Military Slang

[pmulcahy11b]

Here's one we sometimes used early in my career:

Armstrong steering: The laterals used for steering the M-113A1 and M-113A2 series of APC; they use laterals, which are just long levers that you pull and push to steer, or pull both back at once to brake. You'll get a surprising workout as a driver of the M-113A1 or A2!

[Matt Wiser]

Aviation slang from the U.S. and NATO:

Fox one: Radar-guided missile fired (AIM-7, Sky Flash, Aspide)

Fox two: Heat-seeking missile fired: (AIM-9, ASRAAM, IRIS-T, Magic,etc)

Fox three: Active Radar Missile fired: (AIM-120, Meteor, MICA, Derby)

Fox four: Guns fired

Rifle: AGM-65 Maverick launch

Magnum: Antiradar missile launch (HARM, ALARM, Shrike, ARMAT)

Bingo: fuel state requires return to base

Jolly Greens: USAF Search and Rescue Helos (originally meant to be the HH-3 and HH-53 series)

Winchester: Out of ordnance

Chrome Dome: SAC airborne alert

Texaco (USN): Tanker aircraft

Splash: Enemy aircraft destroyed

Viper: Unofficial name for F-16s; pilots wanted this as the actual name instead of Fighting Falcon back in '79. Inspired by the Vipers in Battlestar Galactica. Also called Lawn Dart (for what happens when an F-16 loses its engine...)

Albino Eagle: F-15A/C; air-to-air only F-15s.

Beagles: F-15E Strike Eagles; Bomber Eagles...(WARNING: any derogratory use of either one is a good way to start a fight)

Bug: F/A-18A/B/C/D

Super Bug: F/A-18E/F; also known as Rhino (a name previously used for the F-4)

[pmulcahy11b]

Here's one I remembered because of a post I made in a different thread:

MacGuyver: to jury-rig something (as in, "I don't know how to do it either! MacGuyver it!")

[pmulcahy11b]

Here was a common nickname we used for the Chinook helicopter: S**thook, because it can haul a lot of s**t.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

Aviation slang from the U.S. and NATO:

Fox one: Radar-guided missile fired (AIM-7, Sky Flash, Aspide)

Fox two: Heat-seeking missile fired: (AIM-9, ASRAAM, IRIS-T, Magic,etc)

Fox three: Active Radar Missile fired: (AIM-120, Meteor, MICA, Derby)

Fox four: Guns fired

Here's one I've heard pilots jokingly use: Fox Five, for when you take the guy down by slamming your plane into his...

That reminds me of a joke I heard Senator McCain use during the campaign: "I once used my plane to shoot down a SAM. I thought it was a good shot..." I might not like his politics, but he does have a good sense of humor.

[pmulcahy11b]

Here's one I heard recently:

Unobtanium: A weapon or piece of equipment you need badly, but can't get your hands on.

[Matt Wiser]

A few more:

Double-Ugly: F-4 Phantom

Scooter: A-4 Skyhawk

SLUF (Short Little Ugly F*&^#$) A-7 Corsair II

BUFF (Big Ugly Friendly F*&^#$) B-52

Bone: B-1B Lancer

Warthog (or just plain Hog): A-10

Ardvark (or plain Vark) F-111

Spark Vark: EF-111

Queer Bird (don't ask me how this one got started): EA-6B Prowler

Growler: EA-18G

Be careful, Paul: the Russians still taught the Taran (aerial ramming) as a last resort....so there is a Fox Five call.

[TiggerCCW UK]

I've also heard the A4 referred to as the Fart Cart. For interest sake, is anyone still flying Skyhawks? Saw one at the Air and Space in DC when I was there, liked the look of it.

[Mohoender]

I think that Argentina, Brazil and Israel are still using them.

Not long ago Indonesia and Malaysia were still using them but it seems that they have been retired. From what I know they are still held in reserve.

I don't know what happened to the one that were in service in New Zealand. They have been retired as the RNZAF doesn't retain any offensive capability. They were on the market for sale but I don't know if they have been sold, scrapped or if they remain in storage somewhere.

[Legbreaker]

"You will with the speed of a thousand lesbians to a Boy George concert.... insert action here".

"Faster than a snail wearing a jet pack..."

[Raellus]

There're some pretty funny ones here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...nd_expressions

And links to more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_slang

[dragoon500ly]

Missed this thread and brother does this bring back a lot of memories!!!

ACR =Armored Cavalry Regiment, beloved home for THE elite of the US Army...

Ballroom = The NCO Club.

Beer Can = nickname for the M-551 Sheridan.

Bimpy = Radio slang for the BMP.

Border Dawg = personnel performing the 2 & 11 ACRs border observation mission.

Box = slang term for a M-113

Berry Patch = nickname for the shoulder patch of the 3rd ACR.

Burdum = Radio slang for the BRDM.

Class Six = unofficial term for the essential fuel for a soldier, also known as whiskey, booze, etc.

Colored Lines = refers to the roads on a map.

Crunchies = the delightful sound the infantry makes when you run one over.

DAT = the correct translation is Distinguished American Tanker.

Disneyland East = Headquarters, US Army Europe

Disneyland West = the Pentagon.

Dusting, dusted = having a fellow tanker hose your tank with co-ax to get rid of those annoying infantry types trying to drop satchel charges in the hatches, also refers to those little incidents that sometimes happens when the National Guard goes to tank gunnery.

Donkey Dick = that flexible metal thingee that you fit onto a 5-gallon can of diesel when you do the tactical refueling exercise.

Dope Head = the units NBC officer. Also referred to as Dope Head 6.

Essentials = the junk food and all the other snivel gear that tankers take to the field.

Execute! = term used by 1st Sergeants, translated into "shut your pie hole, do what I told you, about face and get the h*** out of my office!"

Five = the units XO, refers to his vehicle bumber number, HQ-65.

Friendly Air = Two lies for one.

Funny paper = standard military map.

God Book = CEOI, because you can talk to god and everyone, also refers to the wraith of God, what happens to you if you lose one!

Grenz = Lands Ends, the border between West Germany and East
Germany/Czech during the bad ole days.

Gun Bunnies = Artillery men

Gun Humpers = the loaders for the artillery

Gun and Knife Club = The Enlisted Club at Graf!

Head 6 = The Officer's Club.

Hoop = US Army Europe slang for a West German civilian.

Horny = nickname for the shoulder patch of the 11th ACR.

IQ = nickname for the shoulder patch of the 1st ID, also refers to their intelligence.

Lifer Juice = Coffee, The US Army can fight a war without coffee, it just doesn't want to. There is always a pot brewing somewhere.

Mach Nix = GI slang for "it don't mean nothing".

MREs = Meals Rejected by Everyone also Three Lies for One

Ole Smoky = beloved term for a M-60A1 MBT.

Patton's Sweeties = nickname for the shoulder patch of the 2nd AD (worn over their left breast pocket.

Pricks = US Army beloved term for MPs.

Puke Seat = the tank gunner's position, named for the usual reaction to a rough ride in a M-1.

Rad = US Army Europe slang for a West German civilian.

Ranger Cookie = that ad hoc power bar brewed by mixing the MRE sugar packet with the cream substitute packet, wrapping in foil and tossing into a fire for two minutes. It tastes as bad as it looks.

Red Catcher = Border Dawg slang for the daily AH1 Cobra flight along the Grenz.

Six = any unit commander in the US Army, refers to the bumber number of his vehicle, HQ-66

Slash Alpha = Radio slang for a friendly tank, at least in 2 & 11 ACRs

Slash Bravo = Radio slang for a friendly M113, at least in 2 & 11 ACRs

Slash Alpha-Bravo = Radio slang for a M-901, at least in 2 & 11 ACRs (they didn't know if they were a APC or tank either.)

Tango = enemy tank.

Tootie Fruiti = nickname for the shoulder patch of the 2nd ACR.

Treadheads = US Army slang for any mechanized vehicle crewman, for infantry, refers to tankers.

Transfer to the Infantry = US Tanker slang for those individuals who just shouldn't be near a tank, let alone crew one.

Wonderland on the Potomac = Washington D.C.

[Panther Al]

Heh, we always called the 3ACR patch the bug, but I can see the other.
Also:

M240: the good thirty
M60: the shitty thirty
M113: for some reason got in the habit of calling them half tracks and it caught on throughout the squadron

[dragoon500ly]

M-219 co-axial machine gun = the ole "29 and jam".



A-I-K: Assistance in kind, the ole "til payday loan"

Bounding Overwatch = moderatly fast movement with half of platoon hanging back 3-500 meters and covering the forward half.

BS = Border Surveillance, yeah right!

Cherry = new replacement, aka the FNG.

DEROS = date eligible for return from overseas, your last day in Germany and then the freedom bird!

Dog-N-Pony Show = the dazzle your Congressman with BS show that seemed to always happen right around Okotober Fest, not that I'm saying our reps would use the public dime to get drunk or anything....

Doughnut Dollies = Red Cross girls, this one dates back to WWI!!!

DX = direct exchange of equipment for replacement and/or repair

Ghost = take off or taking it easy. A trooper that always seems to be needed elsewhere, especially if their uniform might get dirty.

Herringbone = formation used by tanks entering ambush or halted on the road. The vehicles alternately facing each side of the road controlling a 360 degree circle.

Hootch = temporary living quarters; your pup tent.

Jumping Jacka**es = tanker term of endearment for our airborne brothers.

Laager = night position for tanks, provides 360 protection.

Midnight Requisition = Unauthorized, afterhours procurement of needed parts or supplies.

Overwatch = slow movement to contact by tanks, half of platoon is stationary and covering the moving half.

Piss Water = term of endearment for US beer sold in the PX, COMEON! This is Germany, the Land of Beer!!!!

Rolling Hot = Tank on a Table VIII Gunnery exercise, locked, cocked and ready to shoot something!

Stand Down = maintenance and cleaning period, usually right before a dog-n-pony show or an major inspection.

[Griff]

Ahhhh Tankers....

Well my fellow Cavalrymen we've covered "DATs" & "CDATs" but oddly we've failed to include my favorites for you Treadheads...

TWOTs-Tankers With Out Tanks (pronounced Twaats, yep just like the slang for that most famous of female body parts). This moniker placed on all those "poor tankers" who deployed and had their precious tracks taken away and sent to Purgatory of Motorized Infantry during deployments to OIF/OEF (especially A-stan were one Marine armored battalion is now the envy of the tanker world)

Com TWOTs-Computerized Tankers Without Tanks(yep it's pronounced in the most derogatory and pornographic way) -Whoppee the Tankers got some gadgets in their trucks (BFT's, GPS, etc...). Modern day US Army tankers must have something shiny and electronic or they apparently break out in hives and muscle twitching.

Death before Dismount- The unofficial (?) motto of the US Armored Forces.

Lawn Dart-Any Sheridan air dropped by the 82nd.

"Targets Up" "A kills a kill!"- The tanker follow on to the Cav Scouts tradional call of "Scouts Out". Also heard as dismounted/light Infantry grunt.....most reassuring it was not.

That's about all my old, much concussed, brain can remember at the moment. But not to leave my tanker brethren in shame ( mind,they are sensitive bunch ) I would like to thank all past, present, and future tankers for their enormous support of poor little "crunchies" like myself for countless moments critical help (warming my frozen and soaked body with your most efficient blow dryer (rear heat vents/exhaust ports), ending a few nasty firefights very quickly, etc.etc.etc..) and in the end we both say together....Atleast we aren't MP's!


Sua Sponte

[perardua]

A few British (mainly RAF) ones:

IW - Individual Weapon (the L85A2 rifle)
LSW - Light Support Weapon
LMG - Light Machine Gun
UGL - Underslung Grenade Launcher
GPMG - General Purpose Machine Gun
HMG - Heavy Machine Gun
GMG - Grenade Machine Gun
The General/Gimpy (pronounced 'jimpy') - L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun
STAB - Stupid Territorial Army Bastard (now a generic term for most reservists)
Crow - British Army equivalent of FNG, generally accompanied by cawing sounds.
Sprog - RAF version of FNG, though the RAF Regiment use Crow and Sprog interchangeably
NATO Standard Tea - Tea with milk and two
Julie Andrews - Tea with milk but no sugar (or white, none)
Greeny - Container for 81mm mortar ammunition, often made into oversized mugs
Combat Body Warmer/Combat Corset - Name for Combat Body Armour
Rock, Scissors, Paper, Tour - Method of deciding order of importance between low ranking personnel (i.e. whoever has had the most operational deployments wins)
Station Bike - RAF term for a promiscuous Airwoman.
WAAF Arse - Derogatory term for the oversized posterior seemingly possessed by all female members of the RAF. Commonly believed to be a standard issue item.
Rock Ape/Rock - Nickname for members of the RAF Regiment
Guin - Short for penguin, derogatory term used by members of the RAF Regiment to refer to all other trades in the RAF.
Snowdrop - RAF Police, so called because of their white hats.
LMF - Acronym for Lack of Moral Fibre.
Squipper - Safety Equipment Fitter
Gash - Rubbish/not very good
Good drills - General term of approval
Bull Night - The frenzied night of cleaning that occurs before a block inspection.
Mudguard - The RAF Regiment shoulder tab

[Sanjuro]

You forgot:
Whoopie Goldberg: tea or coffee, no milk, no sugar (aka black, none)

[95th Rifleman]

Back in my NAAFI days I spent most of my career on RAF bases. The RAF have nicknames for their tech specialties

Avionics: Fairy
Engines: Sooty
Armourer: Plumber
Electronics: Sparky
Airframes: Rigger

[Sanjuro]

Some techies used the nickname growbags for aircrew; especially aircrew who did their ground duties in flying kit instead of in blues.
Because (allegedly!) they're green, and full of ****.

[dragoon500ly]

Don't forget

Amei or Amy = German slang for an American.

Barracks Bandit = any enlisted man that spends his European tour in the barracks, usually with an expensive stereo system, getting drunk on American beer and whining because there is nothing to do after duty hours.

Black Hole = any terrain feature that is utterly and completely impassable to armored vehicles, almost always has two or three stuck in it. Always results in a glazed and confused lieutenant.

Bring Smoke = Hitting the enemy with anything and everything at one time.

Gausthouse Commando = Any soldier who spends his off duty time helping the local economy prosper by infusing their paycheck in drinking German beer, eating German food and in pursuit of any German woman.

Glazed = Any Lieutenant in their first year.

Glazed and Confused = Any company grade officer, after being reamed by the Colonel.

God Bird = any helicopter, usually hovering overhead, that has a high ranking officer "advising" the troops on the ground on how to do their job. HIGHLY Insulting. Also referred to as Godding, God D**ned, F**king God.

Hammerhead = any TUA (TOW Under Armor).

I.M. Dumbjohn = Any West Pointer.

Mustang = Any officer that served a prior tour as an enlisted man. Usually highly skilled, on the ball and respected by their troops and hated by the regular officer caste.

Ole Leaky = any M-901, they leak almost as bad as a Chinook!

Pentagon Commando = Any officer that manages to spend their career no further east than Washington D.C. and no further west than Alexandria, Virginia. NOT a compliment!

Raining = Using MLRS to clear a grid square. "We're gonna rain the grid square" "We're raining that location", "Its been rained."

Rat F**K = old school nickname for the reaction force.

Ringknockers Association, = That West Point clique dedicated to keeping their members out of serious trouble while advancing their careers.

Rockhead = Any member of the Third Infantry Division, play on the division nickname "Rock of the Marne".

Rotcee = Play on ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) those straight from college lieutenants that are either very, very good, or totally worthless.

Smoke'em! = Open fire, bring the hurt on, etc.

Vimmie = VMI grad, an officer who graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, they totally suck at football, but have had more more members serve as Chief of Staff than West Point. Also used to praise a lieutenant that is on the ball. "He's a vimmie."

[perardua]

Another key British phrase/concept is that of 'gen' (pronounced jen). Gen has several meanings, but is most commonly used to mean information, as in "here's the gen", or "what's the gen?" However, it can also be used to convey that something is the gospel truth, as in "that's gen".

Furthermore, when someone questions the veracity of a statement, they may be asked to "gen it". If they gen it (by saluting with their right fist and saying gen), that person is considered to have staked their eyebrow on the truth of what they have just said. If it later turns out to be false, they will be required to remove their eyebrow, or will have it removed for them. It is possible to double-gen something, which can lead to both eyebrows being shaved off.

[Panther Al]

WPPA = West Point Protective Association: The informal body that serves to keep fellow grads of West Point safe from any negative actions due them, and to ensure that the best assignments fall their way.

Nasty Girl = Member of the National Guard.

Head Shed = Where all the officers hang out.

Talking out of his Brass = An NCO or Junior Officer trying to ingrate himself to senior officers.

(the) Musket = The M16. Usually found in units that are predominately equipped with M4's.