Wakefield Family History Sharing

     War Slang    

 

The Tommies during WW1 and also WW2 developed a language of their own. Many ex-servicemen still use words from this language in their civvie lives and children of these servicemen and woman are also familiar with many of the terms.

I must thank Paul Hinkley© for allowing me to use these terms on my website, with additions from the following associations
who still keep informing me of some that are missed.

I also acknowledge encouragement, help and additions from many ex-servicemen's Associations, including the Normandy Veteran's Association Leeds 61 branch, R.E's, Combined Services Association and the 8th Army Association,Wakefield – Thank you gentleman and ladies for giving your time.

 

 

A

ABDUL

Turk, individual or collective.

 

ABOUT TURN

Hébuterne. French village in the Pas de Calais .

 

ABRI

Shelter or dugout. From the French.

 

ACCESSORY

Gas. British term applied to cylinder-discharged gas, used in orders and other communications in an effort to keep its use secret.

 

ACK-ACK

Anti-aircraft (AA) fire. From the military phonetic alphabet in use at the time

 

ACK EMMA

Morning. AM (ante meridiem), before noon . (2) Air Mechanic (RFC/RAF). From the phonetic alphabet.

 

AK DUM

At once, hurry up. From Hindustani.

 

ALLEY

Go! Clear out! Run away! From French allez.

 

ALLEYMAN

German soldier. From French Allemagne. "If you want to see your dear Fatherland, Keep your head down, Alleyman" - popular trench song of 1916.

 

ALL OLD CROCKS

Army Ordnance Corps (AOC).

 

ALLY SLOPER'S CAVALRY

Army Service Corps (ASC). From Ally Sloper, a character in pre-war papers. The ASC, due to their good pay, comfortable conditions and comparative saftey, were regarded by the infantry as not proper soldiers. This also gave rise to their other sarcastic nickname, the Army Safety Corps. Also known as Aunt Sally's Cavalry. When the ASC acquired their well-earned Royal prefix in 1918, to become the RASC, their nickname was changed to Run Away, Someone's Coming!

 

AMMO BOOTS

Hob nailed boots. From ammunition boots, regulation issue.

 

ANY MORE FOR ANY MORE?

An invitation shouted out by the orderly in charge of serving meals, indicating that extra portions were available to those who wanted them. Also used at the start of a gambling game such as Crown and Anchor, inviting others to join in before the start of proceedings.

ARCHIE

Anti-aircraft fire or artillery piece. From a music hall character. "This morning our Archie battery reported that a machine came down last night out of control..." - 2Lt Gerard Robin, 41 Squadron, RFC.

ARMY SAFETY CORPS

Army Service Corps (ASC). See Ally Sloper's Cavalry.

AUDREY

The villages of Le Hout Audrie and Le Bas Audrie were called Audrey's Top and Audrey's Bottom in the WW2

AUNT SALLY

Ration truck. From one of the nicknames of the Army Service Corps (ASC

 

AXLE GREASE

Butter.

 

B

BABY'S HEAD

Meat pudding. Part of the British army field ration.

 

BALLOO

Bailleul. French town near the Belgian border, 20km south-west of Ypres .

 

BANJO

Spade, entrenching tool (Australian). From the shape.

 

BANQUETTE

Fire-step. The step incorporated into the base of a trench which enabled it's occupants to fire over the parapet.

 

BANTAM

Member of a battalion made up of men between the heights of 5'1" and 5'4", normally deemed as too short to have previously enlisted.

 

BARKER

A pistol. From barking iron, early 19th C. From the noise a pistol makes when fired. (2) A sausage. From the uncertainty surrounding the meat content.

 

BARON

Army commander.

 

BASE RAT

A soldier perpetually at the base, therefore maintaining comfort and safety. Also known as a base wallah.

 

BATTLE BOWLER

Steel helmet, first introduced in numbers to British troops in February 1916. Named after the civillian hat. Term used mainly by officers.

 

BATTLE POLICE

Armed military police patrols deployed in the trenches following an attack to deal with (often by summary execution) stragglers and men who had refused to go over the top.

 

BEER BOY

An inexperienced person; a poor flyer. RFC/RAF expression, possibly derived from the phoenetic alphabet.

 

BEFORE YOUR NUMBER WAS DRY

Expression used by more experienced soldiers to rookies as a form of put-down: "I was killing Germans before your number was dry" - i.e. before the ink on the junior soldier's enlistment papers was dry also, I was cutting barbed wire while you was cutting your milk teeth.

 

BELGIAN RATTLESNAKE

The Lewis gun, a .303" calibre light machine gun.

 

BERM

Ledge on a trench parapet sometimes used for storing ammunition and other equipment.

 

BERT

Albert. Large town in the Somme region of France . Well-known for the 'Leaning Virgin' on the tower of the Basilica.

 

BIG ACK

The Armstrong Whitworth FK8, a general-purpose British aeroplane.

 

BILLJIM

An Australian. A composite word formed from two popular Australian forenames of the time.

 

BINT

A young woman. From Arabic bint, daughter.

 

BISCUITS

Small, hard mattresses, 2ft 6in square. Three made a bed for one man in a barracks.

 

BIVVY

Bivouac. A form of temporary shelter. To bivvy up - to set up shelter, usually for the night.

 

BLACK HAND GANG

Trench raiding party.

 

BLACK MARIA

Heavy German high-explosive shell, so-named because of the black smoke it produced when exploding.

 

BLANCO

Block used to whiten full-dress webbing. Khaki blanco was used on service equipment. (2) Nickname for person with the surname White.

 

BLIGHTY

England, home. From Hindustani Bilayati, foreign land.

 

BLIGHTY ONE

A wound serious enough to require the recipient to be sent home (to England ). The German equivalent of the time was a Heimschuss, and Australian troops in Gallipoli referred to the same as an Aussie. Interestingly, the Americans had a comparable term during Viet Nam : the USA was known as the world, and a Blighty one was know to US soldiers as a ticket to the world.

BLIMP

RAF slang for the small, white, dirigible airships used chiefly for submarine reconaissance over the English Channel .

 

BLIND PIG

Mortar bomb.

 

BLUEBELL

A popular proprietary brand of metal polish. It was often said in jest that the motto of the Brigade of Guards - 'honi soit qui mal y pense' - could be freely translated as 'after you with the Bluebell, Rupert', due to their excessive use of bull.

 

BLUECAPS, THE

The Royal Dublin Fusiliers. From the regiment's time in India , at a time when the blue cap was the symbol of an elite force, much as maroon or green berets are today.

 

BLUE CROSS

German respiratory irritant gases. From the marking painted on the delivery shell casing.

 

BOCHE

German. From French tete de boche, obstinate person.

 

BODY SNATCHER

Stretcher bearer. (2) Member of a trench raiding party, often tasked to bring in prisoners for intelligence purposes.

 

BOKO

Much, plenty. From French beaucoup.

 

BOMBARDIER

Potatoes. From the French, pommes de terre.

 

BOMBARDIER FRITZ

Chips, a favourite estaminet meal when accompanied by egg. From the French, pommes de terre frites.

 

 

BOMBER

One trained in the use of hand grenades; known as grenadier early in the war. The Grenadier Guards, however, protested to the War Office about the use of the term grenadier, claiming that the title was exclusively theirs. In May 1916 it was officially announced that it was His Majesty's 'express wish' that the description 'bomber' should be substituted for that of grenadier.

 

BON

Good, fine. When off duty, men would often be found having a 'bon time' at the local estaminet. The opposite was no bon(!). From French.

 

BOOJUM

Tank.

 

BRASS HAT

High-ranking staff officer. From the gold decoration on the peaked cap.

 

BREEZE-UP

Variation of Wind-Up.

 

BRITISH WARM

An overcoat, knee-length and close fitting at the waist, worn by mouted troops and officers.

 

BROCK'S BENEFIT

Night bombardment. After the well-known firework manufacturer.

 

BRODIE

British steel helmet, introduced (originally for snipers only) in February 1916. Early examples of the helmet were officers' private purchases and differed slightly from the regulation pattern. The design can be traced back to the type of helmet worn by English archers at Agincourt in 1415. Named after the inventor, John L Brodie.

 

BUCKSHEE

Free, spare. From Arabic/Hindustani baksheesh gratuity.

 

BUGWARM

Small trench dugout.

 

BULL RING

British army training establishment such as those base camps at Rouen , Harfleur, Havre and Etaples. Men were posted here from the front line for refresher training, and to "inculcate the offensive spirit". The Bull Ring at Etaples was infamous for its severe discipline.

 

BULLY BEEF

Tinned corned beef. The principal protein ration of the British army. From French boeuf bouilli - boiled beef - but in popular useage long before the Great War.

 

BUMF

Toilet paper, or newspaper used for that purpose. Later on came to mean any excessive official documentaion. From bum fodder, an 18th Century expression.

 

BUNDOOK

Rifle. From Arabic/Hindustani for firearm, originally a crossbow. Native Egyptians once called Venice 'Bundookia', place of the big guns.

 

BURGOO

Porridge. From Arabic/Turkish/Hindustani burghul, oatmeal porridge.

 

BUS

Royal Air Force expression (affectionate and facetious) for aeroplane. From the abbreviated form of omnibus.

 

BUZZER

Electric device used in signalling to tap out and transmit Morse code.

 

C

C3

Low grade, worthless. From the lowest British Army classification of fitness - those fit only for base duty.

 

CAGE

Prisoner of war camp.

CANARY

Instructor, from the yellow armband worn. Often seen at the Bull Ring.

 

CANTEEN MEDALS

Beer or food stains down the front of a tunic.

 

CAT STABBER

Clasp knife.

 

CAT WALK

Narrow pathway, ofthe only one brick (9 inches) wide, between fields on French and Belgian farms.

 

CHAR

Tea. A nice cup of char. From Hindustani char or Chinese ch'a. ‘Cha walla' – one who made the tea

 

CHARPOY

Bed. From Hindustani.

 

CHAT

Louse. Possibly derived from chattell, personal belonging.

 

CHATTING

De-lousing.

 

CHERB

Beer. From Hindustani.

 

CHEVEUX DE FRISE

Defensive barbed wire entanglement, sometimes with sharpened stakes. From French for 'frizzy hair'.

 

CHIN-STRAPPED

Tired, exhausted. From the sense that a man could be so tired he was held upright only by the chinstrap of his cap or helmet. Generally speaking, chin straps were employed only by mounted troops, other soldiers believing that if a bullet or piece of shrapnel were to strike their helmet, the chinstrap may cause choking or break their jaw.

 

CHIPPEROW

Quiet, shut up. From Hindustani chuprao.

 

CHIT

Note or receipt. To be excused duties, a soldier had to be in posession of a sick chit. From Hindustani cittha, a note, originally derived from Sanskrit citra, marked.

 

CHOKEY

Jail. From Hindustani cauki, a lockup.

 

CHRISTMAS TREE ORDER

To parade in full equipment with all kit. It was often said that the definition of a soldier was 'somebody to hang things on'.

 

CHRONIC

Very bad. The correct meaning of this word is long lasting, although seldom used in this way except perhaps by Medical Officers.

 

CHUB, CHUP

Abbreviated form of chipperow.

 

CIVVY

Civilian. To be in civvies was to be dressed in civilian clothing rather than uniform.

 

CIVVY STREET

Civilian life.

 

CLICK

To make acquaintance with (usually a member of the opposite sex). One could also click a leave or a guard duty.

 

CLOBBER

(1) Clothing and equipment. (2) To hit. Origin unknown.

 

COAL-BOX

Heavy German shell, usually a 5.9. From the black smoke of the shell-burst.

 

COAL SCUTTLE

German steel helmet, or Stahlhelm introduced at Verdun in January 1916. From the similar appearance to domestic fireside coal container.

 

COFFIN NAILS

Cigarettes.

 

COLD FEET

Cowardice. To have cold feet was to shirk a duty because of fear.

 

COLD MEAT TICKET

Identity disc. Men were issued with metal or, more usually, red and green composite material identity discs. These gave the name, number, unit and religion of the holder. One disc remained with the body (the cold meat) in the event of death.

 

COMIC CUTS

Corps Intelligence Summary.

 

COMPREE

Do you understand? From French compris.

 

COMSAH

Generic name for anything. From French comme ça.

 

CONCHIE

Conscientious objector. One who refused military service on the grounds of moral or religious beliefs. Such objections were considered by tribunals and some objectors were given total exemption; others were given the option of partaking in work of importance to the war effort, or serving in a non-combatant corps (such as the RAMC at that time). Those who refused these terms were either imprisoned or drafted into military service and court-martialled. Sometimes abbreviated to C.O., which occasionally led to confusion with Commanding Officer.

 

COOT

Louse. Pre-war term, said to be derived from a titled lady who had suffered this misfortune.

 

CORKSCREW

Looped steel post, or picket, for staking barbed wire. The corkscrew shape at the end enabled the stake to be twisted quietly into the ground by wiring parties. Previously, the noise of hammering stakes in had attracted enemy fire.

 

CORP

Corporal. Familiar term used by lower ranks.

 

CRASSIER

Slag heap of mining spoil, such as those prominent on the battlefield around Loos and exploited to such great effect by German observers and snipers. See also Fosse. From the French, who originally produced the trench maps of these areas.

 

CRICKET BALL

British Number 15 hand grenade, a spherical bomb. Used with good effect in the Gallipoli campaign, this grenade went on to be spectacularly unsuccessful at the battle of Loos in September 1915, where wet conditions rendered useless the external friction fuse igniter. Superceded by the Mills bomb in late 1915.

 

CRIMED

To be put on a charge.

 

CROWN AND ANCHOR

A popular gambling game.

 

CROW'S FOOT

Caltrop, a four-spiked metal device used in battle since ancient times to disable men and horses. Whichever way the caltrop landed on the ground, one spike was always pointing upwards.

 

CRUMBING UP

De-lousing.

 

CRUMMY

To be itchy because of louse-bites.

 

CRUMP

German 5.9 inch shell or the burst thereof. The last crump referred to the end of the war. Onomatopoeic.

 

CUBBY HOLE

Small dug-out or shelter in the side wall of a trench. A funk hole. Possibly derived from cupboard.

 

CUSHY

Easy, pleasant. (2) A minor wound necessitating some time away from the front line; perhaps a Blighty one. From Hindustani khush, pleasant. "A bloke in the Munsters once wanted a cushy, so he waves his hand above the parapet to catch Fritz's attention" - Pte Fry, Royal Welch Fusiliers. From Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves.

 

CUTHBERT

Someone who remained at home in a cushy job, usually an officer posted to the War Office.

 

D

DAISIES

Boots. From Cockney rhyming slang - daisy roots.

 

DAISY CUTTER

Shell with an impact fuse (graze fuse) designed to explode immediately on contact with the ground. Used in the clearance of barbed wire defences.

 

DERBY MEN

Men recruited under a voluntary scheme instituted, before conscription became law, by Lord Derby. Young and unmarried men were called for service before the others.

 

DEKKO

Look, observe. From Hindustani dekho, look, and dekhna, to see.

 

DEVIL DODGER

Army chaplain.

 

DEVIL'S OWN, THE

The Connaught Rangers.

 

DICK SHOT OFF

D.S.O. - the Distinguished Service Order, an 'officers only' award. Ordinary soldiers substituted this phrase when these post-nominal letters were used.

 

DIDO

Rum. Origin unknown.

 

DIE HARDS

The Middlesex Regiment.

 

DIGGER

Australian soldier. (2) (Less commonly) Friend, chum. Originally from the miners of the Australian gold fields.

 

DINGO

Mad, insane. From the French dingot.

 

DINKUM

(Australian) Genuine, right. Something proper was said to be fair dinkum. Among the Australian troops, those who had served at Gallipoli were known as The Dinkums.

 

DINKUM OIL

(Australian) Truth.

 

DIRTY SHIRTS, THE

The Royal Munster Fusiliers. The name is derived from the time that the regiment stormed a fort in India . As a consequence, their shirts were covered in blood, sweat and dirt.

 

DIVISIONAL COMIC CUTS

DCC - reports from Divisional Headquarters (Corps Intelligence Summaries) containing morale-boosting (and often false) information. Comic Cuts was a humourous paper of the time for children.

 

DIXIE

Large oval-shaped metal pot with lid and carrying-handle for cooking. The lid was often used for baking (e.g. bacon and biscuit pudding) whilst the pot itself was employed to brew tea, heat porridge, stew, rice etc. From Hindustani degchi, small pot.

 

DOCK

Hospital. To be in dock was to be confined to hospital due to wounds or sickness. From the nautical expression for ship repairs.

 

DODGING THE COLUMN

Shirking. The art of avoiding particularly dangerous or unpleasant duties. The expression originated in India and South Africa , a column being a body of troops sent forward into hostile territory.

 

DOG AND MAGGOT

Bread and cheese.

 

DOGGO

In hiding and keeping quiet. Probably from dog. "All day we lie doggo in the dugout, partly because of the machine gun trained on the door, and partly because no good was to be got by going outside

 

DON C EMMA

Distinguished Conduct Medal. From the phonetic alphabet for DCM.

 

DONKEY WALLOPER

British cavalryman, especially a member of the Household Cavalry. The expression originated amongst the regiments of British Foot Guards, the longstanding rivals of the Household Cavalry.

 

DOOLALLY

Insane, mad. From Deolali, a place in India .

 

DOSS

To sleep.

 

DOUGHBOY

U S soldier. Originally an American flour dumpling.

 

DRAW CRABS

To attract enemy artillery fire.

 

DUCKBOARD

Ribbon to the British Military Medal, awarded for bravery in the field. The striped design of the ribbon resembled the wooden slats of duckboards, used as walkways in the trenches and across muddy ground.

DUCKBOARD HARRIER

Runner, messenger. From the term for a cross-country runner, originally derived from hare.

 

DUD

A shell that has failed to explode; anything of dubious value (particularly a person, especially an officer).

 

DUFF

Not up to the required standard. (2) Pudding, especially boiled suet pudding.

 

DUG-OUT

(1) An underground shelter. (2) An officer who has been 'dug out' from retirement (in the reserve) and recalled to active duty, usually much to his displeasure and the displeasure of those under him.

 

DUG-OUT DISEASE

Facetious term for fear, which kept those thus affected (and whose rank permitted a choice) within the safety of their dug-outs.

 

DUFF

(1) Pudding, especially boiled suet pudding. (2) To perform incompetently. (3) To beat up someone.

 

DUM-DUM

A split or soft-nosed rifle round (bullet). The tip would open out on impact, causing horrific wounds. From the arsenal at Dum-Dum, a town near Calcutta .

 

E

EAT APPLES

Etaples.

 

EETAPPS

Etaples. French town between Calais and Boulogne , site of many base depots and hospitals, and, of course, the most notorious Bull Ring. Conditions within the town were said to be so repressive that, in 1917, a mutiny (provoked by Military Police) broke out amongst British troops stationed there.

 

EGG

Hand grenade. From the spherical shape.

 

ELEPHANT

Small dug-out reinforced with semicircular sheets of corrugated iron.

 

ELIZA

Long-range shell.

 

EMMA-GEE

Machine gun. From the phonetic alphabet of the time for the letters MG.

 

ENZEDDER

New Zealander. From the initials 'NZ', often worn as a shoulder title.

 

ERFS

Eggs. From French oeufs.

 

ERSATZ

Substitute, artificial, substandard. From German ersetzen, to substitute.

 

ESTAMINET

Building found in villages and minor towns for the purpose of eating, drinking and general entertainment of troops. A typical estaminet would have a low roof, an open iron stove and wooden benches and tables. The proprietress would serve wine, cognac, thin beer, coffee, soup, omelettes and the most popular of all French dishes of the time - egg and chips.

 

F

FAG

Cigarette. From an old English verb meaning to droop (from the corner of the mouth?)

 

FANTI

Mad, insane. From Hindustani.

 

FASHY

Angry. From French fâché.

 

FAUGHS, THE

The Royal Irish Fusiliers. The name is derived from their use of the war cry 'faugh a ballagh' (clear the way) during the Peninsular War.

 

FINI KAPUT

Gone, finished, napoo. From French finis and German kaputt (done for).

 

FIREWORK DISPLAY

Night bombardment. Also known as Brock's Benefit, after the well-known firework manufacturer.

 

FIVE-NINE

German 5.9 inch artillery shell. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind - Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918).

 

FIZZER

A charge (disciplinary).

 

FLAG WAGGER

Signaller.

 

FLAK

Anti-aircraft fire. From German Flieger abwehr kanone, aircraft defence gun.

 

FLEABAG

Sleeping bag.

 

FLYING PIG

British 9.45" trench mortar bomb.

 

FOOTBALL

Trench mortar bomb. From the shape.

 

FOOT-SLOGGER

British infantryman. Eighteenth century term originally used by cavalrymen. Foot slogging is marching.

 

FORBY

A small piece of flannelette cloth, used by a soldier to clean his rifle. From the fact that the cloth was four inches by two inches

 

FORTY-TENS, THE

The 2nd Battalion, The Leinster Regiment. The nickname is derived from the battalion's time in India . When forming up for a parade, each man called out the number of his position in the rank in consecutive order. After the forty-ninth man correctly called out his number, the next man, the fiftieth, shouted out 'forty-ten'.

 

FOSSE

Slag heap of mining spoil. From French.

 

FOUR-TWO

German 4.2 inch artillery shell.

 

FRAY BENTOS

(1) Corned beef, bully beef, named after the prevalent brand. From the port in Uruguay of the same name, famous for meat-packing. (2) Very good, very well. From a corruption of the French très bien.

 

FRITZ

(1) German. From the diminutive of Friedrich. (2) Potato chips. From the French, frites.

 

FUNK

State of nervousness, fear or depression.

 

FUNK-HOLE

Small dugout or shelter, just big enough to accommodate one or two men, usually scraped into the front wall of a trench. See cubby-hole.

 

FUNKY VILLAS

Foncquevillers, French village in the Pas-de-Calais.

 

FURPHY

A rumour (Australian). The Furphy Engineering Company of Australia made water carts for the army. Soldiers would often gather around these carts and exchange gossip.

 

G

GAS BAG

(1) The cloth bag in which the respirator was carried, or sometimes the respirator (gas helmet) itself. (2) An airship or barrage balloon.

 

GASPER

Cheap cigarette.

 

GAS PIPE CAVALRY

Army Cyclist Corps.

 

GASPIRATOR

British gas mask incorporating a filter. From a combination of gas and respirator.

 

GEESE

Portuguese. See also Pork and Beans.

 

GERANIUM

Staff officer. So called because of the red cap-band and collar tabs.

 

GIEVES, MATTHEW & SEAGROVE

Naval slang for the trio of Great War campaign medals (1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal). From the well-known firm of naval outfitters. See also Pip, Squeak & Wilfred.

 

GLASSHOUSE

Prison or detention centre.

 

GLORY HOLE

Dug-out.

 

GOER

Shell passing overhead.

 

GOGGLE-EYED BOOGER WITH THE TIT

British gas helmet. The wearer had to breathe in through the nose from inside the helmet and breathe out through a valve held in the teeth.

 

GOOSEBERRY

Barbed wire entanglement or reel. From the prickly nature of the gooseberry bush.

 

GORBLIMEY

Peaked canvas service cap, made sloppy in appearance by removing the wire stiffener from the crown, not usually seen until after the end of 1914; generally scruffy or sloppy. A Cockney expression, a corruption of God blind me.

 

GO UP

To go up the line, i.e. into the trenches.

 

GO WEST

(1) To be killed, to die. The most popular euphemism of this type. (2) To go astray or be stolen.

 

GRASS-CUTTERS

Small anti-personnel bombs dropped from aircraft on to camps and bivouacs behind the lines. They were designed to burst on impact and scatter shrapnel balls at low-level, with the intention to kill rather than to destroy material things.

 

GREEN CROSS

German phosgene gas, from the marking painted on the delivery shell casing.

 

GREYBACK

(1) British army shirt, with sharp-edged tin buttons. From the colour. (2) A louse.

 

GREY HEN

Rum jar. A grey and brown earthenware jug which contained the rum ration, usually Navy Pusser's rum.

 

GRIFFIN

Confidential information or warning of trouble to come. The bottom line.

 

GROG

Rum, usually watered down.

 

GRUBBER

Spade or entrenching tool.

 

GUM BOOTS

Rubber boots or waders sometimes worn in wet trenches.

 

GUNFIRE

Strong tea, usually laced with rum.

 

H

HAIRY

A horse.

 

HARD TACK

British army biscuit ration (iron rations), eaten cold, usually with bully beef. The biscuits, if kept dry, also served as useful firelighters.

 

HARNESS

Infantryman's equipment. This was of two basic types: brown leather and khaki webbing. Neither was particularly popular; although the webbing did not cut into the shoulders as much as the leather, it was considerably heavier when soaked with rain.

 

HARRY TATE

The RE.8 aeroplane.

 

HATE

Bombardment. The morning hate at dawn and the evening hate a dusk were common occurrences.

 

HIPE

Rifle. Derived from many a drill sergeant's habit of malforming the last word of an order on the parade ground as a way of achieving a crisper, sharper delivery. 'Slope arms!' became, in some cases, 'slope hipe!'.

 

HITCHY-KOO

Itchy from louse-bites. From the chorus of a popular pre-war music hall song.

 

HOM FORTY

French railway carriage used for troop transportation, average speed one and a half miles per hour. From the capacity stencilled on the side of the carriage - Hommes 40, Chevaux 8 - the horses being an alternative not an additional load!

 

HOOKS

Spurs.

 

HUN

German. Kaiser Wilhelm II urged his troops to behave like the Huns of old in order to instill fear into the enemy. The name was further popularised when British soldiers discovered that Germans wore belt buckles with the words Gott Mit Uns (God is with us).

 

HUNTLEY & PALMER

Royal Flying Corps term for twin Lewis machine guns. Named after a well-know biscuit manufacturer.

 

HUSSIF

Housewife, a small canvas roll containing needle, thread, buttons etc, used for the personal maintenance of a soldier's kit. Often used during interior economy.

 

I

IDDY UMPTY

Signaller. Iddy and umpty were verbal ways of expressing the dashes and dots of Morse code. IGGRY

Hurry up. From Arabic. One particular crossing in Bullecourt was named Iggry Corner by the Australians.

 

IMSHI

Go, be gone, shoo. From Arabic.

 

INTERIOR ECONOMY

Quiet periods when men would turn their attention to personal admin - sewing on buttons, darning socks, etc.

 

J

 

Jack Johnson - World Heavyweight Champion

 

JACK JOHNSON

German shell bursting with black smoke. After the boxer Jack (John Arthur) Johnson (1878-1946), the first black American world heavyweight champion (1908-1915).

 

JACKS

Military Police.

 

JAKES

Latrines. Expression dating back to Elizabethan times.

 

JAM-TINS

Originally, home-made or improvised bombs made from jam-tins, mainly used before widespread introduction of the Mills Bomb. Later on in the war, however, jam was issued in cardboard tubes. See Tickler's. The expression was also used as a nickname for the No.8 and No.9 Double Cylinder grenades of late 1914 and early 1915 due to their resemblance to jam tins.

 

JANKERS

A minor punishment, fatigues. Usually performed whilst confined to barracks (CB). Origin unknown, but may be related to jangle, which had an archaic sense of 'to grumble'.

 

JAPAN

Bread. From French pain.

 

JERICHO

Severe bombardment.

 

JERRY

German. Expression became popular later in the war, eventually coming into it's own during World War Two.

 

JERRY UP!

Warning exclamation that a German aeroplane was overhead and may drop bombs. A warning to put out all lights.

 

JIGGER

Bicycle.

 

JILDI

Quick, hurry up. From Hindustani.

 

JIPPO

Juice or gravy, especially of bacon. Very popular at mealtimes. Also the shout given by Army Service Corps cooks to announce mealtimes.

 

JOCK

Soldier in a Scottish regiment.

 

JOHNNY

A Turk. From Johnny Turk.

 

JUDAEANS

Battalions (38th - 42nd) of the Royal Fusiliers, consisting of Jewish officers and men. The regiment was able to provide the necessary dietary and other religious conditions required by members of the faith.

 

JUMPING THE BAGS

Going over the top. Attacking over the sandbags of the trench parapet.

 

JUMP OFF

To begin an attack. The jumping off point was the start line of the attack in the front line trench.

 

K

 

Lord Kitchener

K or K of K

 

Kitchener or Kitchener of Khartoum . Field Marshal Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum , who was appointed Minister for War at the outbreak of hostilities. He was greatly successful in recruiting volunteers for the New Armies, his finger-pointing picture on thousands of recruiting posters being one of the most famous images of the 20th century. He drowned, along with 642 other souls, when the cruiser Hampshire struck a mine off the Orkneys on 5th June 1916 .

 

KAMERAD

Friend, comrade. From German. Often used facetiously by British soldiers amongst themselves as a term of surrender, perhaps when a story showed no signs of ending.

 

KANGAROO FEATHERS

The emu feathers worn on the side of the headdress by members of the Australian Light Horse.

 

KILTIE

A soldier of a Scottish regiment.

 

KIP

Sleep, bed.

 

KITCH

British soldier, especially a New Army volunteer. Australian and New Zealand slang, from Kitchener .

 

KIWI

(1) A New Zealand soldier. (2) Ground crew of the RFC or RAF - implying the meaning of a flightless bird.

 

KNEE DRILL

Church parade.

 

KNIFE-REST

Portable barbed wire entanglement, stretched on an X-shaped frame and used for stopping gaps in no-man's land.

 

KNUT

Person (usually an officer) who took particular care over his appearance. From the popular music hall song by Arthur Wimperis (1874-1953) Gilbert the Filbert, the Colonel of the Knuts.

 

KOYLI

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

 

KULTUR

Facetious allied propaganda term applied to uncivilised German behaviour, particulary popular following the sinking of the Cunard liner Lusitania by a U-Boat. Ignoring the fact that the Lusitania , although a passenger liner, was in all likelihood carrying munitions, the allies stated that the act was "proof positive that such crimes are not merely regarded favourably, but are given every opportunity in the land of Kultur ".

 

L

LANCE-CORPORAL BACON

Not very lean bacon, with only one strip of mean running through the fat. An analogy to the one chevron worn on the sleeves by a Lance-corporal.

 

LANCE-JACK

Lance-corporal, a junior NCO having one chevron. This was an appointment and not a rank.

 

LAND CREEPER

Tank.

 

LANDOWNER

Dead. To become a landowner was to be dead and buried.

 

LAND SHIP

Tank.

LID

Steel helmet.

 

LINSEED LANCERS

The Royal Army Medical Corps.

 

LOOPHOLE

Gap in the parapet of a fire trench enabling shooting to take place whilst providing head cover. May be constructed from sandbags, steel plates or other materials.

 

LOOSE

Larceny, a thief. From Hindustani lus, thief.

 

LOOT

Subaltern. A one pip Loot was Second Lieutenant, from the pip or star on the shoulder or cuff. Officers below the rank of Captain were always addressed and spoken of as 'Mister ____'.

 

LORRY HOPPING

The practice of moving about the country by cadging free lifts from ASC drivers.

 

LOZENGES

Small arms ammunition used in hand guns.

 

L PIP

Listening post (LP), usually located in a sap. From the phoenetic alphabet.

 

LUCIFER

Friction match. From a popular brand name, but originally from Latin 'bearer of light'. "While you've a Lucifer to light your fag, smile boys, that's the style" - It's a Long Way to Tipperary , a popular marching song.

 

LUKRI

Wood. From Hindustani.

 

M

MACARONI

An Italian Soldier.

 

MACONACHIE

Tinned vegetable stew ration, named after the manufacturer.

MACONACHIE MEDAL

Military Medal (MM). The inscription on the back of the MM says for bravery in the field, and some soldiers maintained that the Maconachie ration (see above) was so terrible that only a brave man would eat it and thus be awarded a medal for doing so. Alternatively, an allusion to the notion that the Military Medal was given out so often that it 'came up with the rations'

 

MAD MINUTE

Firing off fifteen (or more) rounds of rapid fire aimed shots from a bolt action .303 Lee Enfield rifle in one minute. Many regular soldiers of the BEF were expert shots due to the incentive of extra pay for marksmen.

 

MAFEESH

Nothing, all gone. From Arabic. Mafeesh was used by troops in Egypt , Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Palestine in the same way that napoo was used by those on the Western Front.

 

MAFFICKING

Celebrating. From the general air of excitement that followed the relief of Mafeking during the Boer War.

 

MAIDEN'S PRAYER

Barrage balloon. From the large, phallic shape.

 

MATLOW

Sailor. From French matelot, although the exression is pre-war.

 

MESOPOLONICA

Hypothetical posting in the East, regarded by those on the Western Front to be a comparatively safe destination. The word is a composite of Mesopotamia and Salonica.

 

MICK

A soldier in an Irish regiment. Specifically, The Micks is the nickname of the Irish Guards.

 

MICKEY

Louse. Origin of the phrase taking the mickey, to tease.

 

MILLS BOMB

British No. 5 grenade. Invented by William Mills (1856-1932) of Birmingham in 1915, it remained in service in a modified form with the British army until the 1960s.

 

MINNIEWERFER

German trench mortar. A variety of calibres were employed. From German Minenwerfer, mine thrower.

 

MOANING MINNIE

Shells fired from a German Minenwerfer. From the noise of flight and the name given by the British to the weapon

 

MOB

Battalion or other unit.

 

MONTY BONG

Montauban. French village in the Somme region.

 

MUCKIM

Butter. From Hindustani.

 

MUFTI

Civillian clothes. From Arabic mufti, free.

 

MURPHY

A potato. From the common Irish surname.

 

MUTT & JEFF

The pair of Great War campaign medals (British War Medal & Victory Medal) given to those who served from 1916 onwards. Named after the cartoon characters created originally in the United States by Bud Fisher, but popular in Britain by 1920, the time when campaign medals were being sent out. (2) Deaf. From Cockney rhyming slang.

 

MUTTON LANCERS

The Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, from their cap badge which shows a sheep (or lamb) with a lance.

 

MYRRH

Rum.

 

N

 

NAPOO

Gone, finished. From French i'l n'y en a plus, there is no more. British troops in Russia or who had returned from German prisoner of war camps often used 'nichevo', a Russian word with the same meaning.

 

NIX

Nothing, no. From German nichts.

 

NON-STOP

Enemy shell that has passed well overhead.

 

NUMBER NINE

Sick. The British army's No.9 was a laxative pill. Handed out indiscriminately by the MO, but especially to those men who were classified M&D (medicine & duty) or NYD (not yet diagnosed). Also known as the Star of the Movies. Gave rise to the bingo caller's expression doctor's orders - number nine, the game itself being one of the more popular respectable pastimes amongst soldiers.

 

O

OCEAN VILLAS

Auchonvillers, a village in the Somme region of France , just north of Albert.

 

ODDS AND SODS

Miscellaneous details attached to Battalion HQ performing nominal duties.

 

OIL

(Australian) Authentic, the truth.

 

OIL CAN

Trench mortar bomb.

 

OLD CONTEMPTIBLE

Member of the 1914 British Expeditionary Force (BEF) who took part in the retreat from Mons and other early battles of the war. From Kaiser Wilhelm's comment that his forces in Belgium were being held up by 'Sir John French's contemptible little army'.

 

OLD EYES

Guards division. From the symbol on the divisional sign.

 

OLD NAMURERS, THE

The Royal Irish Regiment. The name is derived from their participation in the storming of Namur in 1695. Consequently, they were awarded the first battle honour given to a British regiment.

 

OLD SWEAT

An experienced soldier.

 

ONE PIP

2nd Lieutenant, from the rank insignia. A two pip is a full Lieutenant.

ON THE MAT

To be called before the Commanding Officer (CO) to answer a minor charge.

 

ON THE PEG

Under arrest or on a charge.

 

ON THE WIRE

Missing or killed in action.

 

ON THE WORD FIX

Punctually. "I was there on the wordfix". From the command "fix bayonets".

 

O-PIP

Observation Post (OP). From the phonetic alphabet.

 

OVER THE TOP

Make an attack, to go over the top of the trench parapet, or over the bags (sandbags).

 

P

PACKET

Wound. To cop a packet was to be wounded, often fatally.

 

PADRE

Battalion Chaplain. From Latin pater, father.

 

PANZER

German tank. From German Sturmpanzerkampfwagen, originally from the Old French panciere, a coat of mail. Term first used in the Great War, but did not become popular until WW2.

 

PARNEE

Water. From Hindustani.

 

PAVÉ

Stone-paved roads and tracks found in Belgium and France . Very hard on the feet and ankles when marching.

P.B.I.

Poor Bloody Infantry.

 

PERISHER

Trench periscope.

 

PICKET

(1) Metal post used for staking out barbed wire. (2) Sentry-party or patrol.

 

PICKLED MONKEY

An unknown species of meat served as food to prisoners of war by the Germans.

 

PIGGY-STICK

The wooden handle or shaft of the entrenching tool.

 

PILL BOX

Reinforced concrete gun emplacement, usually German and armed with machine guns. So called because of the cylindrical shape.

 

PIMPLE

Hill.

 

PINEAPPLE

Mills bomb. From the chunky shape. Also applied to a certain type of german trench mortar bomb.

 

PIP EMMA

Afternoon. PM (post meridiem). From the phonetic alphabet.

 

PIPPED

To be hit by a bullet.

 

PIPSQUEAK

A small calibre shell (sometimes a gas shell) or a rifle grenade.

 

PIP, SQUEAK & WILFRED

Trio of Great War campaign medals (1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal). Named after the popular Daily Mirror cartoon characters of the time.

PLONK

Wine. From French vin blanc, white wine, although the expression may also be derived from the firm of Plonques, importers of a particularly reprehensible brand of Algerian red wine.

 

PLUG

To shoot, to plug with lead.

 

PLUGSTREET

Ploegsteert, Belgian village north of Armentières.

 

PLUM PUDDING

Heavy trench mortar shell.

 

POILU

French soldier. From the French hairy one. French soldiers themselves disliked the term, instead referring to themselves as les hommes or les bonhommes.

 

PONGELOW

Beer.

 

PONTIUS PILATE'S BODYGUARD

The Royal Scots, the senior British Infantry Regiment of the Line, so named on account of their history going so far back. They were, in fact, raised in 1633.

 

POP

Poperinghe, Belgian town in West Flanders . Captured from the Germans in October 1914, it remained in British hands until the end of the war.

 

PORK AND BEANS

Portuguese. From the observation that British army ration pork and beans contained very little, if any, pork, and therefore alluding to the fact that the Portuguese had very few troops on the Western Front. This, however, is a myth: the Portuguese (one of Britain 's oldest allies), sent 120,000 men to the Western Front, as well as having 80,000 troops serving in Portuguese East Africa at that time. Their determination and gallantry was second to none - General Ludendorf's surrender speech praised the Portuguese, stating that had Portugal been on their side, they would have won the war. Also vaguely onomatopaeic.

 

POSH

Smart. From obsolete English posh, a dandy, but often said to be an acronym of 'Port Out, Starboard Home', the optimum (i.e. shaded) position of a cabin in British ships sailing to and from the East.

 

POTATO MASHER

German stick grenade. From the shape - the handle enabled the grenade to be thrown further.

 

POZZY

Jam. Issued as part of the British army field ration, tinned plum and apple pozzy was much in abundance in the early years of the war, being supplemented later on by such exotic mixtures as gooseberry and rhubarb.

 

PRESS GANG, THE

The Royal Engineers. From their reputation of enforcing the services of other regiments in the building of dug outs, roads, etc.

 

PROFESSOR

Senior Army officer.

 

PRUSSIAN GUARD

A flea.

 

PULL-THROUGH

A tall, thin person. From pull-through, the device used to clean inside the barrel of a rifle.

 

PUMP SHIP

Urinate. From the naval expression.

 

PUSHER

A young woman. See Square Pusher.

 

PUSHING UP DAISIES

Dead and buried.

 

Q

QUARTER BLOKE

Quartermaster. Officer usually commissioned from the ranks and responsible for the supply of accommodation, food, clothing and other equipment to the unit, via the Company Quartermaster Sergeants. When an issue of new kit was requested, the Quarterbloke's stock answer would usually be: "Stores is for storing things; if they was for issuing things then they would be called issues."

 

QUARTER TO TEN

British 9.45 inch trench mortar.

 

QUICK FIRER

Field Service Post Card (Army Form A2042). The card consisted of a number of pre-printed sentences which could be deleted as appropriate. Nothing, except the address of the recipient, was to be written on the post card in order to alleviate the problems of censorship.

 

R

RACE CARD

Morning sick report.

 

RATS AFTER MOULDY CHEESE

RAMC. Correctly, Royal Army Medical Corps.

 

REDCAP

Military policeman, said to be the most despised men on the Western Front. From the red covering to their field service caps.

 

RED EYE

Rum.

 

RED HUSSAR

Popular brand of ration cigarette. Soon came to personify any cigarette.

 

RED INK

Red wine.

 

RED LAMP

Brothel. Sometimes licensed and under police surveillance. From the red light outside, the recognised symbol.

 

RED STAR

British gas, a mixture of hydrogen sulphide and carbon disulphide.

 

RED TAB

Staff officer. From the red gorget patches on the collar. Also known as Red Herrings.

 

REST CAMP

A cemetery.

 

RIFLES, THE

The Royal Irish Rifles.

 

ROB ALL MY COMRADES

RAMC. Correctly, Royal Army Medical Corps. From the belief that medical personnel went through the pockets of casualties.

 

ROB EVERY POOR SOLDIER

RE(PS). Royal Engineers (Postal Services). From the belief that they were responsible for the many missing items of soldiers' mail.

 

ROGER

Gas cylinder. The word was originally used as a code name (see accessory), but eventually came into common useage.

 

ROOKIE

A recruit or newcomer. From the corruption of recruit (and not the bird), although, interestingly, infantry recruits in the modern British army are known as the crow.

 

ROOTI

Bread. From Hindustani roti.

 

ROOTI GONG

British army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal. From the belief that they were so easily obtained that they were brought in with the bread ration, or could be earned by eating army rations for the required number of years.

 

ROUGH HOUSE

A fight or disturbance. So-called from the type of public house where this type of behaviour could arise after drinking.

 

RUBBER GUN

Large long-range gun.

 

RUM JAR

Mortar bomb, from the shape. The rum ration was issued to the troops in earthenware jars, stamped with the initials S.R.D. (Supply Reserve Depot - not Service Rum Diluted as frequently stated), although soldiers argued that this actually stood for Seldom Reaches Destination or Soon Runs Dry.

 

RUSSIAN SAP

Sap trench dug below ground so that the surface earth was not disturbed.

 

S

 

French barrage balloon, or 'sausage'

 

SAIDA

Good day! Greetings! From Arabic.

 

SAMMY

American soldier. From Uncle Sam.

 

SANDSTORM

Soup made from ground maize and water.

 

SAN FAIRY ANN

It doesn't matter, it makes no difference. From French ça ne fait rien.

 

SAP

A listening post in no man's land, connected at ninety degrees to the fire trench by a narrow communication trench. During an advance, saps were often joined together to make the new front line trench.

 

SAPPER

Equivalent to a private soldier in the Royal Engineers. Originally, a digger of saps.

 

SARNT

Sergeant. Seen as a smarter and more soldierly form of address. However, sarge was never permitted: "There are only two bloody types of sarges in this mob - passarges and sausarges - now move yerself!"

 

SATURDAY NIGHT SOLDIERS

Members of the Territorial Battalions. Originally a derisory name, the term was not used much by those who had witnessed the Terriers' skillful fighting and great losses.

 

SAUSAGE

(1) Barrage balloon. (2) German mortar bomb. "...we pick out at once the faint plop! of the mortar that sends off a sausage, or the muffled noise when a grenade is fired" - Lt Robert Graves, Royal Welch Fusiliers.

 

SAUSAGE HILL

German prison camp. To go to Sausage Hill was to be taken prisoner.

 

SCOACH

Rum.

 

SCOFF

To eat. Food or rations.

 

SERGEANT-MAJOR'S TEA

A decent brew. Tea that was not devoid of milk or sugar.

 

SEVEN

It's all in the seven was a philosophical expression used by regular soldiers who had enlisted for seven years with the colours (i.e. on continuous day-to-day service).

 

SHACKLES

Soup or stew made from left-overs.

 

SHERBET

Beer, or any other intoxicating drink.

 

SHOOTING GALLERY

The front line.

 

SHOOTING IRON

Rifle.

 

SHORT ARM INSPECTION

Medical Officer's examination of the mens' short arms (penises) to detect any signs and symptoms of venereal disease.

 

SHORT ONE

A shell falling near to or onto it's own lines.

 

 

SHUN!

Attention! Drill instructors' word of command. See hipe.

 

SHRAPNEL

(1) Shell for anti-personnel use designed to burst in the air and eject a number of small projectiles. (2) Metal balls (usually lead) contained therein. (3) Any metal splinter from a shell. From General H Shrapnel (1761-1842), the English army officer who invented it during the Peninsular War.

 

SIGARNEO

Okay. From a corruption of all Sir Garnet, an earlier expression named after Sir Garnet Wolseley (1833-1913), Commander in Chief of the British army from 1895-1899.

 

SIGNALESE

The phonetic alphabet.

 

SILENT DEATH

The practice of waiting quietly at night in no man's land for the advent of a German patrol. The patrol was then dispatched hand-to-hand as quickly and silently as possible by the use of trench knives. Much favoured by the Canadians.

 

SILENT PERCY

Artillery piece firing at such long range that it could not be heard.

 

SILENT SUSAN

High-velocity artillery shell.

 

SKILLY

Thin stew, gruel.

 

SKINS, THE

The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

 

SKIPPER

Officer's informal expression for a Captain commanding a company.

 

SLACK

Small pieces of debris thrown up by a shell ground burst. From slack, small pieces of coal with a high ash content.

 

SLING THE BAT

To use the vernacular. To speak in slang.

 

SNAKE CHARMER

Bugler.

 

SNIP

Regimental tailor.

 

SNOB

Soldier employed as a cobbler.

 

SOLDIER'S FRIEND

(1) Rifle. (2) A proprietary brand of brass polish, consisting of a pink tablet onto which one spat to produce a paste. See Bluebell.

 

SOUP TICKET

Medal citation. A small card presented to soldiers recommended for a gallantry decoration, usually a DCM or MM, giving some details of the act.

 

SOUVENIR

To steal. From French souvenir, to remember.

 

SPOTTED DOG

Currant pudding.

 

SPOUT

Rifle breech. Soldiers often loaded the .303 Lee Enfield rifle with ten rounds in the magazine and one up the spout.

 

SPUD

(1) Potato. (2) Nickname given to a person with the surname Murphy. (3) Metal shoe affixed to a tank's tracks to provide better grip in muddy conditions. From spudde, a 15th century word for digging tool.

 

SPUDHOLE

The guard room.

 

SQUADDIE

Soldier. From squad, but also said to be a corruption of swaddy, an 18th century word for bumpkin.

 

SQUAREHEAD

German. From the shape of the M.1916 German steel helmet.

 

SQUARE PUSHER

A young woman. To go square pushing was to walk out with a young lady, or to go out looking smart (dressed in square pushing boots and/or square pushing tunic) with the intention of finding some friendly female company.

 

STAND TO

State of alert in the trenches at dawn or dusk when enemy attack was most likely.

 

STAR

Badge of rank, or pip, worn by British officers on the sleeves or epaulettes of the tunic.

 

STAR OF THE MOVIES

The Number Nine laxative pill, so-called because of it's purgative properties.

 

STAR SHELL

Artillery projectile consisting of a magnesium flare and a parachute, intended to illuminate the battlefield during night operations. Coloured star shells, not always incorporating the parachute, were used for signalling purposes.

 

STEEL JUG

Steel helmet.

 

STICK BOMB

German grenade, a potato masher.

 

STIFF

A corpse.

 

STIFF'S PADDOCK

A cemetery.

 

STINK

Soldier of the Royal Engineers employed on gas duties.

 

STINKER

British army goatskin or sheepskin jerkin, first issued in winter 1914. From the smell, especially when wet.

 

STOP ONE

To be hit by a bullet, shell fragment, etc.

 

STRAFE

(1) To machine gun, especially from the air. (2) General bombardment. From German Strafen, to punish. Gott Strafe England (God punish England ) was a popular song and greeting in Germany during the war years.

 

STUFF

Shellfire.

 

STUNT

Any performance of outstanding skill or effectiveness, on a large or small scale.

 

SUICIDE CLUB

Bombing or raiding party.

 

SUICIDE SQUAD, THE

The Machine Gun Corps.

 

SUMP HOLE

Small holes dug at intervals in the base of a trench for collecting water. Sump holes made the baling out of flooded trenches somewhat easier.

 

SWEATING ON THE TOP LINE

Hopeful. To be expectant (of a forthcoming victory). Derived from the popular game of Bingo or House, where numbers are called out and marked off in lines on a card.

 

SWEET FANNY ADAMS, S.F.A.

Nothing at all. Originally nineteenth century naval slang for tinned cooked meat, from the notorious murder and dismemberment of a girl so named. The initials S.F.A. were, by the time of the Great War, also allocated to the expression Sweet F***-All, and Sweet Fanny Adams was a bowdlerised version of this phrase.

 

SWINGING THE BANJO

Digging (Australian).

 

SWINGING THE LEAD

Malingering, shirking one's duty. Possibly from the lead pendulum of a clock in the sense of drawing out a task so that it takes more time.

 

T

 

TAMBOO

Small trench dugout.

 

TAPE

(1) Chevron or stripe worn on the uniform sleeves by non-comissioned officers. (2) Line of tape used to indicate the starting line of an attack or the direction it should take.

 

TAUBE

German aircraft. Although a Taube was a specific make, British troops referred to all German aircraft as 'Taubes', or, more correctly, 'Tauben', during the early part of the war. From German for 'dove', so named due to the swept back wing tips.

 

TEDDY BEAR

British army goatskin jerkin, first issued in winter 1914.

 

TERRIER

Member of the British Territorial Force, a pre-war expression.

 

THIRD MAN

To go too far. The most popular superstition on the Western Front was that the third man to light his cigarette from the same match would inevitably be killed soon after. This was derived from the story that enemy snipers would, at night, use the flame of the match to find a target - the first light alerted the sniper, the second allowed him to aim, and the third time he fired.

 

THREE BLUE LIGHTS

Something highly improbable. From a story that peace would be signalled by the firing of three dark blue signal flares, which would, of course, be invisible against the night sky.

 

THROW A SEVEN

To be killed. From dice.

 

THROW ONE UP

To salute.

 

TIC-TAC or TIC-TOC

Signaller.

 

TICKET

Official discharge from the army, especially for medical reasons before the full period of service with the Colours had been completed. To work one's ticket was to scheme to get out of the army.

 

TICKLER'S

(1) Jam, pozzy. From the brand name of a company in Hull , Yorkshire , but synonymous with jam whatever the brand. (2) Improvised hand grenades, usually made from old jam tins packed with nails, glass and explosives. These were made and used extensively before the Mills bomb became widespread in 1915.

 

TIME-SERVING MAN

Regular soldier who had enlisted in the Colours for a definite period, usually seven years, as opposed to a conscript or one who had volunteered for the duration.

 

TIN HAT

Steel helmet. A popular phrase of the time was: "It just about put the tin hat on it", meaning that something happened which spoiled everything or was the final straw.

 

TIN OPENER

A bayonet.

 

TOASTING FORK

A bayonet, often used for this purpose.

 

TOC EMMA

Trench mortar (TM). From the phonetic alphabet.

 

TOFFEE APPLE

Mortar bomb with attached shaft.

 

TOMMY

British army soldier. From Tommy Atkins, a name sometimes used on specimen forms to represent a typical British army private soldier. Said to be derived from a British soldier who distinguished himself at the battle of Waterloo .

 

TOMMY BAR

Spanner or wrench for unscrewing the base of Mills bombs (to adjust the timing fuse).

 

TOMMY COOKER

Small, portable oil-fuelled stove.

 

TOKE

Bread.

 

TOOTH PICK

A bayonet.

 

TOOT SWEET

Quick. From French toute de suite. The tooter the sweeter was, of course, the sooner the better.

 

TOWN MAJOR

Staff officer (not necessarily a major) responsible for billeting arrangements in a town or village behind the lines.

 

TRACER

Rifle or machine gun round which can be observed in flight by the (usually) red phosphorescent trail it leaves in it's wake. Used chiefly at the time by airmen. The rounds are identifiable by the red painted tip, and some soldiers and gunners loaded a tracer as the penultimate round in their magazine or ammunition belt, in order to indicate that a reload would then be necessary.

 

TREZ BEANS

Very good. From French tres bien.

 

U

UNCLE CHARLIE

Marching order; full equipment.

 

V

Scottish troops preparing for a gas attack, 1915. One man is

holding aloft the handle of a Vermorel sprayer

 

VAMOOSE

To go quickly. From Spanish vamos, let us go.

 

VELVET

Good. To be on velvet was to be in exceptionally fortunate and comfortable circumstances.

 

VERMOREL SPRAYER

An agricultural spraying tool, used in the trenches to spray dispersal chemicals onto low-lying pockets of gas.

 

VERY

A flare or coloured light fired from a Very pistol for signalling at night. After the inventor, Edward W Very (1852-1910), a US naval ordnance officer.

 

VIN BLANC ANGLAIS

Whisky. From French, literally English white wine.

 

W

 

WAD

Sandwich .

 

WALLAH

Chap. Person in charge of a particular object, duty or task. Used in conjunction with appropriate word. For exmple, the soldier unfortunate enough to be on tea duty was invariably known as the char-wallah. From Hindustani wala, man or protector.

 

WEARY WILLIE

German shell passing safely, albeit rather slowly, overhead. Expression first used in 1914, from a pre-war Comic Cuts character of the same name. The expression was also used later in Gallipoli as a term for shrapnel.

 

WET ONE'S STRIPES

The practice of buying a round of drinks in the mess of a newly-promoted NCO.

 

WHIPPET

Specifically, the medium mark A British tank first seen in 1917, but later applied generally to any type of light tank, including the French Renault. From the breed of dog noted for its speed.

 

WHITESHEET

Wytschaete, Belgian village on the ridge just north of Messines.

 

WHITE STAR

A mixture of chlorine and phosgene gas. From the identification marking painted on the delivery shell casing.

 

WHIZZ-BANG

High-velocity shell. From the noise of the rapid flight and the explosion. Usually applied to the German 77mm. I don't want to go in the trenches no more, where the whizz-bangs and shrapnel they whistle and roar. From I Don't Want To Die, popular contemporary song.

 

WIBBLE-WOBBLE

Tank.

 

WILLIE

Tank. From the prototype British tank, Little Willie.

 

WIND-UP TUNIC

British officer's tunic with the stars worn on the shoulders instead of the sleeves, a standing order in some regiments even during the early stages of the war. The practice of wearing the badges of rank on the epaulettes was favoured by many officers as it made them less conspicuous to the enemy, and after the war the wearing of rank badges on the sleeves was discontinued. The same officers often carried the .303 Lee Enfield rifle into battle in preference to the issue service revolver for the same reason. However, some senior officers disapproved of this practice, viewing it as a case of an officer with the wind-up (see windy).

 

WINDY

Afraid, nervous. Such a person was said to have the wind-up. More acceptable than cold feet. From the production of intestinal wind or gas due to nerves.

 

WIPERS

Ypres (Flemish Ieper), Belgian town in West Flanders . From the pronunciation of a literal 'Y' at the beginning of the word, said to have originated with Commander-in-Chief of the BEF Sir John French (later Earl of Ypres), who neither knew nor spoke any foreign language and, furthermore, had no inclination to do so.

 

WONKY

Defective.

 

WOODBINE

A cheap and particularly offensive cigarette. Also an Australian nickname for a British soldier, due to his fondness of the aforementioned cigarettes.

 

WOOLLY BEAR

German shrapnel shell, bursting with a cloud-like explosion.

 

Y

 

YANK

American soldier. From Yankee.

 

YELLOW CROSS

German gas. From the identification marking painted on the delivery shell casing.

 

YELLOW PARCHMENT

Leave pass.

 

YPERITE

French name for mustard gas.

 

Z

 

Z

Z-hour; zero hour. The time that an attack or event was to happen.

 

ZIG ZAG

Drunk, intoxicated. From the tendency to stagger back from the estaminet in a zig-zag fashion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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