant meadows west of Alton town,
The River Wey begins its double-headed path,
To Tilford first then, fortified, runs down
In tribute to the Thames's peaceful flow
At Weybridge, rolling onwards, stately, slow.
Around the fields and hillsides near its rural source
Grow hops, in gardens crossed with poles and wire;
Those hops which give full flavour to the Alton beer;
The hops which every year bring forth for hire
Whole families, who claim to find delights
In plucking gold dry fruit from twining heights.
The stranger to these parts might view a simple scene
Of peace between bucolic squires and madams,
But in tranquil settings evil passions lurk,
As seen by what befell poor Fanny Adams -
Playing with her sister and a friend
One August afternoon she met her end.
Young Fanny, only eight in eighteen sixty-seven,
And with full life to live one might expect,
Was taken, so the court was told, by Frederick Baker,
Local clerk, whose gruesome actions wrecked
The peace of Alton causing all to grieve,
And for his sins was hanged on Christmas eve.
No need to detail how the dismal deed was done,
Enough to say her body was dismembered,
Spread about the fields, or some say in the river,
Either way, an incident remembered
Not just locally, for through the press
The nation heard of Fanny's grim distress.
At just that time, as chance would seemingly dictate,
The Navy changed its issue to the tars
From salted tack to low-grade tins of chopped up mutton,
Giving rise to rumours in the bars
That Fanny's end and their unwelcome ration
Were juxtaposed in some unpleasant fashion.
And so the English language found a new expression
From this sorry tale of local pain,
And far beyond the confines of the Royal Navy
Folk would use poor Fanny's name in vain;
And even here in Alton I would say
Not many now would give a sweet FA!
[ 22 September 2001: Message edited by: WebPilot ]
Sweet Fanny Adams
From Hampshire, rising up through underlying beds
In verdant meadows west of Alton town,
The River Wey begins its double-headed path,
To Tilford first then, fortified, runs down
In tribute to the Thames's peaceful flow
At Weybridge, rolling onwards, stately, slow.
Around the fields and hillsides near its rural source
Grow hops, in gardens crossed with poles and wire;
Those hops which give full flavour to the Alton beer;
The hops which every year bring forth for hire
Whole families, who claim to find delights
In plucking gold dry fruit from twining heights.
The stranger to these parts might view a simple scene
Of peace between bucolic squires and madams,
But in tranquil settings evil passions lurk,
As seen by what befell poor Fanny Adams -
Playing with her sister and a friend
One August afternoon she met her end.
Young Fanny, only eight in eighteen sixty-seven,
And with full life to live one might expect,
Was taken, so the court was told, by Frederick Baker,
Local clerk, whose gruesome actions wrecked
The peace of Alton causing all to grieve,
And for his sins was hanged on Christmas eve.
No need to detail how the dismal deed was done,
Enough to say her body was dismembered,
Spread about the fields, or some say in the river,
Either way, an incident remembered
Not just locally, for through the press
The nation heard of Fanny's grim distress.
At just that time, as chance would seemingly dictate,
The Navy changed its issue to the tars
From salted tack to low-grade tins of chopped up mutton,
Giving rise to rumours in the bars
That Fanny's end and their unwelcome ration
Were juxtaposed in some unpleasant fashion.
And so the English language found a new expression
From this sorry tale of local pain,
And far beyond the confines of the Royal Navy
Folk would use poor Fanny's name in vain;
And even here in Alton I would say
Not many now would give a sweet FA!
[ 22 September 2001: Message edited by: WebPilot ]
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WAFLOB was a good'un, stood for What A Firking Load Of B0110cks. Aptly did the rounds at Cranditz a few years back; don't know if it's still in use there, but I've happily dragged it out to Civvieland with me...
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Having the miss fortune of being a crab on loan to the navy their language is baffling. In fact there is a book called Jack speak that has at least 200 pages.
some favorites.
Billy big steps-----to run away (bravley)
FUBAR---F`d Up Beyond All Recognition
SNAFU----Situation Normal all F`d Up.
BUNDY--But Unfortunatley Not Dead Yet( "yeah his still about, BUNDY)
[ 26 September 2001: Message edited by: ROGERTHAT ]
some favorites.
Billy big steps-----to run away (bravley)
FUBAR---F`d Up Beyond All Recognition
SNAFU----Situation Normal all F`d Up.
BUNDY--But Unfortunatley Not Dead Yet( "yeah his still about, BUNDY)
[ 26 September 2001: Message edited by: ROGERTHAT ]
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How about these blazen military corkers:
Have you done your equal opportunities training yet?
or the well known
I'm sorry, there is no money for further Exped as we have achieved the Perfomance Indicator.
Then there is the famous
'whingers!!- baaaahhhhh` used alledgedly by certain 'top Brass' when referring to anyone who dares express an opinion.
by the way, how come we don't control a quarter of the Globe anymore?
Have you done your equal opportunities training yet?
or the well known
I'm sorry, there is no money for further Exped as we have achieved the Perfomance Indicator.
Then there is the famous
'whingers!!- baaaahhhhh` used alledgedly by certain 'top Brass' when referring to anyone who dares express an opinion.
by the way, how come we don't control a quarter of the Globe anymore?
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On a course at the moment in deepest XXXXXX.It appears the Met police take a lot of beating. How about:
'There I was staring down a set of nostrils' (the nice gentleman was pointing a double barrelled shot gun at me)
or
'Yeah, got the eyeball but he's done a flip flop in the banjo' (I am engaged in surveillance and can still see the subject, but whilst following him, it appears he has done a U turn in a cul de sac)
Just shows, the Mil doesn't have the monopoly
'There I was staring down a set of nostrils' (the nice gentleman was pointing a double barrelled shot gun at me)
or
'Yeah, got the eyeball but he's done a flip flop in the banjo' (I am engaged in surveillance and can still see the subject, but whilst following him, it appears he has done a U turn in a cul de sac)
Just shows, the Mil doesn't have the monopoly
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On a long patrol a nice game of "S**t on your oppo" or "uckers" (no WAFU rules of course) would always pass the time. How about "dobie dust"(washing powder) and "scran"(food).
WAFU - Wet And F*!@ing Usless
If I hear 'fish head' one more time.....
[ 01 October 2001: Message edited by: ops ]
WAFU - Wet And F*!@ing Usless
If I hear 'fish head' one more time.....
[ 01 October 2001: Message edited by: ops ]
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On visiting an Army recruit training depot, saw many young lads wearing those fairly awful DPM caps. The reason was that they had not yet earned the right to wear the Regimental cap badge, and, since the beret has holes in it for the badge, they couldn't wear that either...
These DPM hats were described as CAPS DULAC. I politely asked why, whereupon a hairy Sarn't Major told me that DULAC was an acronym for Don't U Look A C**t.
God bless 'em all
Gadget
These DPM hats were described as CAPS DULAC. I politely asked why, whereupon a hairy Sarn't Major told me that DULAC was an acronym for Don't U Look A C**t.
God bless 'em all
Gadget