|
Ace
|
Good, excellent.
|
|
Airy Fairy
|
A member of the Fleet Air Arm.
|
|
A1
|
The very best.
|
|
Bandie
|
Members of the Royal Marines Band
|
|
Banjo
|
A sandwich; broken or broken down.
|
|
Banyan
|
A picnic on a boat or beach.
|
|
Basha
|
Originally a temporary jungle shelter, now applied to any temporary shelter in the field.
|
|
Belay
|
To cease an action; to cancel.
|
|
Bimble
|
To walk casually; to wander.
|
|
Bish
|
A Naval padre.
|
|
Bite
|
To be drawn into an argument or be wound up.
|
|
Bivvy
|
A bivouac - temporary field shelter, constructed with a waterproof poncho.
|
|
Blues
|
The ceremonial blue uniform of the Royal Marines.
|
|
Bootie
|
RM and RN abbreviation of the term used for a Royal Marine (see Bootneck).
|
|
Bootneck
|
A Royal Marines Commando.
|
|
Bombed out
|
Crazy; exhausted.
|
|
Bonedome
|
Protective helmet, particularly applied to that worn by pilots.
|
|
Brill / Brills
|
Brilliant, magnificent.
|
|
Brammer
|
Oustandingly good.
|
|
Bronzy
|
Suntan.
|
|
Bronzy time
|
Sunbathing.
|
|
Brown Hatter
|
See Snapper.
|
|
Bubbled
|
To be found out or ‘rumbled’.
|
|
Bug - out
|
To conduct a military withdrawal.
|
|
Buzz
|
A rumour.
|
|
BZ
|
Bravo Zulu - Well done.
|
|
Cabin
|
A room, usually a bedroom.
|
|
Can spanner
|
A tin opener (see ‘Spanner’).
|
|
Charlie - G
|
The 84mm Carl Gustav anti - tank weapon.
|
|
Chin stay
|
The strap used to secure a cap, or helmet to the head.
|
|
Chopper
|
A helicopter.
|
|
Chippie
|
A carpenter.
|
|
Chit / Chittie
|
A small piece of paper.
|
|
Chuck one up
|
A salute.
|
|
Chuffed
|
Pleased.
|
|
Chunter
|
To mutter or mumble (see also ‘Drip’).
|
|
Church key
|
A device equipped with both bottle and can opener.
|
|
Civvies
|
Civilians / Civvian clothing.
|
|
Clear lower deck
|
When personnel of a unit are called together for an address by the Commanding Officer; a 100% turnout.
|
|
Cloggie
|
Cloggie A Dutchman.
|
|
Club swinger
|
A Physical Training Instructor.
|
|
Come alongside
|
To make the grade; to agree.
|
|
Common dog
|
Commonsense.
|
|
Compo
|
Composite Rations, Ration Pack.
|
|
Crab
|
A member of the Royal Air Force. or Lacking in personal hygeine.
|
|
Crab Air
|
The Royal Air Force.
|
|
Cracked it
|
To achieve.
|
|
Crack - up
|
To lose ones patience.
|
|
Crappers
|
To be very drunk.
|
|
Crash out
|
To fall asleep.
|
|
Cream in
|
Collide.
|
|
Chrimbo
|
Christmas.
|
|
Dank
|
Miserable.
|
|
Dhobi
|
To wash or launder.
|
|
Dig out (blind)
|
To make an all out effort.
|
|
Dink
|
To give or receive a blow.
|
|
Dip out / dip
|
To come off worst in any situation.
|
|
Ditch
|
To throw away or discard.
|
|
Dog robbers
|
Jacket and tie.
|
|
Dog Watch
|
Two short watch periods that equalise the watch roster. Someone who has been in a ‘Dog watch’ means one who has little experience.
|
|
Donkey Wallopers
|
The Cavalry.
|
|
Down on your chin straps
|
To be exhausted.
|
|
Dregs
|
Ugly; unappealing.
|
|
Drip
|
To complain.
|
|
Drip sesh
|
A period organised so that complaints can be aired.
|
|
Drives
|
The driver of a vehicle.
|
|
Drop a sprog
|
To give birth.
|
|
Ear pounding
|
To give or receive a verbal warning.
|
|
Earwigging
|
Eavesdropping.
|
|
Eating Irons
|
Eating utensils.
|
|
Endex
|
The point an exercise ends.
|
|
Essence
|
Beautiful, usually applied to ones Pash or Party.
|
|
Fang Farrier
|
A dentist.
|
|
Fanny - rat
|
A stacks rating who is never satisfied with the Pash / Party he has.
|
|
Galley
|
The kitchen and / or dining hall.
|
|
Gannet
|
One with an insatiable appetite.
|
|
Gash
|
Rubbish, waste.
|
|
Gash Hand
|
Spare rank.
|
|
Gen
|
Genuine; the truth.
|
|
GD
|
General Duties rank.
|
|
Gizzit
|
Items that are given away, usually for public relations purposes.
|
|
Glimp
|
To peer or peep.
|
|
Globe and Buster
|
The Corps Crest (the Globe & Laurel) or the Royal Marines magazine.
|
|
Glop
|
To slurp or drink hurriedly.
|
|
Glophead
|
A habitual drunkard.
|
|
Gonk
|
To sleep.
|
|
Gopping
|
Extremely unpleasant. Usually used to describe ugly women.
|
|
Hand
|
A member of an organisation / crew. Commonly used to refer to an individual of good repute.
|
|
Hangfire
|
Wait a period of time.
|
|
Hanging - out
|
To have given 100% physically.
|
|
Harry
|
Superlative eg ‘Harry Crappers’.
|
|
Heads
|
Toilets.
|
|
Honking / Honkers
|
Intoxicated; smelly.
|
|
Icers
|
Very cold
|
|
Ickies
|
Money
|
|
Inboard
|
To come out on top, to succeed.
|
|
Jack
|
A member of the Royal Navy.
|
|
Jack up
|
To arrange or organise something.
|
|
Jenny
|
A member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service.
|
|
Jimpy / Jeeps
|
General Purpose Machine Gun.
|
|
Jolly
|
An easy job or organised recreation. (see ‘Swan’).
|
|
Jollies (HM)
|
Original name for citizen soldiers of the Trained Bands of London in 1664, from whose ranks Marines were first formed. Later became RN slang for a Marine, hence Kipling’s ‘HM Jollies’.
|
|
Junglies
|
Members of the Naval Air Commando Squadrons.
|
|
‘JWH’
|
Abbreviation of Jersey Wool Heavy - the issue pullover.
|
|
Kag / Kaggage
|
Unwanted or useless equipment.
|
|
Kit muster
|
A check, in which an individual’s complete equipment is laid out to ensure all is accounted for. The term is also used to describe the act of vomitting.
|
|
Knack all
|
Nil, nothing.
|
|
Knacker / fat knacker
|
A person who is unfit and / or overweight.
|
|
Lash up
|
To treat
|
|
Laughing kitbags
|
To find something very amusing.
|
|
Leg it
|
To run.
|
|
Limers
|
A soft drink.
|
|
Loafer / loafing
|
One who sits back and lets others do his share of the work.
|
|
Lovats
|
The No 2 dress uniform of the Royal Marines, lovat green in colour.
|
|
Magic
|
Marvellous.
|
|
Make ‘n’ mend
|
A period allocated to the maintenance of an individual’s equipment, or personal administration.
|
|
Manky
|
Filthy.
|
|
Maskers
|
Masking tape. Uses for this valuable commodity are many and varied. Also known as ‘Ha rry black’ or ‘Harry black maskers’.
|
|
Matelot
|
A sailor
|
|
Mess deck dodger
|
The person responsible for tidying a mess deck or barrack room.
|
|
Micky duck
|
A cartoon film.
|
|
MOA
|
Abbreviation of a Marine Officer’s Attendant - the equivalent of a batman.
|
|
MOD Plod
|
Ministry of Defence Police.
|
|
Muscle bo’sun
|
One who prides himself on the strength of his body.
|
|
Nause
|
Nausea, inconvenience.
|
|
Neaters
|
Undiluted spirits. (Navy Rum ration traditionally was condensed)
|
|
Nine o’ clockers
|
Mid evening snack.
|
|
Nod / Noddy
|
A Royal Marines recruit. (Changed to "Wink" due to pressure from the media about name calling - i.e. a Nod is as good as a Wink.
|
|
Nutty
|
Confectionary.
|
|
Nutty fiend
|
One who has a sweet tooth.
|
|
‘OD’
|
An abbreviation indicating ‘ Other Denomination’ as a persons religous conviction or commonly used as a derogatory term for someone who should know better.
|
|
Oggie
|
A pasty.
|
|
O Group
|
A meeting whereby orders for an operation are given to subordinate commanders.
|
|
Ooloo
|
Originally the term applied to jungle. Now sometimes given to an area of rough country or heavy vegetation.
|
|
Oppo
|
A close friend.. The ‘opposite number’ of a two man team; a system used to ensure maximum effectiveness in military activities.
|
|
Party
|
A female.
|
|
Pash
|
A female, with whom a marine has formed a more than casual relationship. A fiancee.
|
|
Percy
|
A soldier (see also ‘Pongo’).
|
|
Phot
|
A photograph or photographer.
|
|
Ping
|
To recognise or identify; to catch out.
|
|
Pingers
|
Members of the RN anti - submarine helicopter squadrons.
|
|
Pipe
|
To broadcast a message; usually via the public address system on board ship or in barracks.
|
|
Piso
|
Careful with money.
|
|
Pit
|
A bunk, bed or sleeping space (see also ‘Scratcher’).
|
|
Plums
|
Nothing. (see also ‘Dip’). Often used in the context of ‘Trapping’.
|
|
Plums rating
|
One who is continually unsuccessful with women.
|
|
Pole - up
|
To appear, to arrive suddenly.
|
|
Pom
|
Dehydrated mashed potato.
|
|
Pompey
|
Portsmouth.
|
|
Pongo
|
A soldier; derived from the common naval belief that soldiers never wash.
|
|
Prof
|
To acquire.
|
|
Provie
|
A member of the Provost Staff, the Regimental or Unit Police.
|
|
Pussers
|
Appertaining to the Service; stores and equipment issued from Service sources. Anything done unimaginatively or ‘by the book’ is done in a ‘pussers’ manner.
|
|
Pusser’s hard
|
Issue soap.
|
|
Pusser’s planks
|
Military skis.
|
|
Pusser’s red devil
|
The standard naval issue bicycle. Invariably painted red.
|
|
Puzzle Palace
|
A Headquarters building.
|
|
Rabbits
|
Gifts or souvenirs, obtained by going on a ‘rabbit run’.
|
|
Recommend
|
Formalised approval or praise - ‘take a recommend.
|
|
Redders
|
Opposite to Icers.
|
|
Rice
|
Effort. To ‘give it rice’ means to apply a considerable amount of effort in a direct manner.
|
|
Rig
|
A mode of dress. To ‘get rigged’ is to get dressed.
|
|
Rock / Rock all
|
Nil, or nothing.
|
|
Rock ape
|
RAF Regiment.
|
|
Rug rat
|
A baby (see also ‘sprog’).
|
|
Run
|
A trip or journey.
|
|
Run ashore
|
To leave ship or barracks for recreation or relaxation.
|
|
Sandies / Sandy Bottoms
|
The last ‘sippers of a wet’.
|
|
SB
|
Abbreviation for Special Boat Service. One who has joined the SBS is said to have gone SB.
|
|
Scran
|
Food.
|
|
Scran bag
|
A bag on a mess deck in which spare or damaged clothing and rags are collected. One who is untidily dressed is said to ‘look like a scran bag’.
|
|
Scratcher
|
A bed, bunk or bedspace (see also ‘pit’).
|
|
Scronky / Scronks
|
Untidy (see also ‘scran bag’).
|
|
Sea Daddy
|
An experienced marine or sailor who looks after a recruit to ‘show him the ropes’.
|
|
Secure
|
To finish; to tidy away after a job or watch.
|
|
Shave - off
|
An expression of exasperation; to speak out in turn.
|
|
Shreddies
|
Underpants.
|
|
Sigs
|
A radio operator.
|
|
Sin Bosun
|
A Naval Padre.
|
|
Sippers
|
A liquid measure; a sip offered from one’s own drink.
|
|
Skin
|
Immature or inexperienced. Lacking in facial hair.
|
|
Skin Mag
|
Playboy or similar magazine.
|
|
Slide
|
Butter or margerine (see also ‘grease’).
|
|
Smally
|
Small.
|
|
Snaps
|
A photographer (see also ‘phot’).
|
|
Sneaky Beaky
|
Intelligence staff or their operations.
|
|
Snurgle
|
To advance warily, or to crawl.
|
|
Snapper
|
Someone who is gay.
|
|
Sods opera
|
A show produced by a ship’s company or unit to entertain themselves.
|
|
Spanner
|
Any food or implement.
|
|
Spitkid
|
A waste receptacle.
|
|
Sprog
|
A baby, or youth lacking in experience.
|
|
Spud locker
|
Vegetable preparation room.
|
|
Stacks
|
The opposite of ‘plums’. To receive overmuch. Usually used to describe one who has great success with woman.
|
|
Stand easy
|
An official break in the work schedule; equates with a tea / coffee break.
|
|
Steamer
|
A ship.
|
|
Stickies
|
Cakes.
|
|
Swan
|
An easy or enjoyable journey or job, (see also ‘jolly’).
|
|
Sweating neaters
|
To be worried.
|
|
Thin out
|
To depart.
|
|
Threaders
|
To be fed up, to have had enough of something.
|
|
Three Badger
|
A marine or sailor of low rank but great experience. Derived from the good conduct badges (chevrons) worn to denote years of service, three badges being the maximum.
|
|
Trap
|
To successfully attract a member of the opposite sex.
|
|
Troop bible
|
A book containing all the relevant details of the individuals in a sub unit.
|
|
Trough
|
To eat.
|
|
Turn - to
|
To parade or begin work.
|
|
Twos - up
|
To take a turn at / with something.
|
|
Uckers
|
A board game. Adult version of Ludo.
|
|
Up homers
|
To be invited home.
|
|
Up the line
|
To travel away from base, originally referring to a train journey.
|
|
Vittled up
|
To be subjected to heavy and effective gunfire.
|
|
Wallah
|
The operator of a small shop or stand, usually unofficial (eg ‘Goffer Wallah’).
|
|
Waz / wazzer
|
Fantastic.
|
|
Wellie
|
To punch or hit.
|
|
Wet
|
A drink of any description.
|
|
Winger / wings
|
A comrade or close friend (see also ‘oppo’).
|
|
Woolly pulley
|
Pullover (see also ‘JWH’).
|
|
Work your ticket
|
To arrange to leave the Service.
|
|
Yaffling spanners
|
Eating utensils.
|
|
Yeti
|
A spectacular fall whilst on skis.
|
|
Yomp
|
To force march with a heavy load.
|
|
Zap / zapped
|
To shoot or be shot.
|
|
Zeds
|
Sleep
|
