Date: Mon, 05 Apr 1999 11:16:16 +0200 From: Volker Bach Subject: A file of WWII slang This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------6C004B9E759B Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I have compiled this for a game session that never materialised, but someone out there may have use for it. If it can be done (I've had bad surprises with my computer's Attachments) please put it under Miscellaneous. Thanks Volker --------------6C004B9E759B Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; name="WWII Slang Terms.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="WWII Slang Terms.txt" The following is a collection of slang terms used in the US armed forces in World War II. It was compiled mostly from the Pocket Dictionary of American Slang (Pocket Books, New York 1960), supplemented by other sources. It may be of use to any GM or player setting a campaign in World War II. If you have any comments or additions to suggest, please mail them to Volker_Bach@public.uni-hamburg.de and I will add them as soon as I can get to it. Some people may be offended by the frequent and strong profanity contained here (though I don't think many). This reflects historical fact and a campaign set in World War II should properly contain frequent, strong and unbridled profanity. If you don't feel comfortable with it, leave it out. Ack-ack - antiaircraft gun Armored cow - canned or powdered milk Army banjo - shovel Asiatic - wild, crazy, violently angry (navy) AWOL, a.w.o.l., awol - absent without leave Bail out, to - to shirk one's duties Baker - euphem. for bastard Baker flying - danger, stay away (navy) Balloon juice - helium Barracks lawyer - soldier who knows (or pretends to know) a lot about regulations and frequently files complaints or abuses the rules to his own advantage Battery acid - coffee Battlewagon - battleship (navy) Bat the breeze - to chat, talk idly (navy) B-Boy - mess sergeant On the beam - right, correct, proper Beewee - money (navy) Bellhop - Marine (army) Belly robber - mess or commissary sergeant Bible - military regulations Binnacle list - sick list (navy) Bitch box - public-address loudspeaker Blitz, to - to prepare one's uniform, room or equipment for inspection Bloomer boy - paratrooper Bobtail - dishonorable discharge Bodysnatcher - stretcher bearer Bolo - bad rifleman (prewar army) Boondocks, the - wild tropical terrain, jungle Brass - the insignia of high officers or persons wearing same Broken-striper - navy warrant officer Bunk fatigue - rest period Burp gun - Submachine gun, spec. German Schmeisser and Soviet PPSh Buzz, to - to go on a drinking spree Captain of the head - incompetent or inept person (navy) Chalk - powdered milk Chatterbox - 1. antiaircraft machine gun, 2. PA or intercom system Chest hardware - medals Chew out, to - to forcefully reprimand s.o. Chicken shit - excessive regulation Chow - food Chow hound - 1. hearty eater or glutton, 2. person w. bad table manners Coffin - armored vehicle Conchy - conscientious objector Conjugal - euphem. for fucking (adj.) Cosmolines, the - artillery units or artillerymen, often preferred to "redleg" Covered wagon - aircraft carrier (navy) Crow tracks - chevrons Didie pins - 2nd lieutenant's stripes (from didie - diaper) Diff - sickbay attendant (navy) Dodo - trainee pilot not yet cleared for solo flights (air forces) Dogface - US soldier (more common than GI in the early years of the war) Dog show - foot inspection (army) Dolly dancer - soldier curyying favor with officers Donkey dick - bologna sausage (sandwich) Duck buggy - amphibious vehicle Eagle day - payday Feather merchant - generally civilian, spec. (navy) a reserve officer File thirteen / seventeen - waste basket Flap - air raid (on the receiving end) Fluff-off - shirker Flying coffin - glider Fourty-eight - a weekend pass (48 hours) Freckles - loose tobacco French leave - see AWOL Frogsticker - bayonet Fruit salad - medal ribbons FUBAR - fucked up beyond all recognition FUBB - fucked up beyond belief FUBIS - fuck you buddy, I'm shipping (more common in Korea and Vietnam) Fuck, fucking - n., v., adj., multipurpose word, apply liberally Gadget - cadet (air forces) Gas house - beer hall Gedunk - ice cream (navy) GI - adjective, anything issued by or associated with the military GI can - garbage can Gob - sailor (navy) Gold brick - 1. Shirker, 2. 2nd lieutenant Goon - army private (Pacific theater) Grease gun - M3 submachine gun, ext. any rapid-firing weapon Hack-driver - chief petty officer (navy) Hang out the laundry, to - to airdrop paratroopers Henhouse - officer's club Hershey bar - 1. gold stripe given for six months' service, 2. cheap prostitute Highball - salute Hit the silk, to - to parachute out of an aircraft Holy Joe - military chaplain Hooligan Navy - the Coast Guard (navy) Kraut - German Laundry - board in charge of testing officer candidates, because it can "wash out" people Looey, Looie, Loot - lieutenant Lovemaking - euphem. fucking (adj.) Mae West - life vest Meter-reader - copilot (air forces) Mickey mouse movie - instruction film Milk run - easy mission (air forces) Monkey drill - calisthenics Mustard - a good pilot Ninety-Day Wonder - OCS graduate No-Clap Medal - good conduct badge Ping jockey - radar operator Poop - official information, data Pound brass, to - to transmit by hand morse key Powder bag - gunner's mate (navy) Pro-pack - a kit issued to soldiers on liberty containing a condom, a bar of soap and some astringent. Supposed to prevent them from catching VD. Rack time - sleep (navy) Railroad tracks - captain's bars Rat race - full dress review Ronchie - inept or careless person Redeye - army ketchup Reefer - refrigerator (good potential for misunderstandings here) Reppledepple - replacement depot Rhubarb - low-altitude mission (air forces) Ride the beam, to - pretend innocence (army) Ripple - WAVE noncommissioned officer Rock slinger - mortarman Ronson - gasoline-engine version of the Sherman tank, after a common type of cigarette lighter. Rubber socks - boots Ruptured duck - honorable discharge insignia Sack up/out - go to sleep Scandal sheet - payroll Scattergun - machine gun or SMG Scrambled eggs - gold braiding worn by senior officers Screaming Meemies - 1. German Nebelwerfer rocket launchers, ext. any rocket launchers, 2. the shakes Seagull - canned chicken (navy) Seagull, to - to travel by plane (navy) Seaweed - spinach (navy) Section 8 - a discharge for mental disturbances, ext. an insane person or act, also adj. That's section 8 See the chaplain - shut up (army) Serum - liquor (army) Shack job - a serious relationship with a local woman Shack man - married (or attached) man Shavetail - 2nd lieutenant Short-arm parade - medical examination of the penis (for VD) Sky scout - chaplain (army) Skywire - radio antenna Small arms inspection - short-arm parade SNAFU, snafu - situation normal, all fucked up Snowdrop - military policeman Squawk box - public-address speaker (navy) Steam shovel - potato peeler Stove pipe - trench mortar Third lieutenant - a sergeant Tiger sweat - beer Tire patch - pancake Torpedo juice - inferior liquor (navy) V-girl - a woman easily impressed (and bedded) by men in uniform (stateside only) Whistle jerk - drill supervisor, ext. corporal in general Wipe it off! - order to stop chatting, joking etc. Yippie - shipyard patrol man (navy), from the initials Y.P. --------------6C004B9E759B--