military slang and sayings (Some may be mildly offensive)

[Xerxeskingofking]

since we have a large number of former and currently serving soldiers here, I thought it might be a nice idea to collect some of the vast amount of military slang that exists, for use as flavour for roleplaying (since a large number of Travellers are also ex-forces)

I'll start with a few form the british army, in no particular order:

Admin: used as a verb (as in "use this afternoon to Admin yourselves"), covers anything you do to look after yourself. washing, shaving, eating, all count as admin, having good admin means your clean shaven, your uniform is clean, your bedspace is packed away and tidy, ect. field admin means the same, just doing it in a muddy hole in a field. good field admin is prized, as a solider who cant look after himself is no use to man or beast.

Scoff/scran: synomns for food, or eating. also used to refer to the canteen ("we'll be waiting here for a while, so get some scran on". or "coming to scoff? they have roast chicken today")

Rupert: officer, espically a newly commissioned 2nd Lt form a upper class background. somewhat Pejorative, implies the rupert has better breeding than sense. "Rupert" is sterotypically a "posh" mans name.

PONTI: Person Of No Tactical Importance. Pejorative term for non infantry, espocially when attached to infantry, who feel that anyone not also a infantryman is useless in a firefight, and thus are a liability that will need sheparding.

Badge: a Sargent Major, derived form the large and fance badge of rank they were to denote thier status ("get that hair cut, the badge is on the warpath over haircuts!")

Fill your boots: help yourself ("can i have some of that?" "fill ya boots, its not mine")

Gucci: derived the luxury brand, refers to anything that is better than standard issue ("ooh, check you out with your Gucci spec-ops boots! bet they must have cost a pretty penny!")

Outside the wire: refers to the perimeter fence of a base. "going outside the wire" implies entering a unsecured, tactical environment, as opposed to the safety of a base area. ("your a clark, why would you need night vision goggles? Its not like you go outside the wire!")

i invite the members of the forum to share and add their own. i;m sure i will remember plenty more later.

 

[Major B]

PONTI: Person Of No Tactical Importance. Pejorative term for non infantry, espocially when attached to infantry, who feel that anyone not also a infantryman is useless in a firefight, and thus are a liability that will need sheparding.

I have to remember that one.

Like you I will remember more and post them later but here are a few of my favorites.

SELFCON: Derived from the acronyms for operational control (OPCON) and tactical control (TACON), this term describes a junior leader who has determined his higher HQ is useless and becomes an independent actor on the battlefield. Also describes all air defense artillery formations.

Be▮▮▮▮▮▮led: A profound state of disorientation and confusion; the perpetual state of all chemical units.

Mop Up: A task assigned to infantry units after the armor forces have conducted a bypass / avoided confrontation.

Take Down: A term for an assault used by those with a complete disregard for the enemy's defensive capabilities.

FNG: Effing New Guy

PSYOP Shot Group: Cross-cultural communication accomplished by placing two shots in the heart followed by one to the mind.

Downrange: Deployed

Movement to Daylight: An infantry mission to infiltrate enemy defenses and breach obstacles the night before an armor attack.

ODF: Out 'Dere Flappin'; a paratrooper being towed by his static line after his parachute failed to deploy.

Good Idea Fairy: Mythical being that inflicts those susceptible with stupid ideas that result in last-minute changes to plans that would otherwise have worked.

Haul Ass: An order to a unit requiring them to cross the line of departure or get to an objective yesterday.

I've got more but most had words that I can't post here. I hope the two in that category that I included didn't break board rules.

Mike

 

[Timerover51]

I found a whole book of military slang and terms on archive.org. I will have to go back and find it again to post it. It makes for interesting reading.

 

[Enoki]

Here's a great list of naval slang...

http://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/navyslang.pdf

 

[Timerover51]

Here is a good collection of World War 2 service slang.

https://archive.org/details/DictionaryOfServiceSlang

 

[baktegon]

Vietnam War era slang in the link below. It also has some historical pictures which is nice. The APC entry has a picture of well, an APC, etc.

https://cherrieswriter.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/military-speak-during-the-vietnam-war/

As I assume most slang from the service(s) it is uh, not family friendly.

 

[Reban]

Jildy File: a smart well turned out soldier.

Mingy men: from the Congo, where Irish military personnel served in the 1960's. The traders who set up their stalls near the camp were often asked if they had a particular item in stock. Their standard reply was "mingy, mingy" meaning "many" or "plenty. Now used to describe traders that set up near a military camp to sell to soldiers.

Dohbe dust: laundry powder, from the hindi dhobe, to wash.

Let the cat out of the bag: from the age-of-sail when the cat'o'nine was removed from its red velvet bag to administer punishment.

Going for a 10 degree down bubble: going for a nap. Sounds like a submariner thing but I'm told that it relates to finishing a mortar fire-mission.

Coming the hound: Excessive use of authority

Proper order: Quite correct as it should be

All edge: Very smart and conscientious

Eighty-six it: To loose a piece of unwanted military equipment on purpose. The name relates to the reporting form for loss of property that had to be filled out.

 

[Ex_Pendable]

The US Navy uses a lot of abbreviations and acronyms, which can be found here: http://abbreviations.yourdictionary.com/articles/navy-acronyms.html

 

[aramis]

Here's a great list of naval slang...

http://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/navyslang.pdf

Beat me to it. Great site.

The US Navy uses a lot of abbreviations and acronyms, which can be found here: http://abbreviations.yourdictionary.com/articles/navy-acronyms.html

https://www.navy.com/glossary.html has an official list of tested terms. Missing most of the more colorful ones.

 

[Enoki]

Beat me to it. Great site.

Being a Genuine Navy Chief, of course I did!

 

[Sir Brad]

Chocko, Reservist, Rear Echelon or Conscript. short for Chocolate Solder, Because they Melt in the Sun.

Double Choco, as above but fills multiple requirements

Drop Short, Artillery, because they Drop Short Ordnance, normally right on Diggers Heads.

Vet, Medical Personal, especially Doctors.

Family Planing, You know that "Health" talk.

Officers Ground Sheet, Female Personal, especially the less assertive ones.

Hard Brew Alcohol (normally Contraband)

Dad, an experienced Commissioned Officer, or Warrant Officer

Mum, Senior NCO, just not when they are in earshot.

Gig, Minor Demerit and/or the penalty.

A.J. , Army Jerk, just about anyone in the Army.

 

[JimMarn]

Hmmm...

Rule book charlie: someone who is so rule bound, they cannot think for themselves.

Geedunk Run: going to the Exchange Truck for a sandwich, soda, candy, etc.

Doc: the ship's corpsman.

Various departments had derogatory names for people in other departments. Not going to repeat them, they aren't obscene though.

Mop head: someone trying to hide his long hair and failing due to the wind out at sea.

 

[Leitz]

What terms have you added to your game based on the game itself?

Jammies Combat armor. Based on Marines spending days "in their jammies".

Lacar Laser Carbine. Good shipboard Marine weapon.

12, 17 Refers to Chatpers in the Artero Raider manual. Chapter 12 deals with good leadership "He's a twelve, straight up." Chapter 17 deals with Psyops and dirty tricks to achieve an objective. "She seventeen'd that well."

"The Song" Pattern of rythmic hits with a medium density mallet on a large brass gong. "The Song" is played at funerals and is only taught to those to whom fall the duty of use for a friend or loved one.

 

[Ulsyus]

Lots of familiar ones there.

One of my favourites thoug:

2-way firing range: outside the wire and things get intersting

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

a few more English ones.

NAAFI: Navy Army Air Force Institute. runs the shops on army camps, providing the soldiers with overpriced chocolate bars, crates of beer and such. home to the "naafi chick", the impressionable young female shopkeepers who often get intimate with soldiers (or are at least reputed to).

Tour Goggles: Like beer goggles, the lowering of standards seen in soldiers deployed on tour and deprived of female company for extended periods. Any woman who wouldn't get a second glance in the real world but is a object of desire in theatre is "tour fit".

Sprog: northern slang term for young person, used for newly trained troops fresh form training.

Flip-flops: dismissive term for local currency, especially those with hard to pronounce names and a low value ("yhea, i got this off a trader for 50 flip flops. That's what, 3 quid? bargain!)

Hurry up and wait: greatest game in the British army. a ingrained sense of punctuality that leads to people being required to be ready far too early, and thus soldiers are always rushing to get ready, only to spend more hours waiting for the thing you rushed to get ready for. A cartoon sums it up best (warning, strong language. if the admins think its unacceptable, i apologise and will remove it.)


On the Bus, Off the Bus: second greatest game in the army. the tendency for troops be loaded onto a bus ready to depart, then someone comes with something that needs to done before departure, like a roll call, or a truck that needs loading, so everyone gets back off the bus to deal with the problem before getting back on the bus. this normally happens two or three times before you actually set off.

 

[Timerover51]

a few more English ones.

NAAFI: Navy Army Air Force Institute. runs the shops on army camps, providing the soldiers with overpriced chocolate bars, crates of beer and such. home to the "naafi chick", the impressionable young female shopkeepers who often get intimate with soldiers (or are at least reputed to).

The US Army equivalent is the PX (Post Exchange) and Commissary (grocery store). One big benefit is no sales tax on anything purchased, which in states with high sales tax, such as Illinois and California is huge, plus the prices are the same as off-base. We use the Great Lakes Commissary, and the prices are typically 15% or so cheaper than off-base. Makes a fixed income go a bit farther.

Hurry up and wait: greatest game in the British army. a ingrained sense of punctuality that leads to people being required to be ready far too early, and thus soldiers are always rushing to get ready, only to spend more hours waiting for the thing you rushed to get ready for.

That is also the case in the US Army, for which I was guilty of when a detachment commander. I generally budgeted in 15 minute blocks though.

Xerxeskingofking, is "Boffin" still used in the UK?

 

[Major B]

This is another reminder of the common experiences between the British and US Armies - our terms of reference seem very similar.

NAAFI: Navy Army Air Force Institute. runs the shops on army camps, providing the soldiers with overpriced chocolate bars, crates of beer and such. home to the "naafi chick", the impressionable young female shopkeepers who often get intimate with soldiers (or are at least reputed to).

For the US that would be AAFES: Army and Air Force Exchange Services. Associated with the same rumors but with a notable lack of supporting evidence.

Tour Goggles: Like beer goggles, the lowering of standards seen in soldiers deployed on tour and deprived of female company for extended periods. Any woman who wouldn't get a second glance in the real world but is a object of desire in theatre is "tour fit".

I've heard the term IHS (Iraqi Hotcon Syndrome) to describe the same thing.

Hurry up and wait: greatest game in the British army. a ingrained sense of punctuality that leads to people being required to be ready far too early, and thus soldiers are always rushing to get ready, only to spend more hours waiting for the thing you rushed to get ready for.

I think this is the same in any Army or probably service.

On the Bus, Off the Bus: second greatest game in the army. the tendency for troops be loaded onto a bus ready to depart, then someone comes with something that needs to done before departure, like a roll call, or a truck that needs loading, so everyone gets back off the bus to deal with the problem before getting back on the bus. this normally happens two or three times before you actually set off.

I remember when I commanded an infantry company I made it a habit to come in early in the morning so I could have some quiet prep time to get ready for what was coming. I found that the more I came in early to avoid others, the earlier they came in. And the later I stayed, the later everyone else did. It was an important lesson to learn that I was being watched and emulated. I also learned that when I said "0630 formation" that the First Sergeant would tell everyone "0615 recall" and the platoon sergeants would tell their troops "0600" and the squad leaders "0545" and team leaders "0530" so I made it a practice to announce recall formation time in formation to avoid having everyone there an hour early.

Here are a couple more that I recall:

APC: Ostensibly an armored personnel carrier but when I was a platoon leader in Mech infantry with M113s we thought it meant "Aluminum Personnel Coffin."

NDSM: National Defense Service Medal, awarded for service in wartime. During Operation Desert Storm I was serving with the 4th Infantry Division (ID) in Colorado. We, like the 5th ID, did not deploy to Saudi Arabia but when we got orders awarding the NDSM, one of my many smart alecks decided the acronym better stood for "Non-deployed skier's medal."

TIB: The CIB (Combat Infantry Badge) is a rightly coveted award signifying service in combat in an infantry formation. The emblem is a musket on a blue rectangle surrounded by a wreath. Another of my smart alecks with an artistic bent drafted a TIB (Training Infantry Badge) that was similar in every respect except that the musket carried a MILES* laser near the muzzle.

*MILES (multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) is a laser used to simulate gunfire and score kills on enemies wearing the right receive unit.

 

[whulorigan]

For those interested, GT: Ground Forces has a list of Imperial Services slang on p.11-15 (sidebar).

 

[Enoki]

Out of curiosity, where is the equivalent of Bum F.... Egypt in Traveller? (Sorry that's the term for it)

This is a mythical place in the military where you never want to go on liberty, leave, orders, or anything else. o:

 

[pendragonman]

Out of curiosity, where is the equivalent of Bum F.... Egypt in Traveller? (Sorry that's the term for it)

This is a mythical place in the military where you never want to go on liberty, leave, orders, or anything else. o:

Depends on what sector your in.