Current GI idioms and phrases in the FOB and Fobbit-era
I am collecting current GI idioms and phrases, for either a paper or pamphlet. Yes, I have seen “fobbit” spelled “fobit,” but I think the hobbit-esque spelling is more correct.
If you’ve lingo to contribute, please add a comment or contact me through my Creators Syndicate email.
Recon- a guy that lays down on the job quite often. He also sits around taking potshots at people. ED NOTE: You’ve heard this term used in Iraq or Afghanistan? How is it used in a phrase?
Comment by Mike H. — 11/18/2006 @ 2:25 am
I heard it when I was in the Marine Corps. It’s the abreviation of the name of a group called Reconnoissance marines or the job that they do ie. To do recon or they’ll send a recon team out to check the bad guys location. Or the recon team will do an interdiction. They’re a jack of all combat trades. They work mostly in intel.
Comment by Mike H. — 11/20/2006 @ 1:50 am
GI Idioms and Phrases… Austin Bay is collecting military idioms and phrases. Please either leave a comment with your contribution or email him at his site. I contributed Embrace the suck….
Trackback by BLACKFIVE — 11/20/2006 @ 10:05 am
POG- pronounced ‘pogue’ Personnel Other than Grunt. Anyone not an Infantryman. Leg- Non Airborne Personnel. Also called NAPs. Jesus Cruisers- Sandals. Also Shower Shoes.
Comment by Jason — 11/20/2006 @ 10:22 am
REMF -> Rear Echelon MotherFu**er
Comment by ParatroopRN — 11/20/2006 @ 10:39 am
“Rat-F*ck” Basically to ransack something and take what you want. “Private Baggadonuts rat-f*cked that whole case of MREs just to get all the pop-tarts.” I’m a Seabee, and picked this up working with Army SF in Iraq. My buddy who was a Corpsman with the Marines in Iraq uses it all the time as well.
Comment by wingnutx — 11/20/2006 @ 10:49 am
Gosh, there are so many: Pax - shortened form of “passenger” for flight maifestes NAMF - Non-Airborne Motherf**ker (pronounced “NAMPF”) Shammer - Someone who screws off and doesn’t get his work done. “Smith is out shamming on something today” or “Smith? That shammer is probably over at the snack bar again.” I spent my whole time in Army Aviation, so some of my stuff is a little slanted that way. Pogue - Generally same as a REMF. Crunchy - Infantry. That was a tanker term and we picked it up, too. Ass and trash - A mission where you’re hauling people and stuff. An admin flight versus hauling trigger pullers in an airmobile assault of some sort. AO - area of operations. I use this a lot. “Get the hell outta my AO..” Man, I can’t think of more right now. But I will.
Comment by NIN — 11/20/2006 @ 10:57 am
CANC, pronounced KANK, short for cancel. “They canc’ed my flight again”
Comment by wingnutx — 11/20/2006 @ 11:01 am
Chairborne Ranger: Office dweeb who’s never ever ever worked anywhere but an office environment and basically refuses to venture outside of the command hangar, tent, etc.. Also, any maintainer who’s been decertified from his primary duty and shoved in an office to keep him out of the way. PowerPoint Ranger: Usually a Captain/Major who’s primary purpose in life is to create PowerPoint Presentations for the local HMFIC. HMFIC: Head Mother Fu**er in Charge. Death by PowerPoint: Any string of briefings, classes or forums which consists of one PowerPoint presentation after the other.
Comment by Timmer — 11/20/2006 @ 11:06 am
“Nut to Butt” Meaning packed in together tight. ie You stack nut to butt before entering a house.
Comment by Tom — 11/20/2006 @ 11:20 am
“Non’er” pronounced non - er AF flightline slang for any non-sortie producing personnel, mostly directed at the many office workers the AF has. “I gotta go talk to the non’ers about my travel voucher”
Comment by Another Spec — 11/20/2006 @ 11:35 am
Sh*tbag- anyone non-infantry Sh*thead- anyone non-infantry Di**head- anyone non-infantry A**hole- anyone non-infantry MotherFu**er- anyone non-infantry, or enemy fighter Fu**Nugget- anyone non-infantry Fu**Stick- anyone non-infantry Tool- dork,anyone non-infantry Toolbox- see above and up the dork factor HomeDepot- see above and up the dork factor more, someone who enjoys using GI idioms and phrases but has no business doing so because they work on a huge base somewhere in Iraq with fast food, movies, dances, gyms, and their biggest concern is whether they’re going to have to wait more than five minutes to catch the shuttle back to their internet accessible trailor. ED NOTE: Too funny. I may include this comment as a separate appendix.
Comment by Joe — 11/20/2006 @ 11:41 am
“It’s a technique.” -Yes, that is a possible technique you could use, but it’s a really, really dumb one. “Put it in your kit bag.” -Put that piece of knowledge in your head, you may need it later. Dome of Obiedience -Helmet Kentucky Long Rifle -M16A2 or A4 (as opposed to the M4)
Comment by Heartless Libertarian — 11/20/2006 @ 12:02 pm
“speed bumps” Another tanker term for infantry (Desert Storm era)
Comment by Old Tanker — 11/20/2006 @ 12:18 pm
Some Navy terms: Gedunk - vending machine items (based on the sound the item makes when it drops I believe) Snipe - anyone in the engineering department Check valve - someone who only takes (based on a check valve that only allows fluid to flow one directions I’ll think of more once I get my sea legs back …
Comment by Mike — 11/20/2006 @ 12:24 pm
“You can do anything you want…” - a phrase used by more senior leaders when you ask them what course of action they think is best…an automatic lesson in leadership is usually shortly to follow.
Comment by GT — 11/20/2006 @ 12:29 pm
. . . and roger. Spoken very deliberately and sarcastically acknowledging some decision made at Echelons Above Reality that you will be forced to comply with.
Comment by Eric — 11/20/2006 @ 12:35 pm
0 dark 30 = having to get up at an ungodly hour during the night
Comment by Garey — 11/20/2006 @ 12:53 pm
Haji - Name attributed to middle-easterners, some times used adversarily, other times not (”Those damn Haji’s got us with an IED last night” vs “Damn, Haji makes some good kabobs.”) It can also be used as an adjective. “Hey SGT, how can you stand those Haji smokes? Mikados suck.” The GWOT version for the word “Charlie” as used in Vietnam. Switch - (Sweech) Arabic for either crazy or queer (not extactly sure which, maybe it means both). “No mista, you sweech.” Vicki-Vicki: Term for sex, “Hey mista, me, her, vicki-vicki” [while pointing at the female MP on the Humvee turret] this term is often said while rubbing your two pointed fore fingers together, I guess to symbolize the friction. Black Death - 12oz. black “coke” can of high grade, low quality vodka, Popov if I remember right. PUC - Person under custody. “We got two PUCs on that last raid.” Can also be used as a verb. “Hey LT, this haji has three rolls of commo wire buried in his back yard, I think we should PUC his a$$” Marsalama - I think it means something like “Go in peace.” Basically it means see ya. Imshee/Ishta: Used interchangably. One means “get back” the other means “get down.” I forget which. Usually accompanied by an English embellishment. “Imshee, mother-fu@#$er!!” Salam, Alikum (Salam A Leekum)- “Peace be upon you.” A common greeting. Hold right hand over heart to make it more sincere or to help ensure infidel invaders don’t know you are really plotting their deaths behind their backs. To add in a change up, say “Alikum, Salam,” which also seems acceptable.
Comment by charm — 11/20/2006 @ 1:05 pm
“Harder then woodpecker lips”- Term used to describe the hard-core persona of most 1SGs and CSMs. “Fart Sack”- sleeping bag. “Brain Bucket”- helmet/kevlar PASGT. “K-Pot”- kevlar helmet. “Projo”- shortened version of a projectile for a howitzer. Lance Corporal Schmuckateli- USMC classmates at Ft. Sill used this to describe the anonymous Marine (e.g. John Smith). “Booger pickers”- fingers (Keep your booger pickers out of my footlocker) “Poogie Bait”- snack food, usually consumed in a field environment.
Comment by Redleg 6 — 11/20/2006 @ 1:11 pm
Ali-baba …….used for terrorist, insurgent or general all around bad guy
Comment by senorlechero — 11/20/2006 @ 1:15 pm
LPCs, Leather Personnel Carriers, meaning boots. “You have Transport?” “Sure, LPCs.”
Comment by Graves — 11/20/2006 @ 1:23 pm
USAF: ‘Ladies Aid’ - Slang term for the small checklist given to pilots contianing information about the local flying area, offically called an ‘aircrew aid’ or ‘pilot aid’.
Comment by Jim Howard — 11/20/2006 @ 1:24 pm
lawndart: Army UAV’s when the first models went to Iraq, a lot of them went down.
Comment by steve — 11/20/2006 @ 1:27 pm
“gun-bunny” and “cannon-cocker” an artilleryman. DAT is a Dumb Ass Tanker (pre M1). CDAT is a Computerized Dumb Ass Tanker (M1 and beyond). Echelons Above Reality, originally used in place of EAC (Echelons Above Corps), but also represents any higher HQ. “charts and darts” pre-digital fire direction procedures. “head shed” is any headquarters. “brain bucket” is a helmet. ROAD (Retired On Active Duty), a slacker who is passing the time waiting to hit his twenty.
Comment by Richard Koone — 11/20/2006 @ 1:39 pm
Switch = crazy, Dukeki “doo-dek-ee” = gay POGS = those little cardboard tokens the BX uses instead of coins BUG = Seabee qual pin, Crab = EOD pin, Tab = SF or Ranger indicator beep = tag with your unit’s insignia, which is called a beep sticker. This one might be Seabee only. Wazoo = little russian jeep (like a suzuki samurai) we drove in Baghdad Biscuit = as in “here’s a little biscuit (of information) for you to chew on.” Bongo = small flatbed that the hajis drive Gatoraid run = patrol to interface with locals, render aid, hearts/minds etc… Log run or Trash run = logistics/supply convoy DFAC = dining facility Hesco = hesco barrier, big wire frame & cloth box full of dirt. Better than sandbags. Un-ass = leave, “Un-ass the area/vehicle”
Comment by wingnutx — 11/20/2006 @ 1:51 pm
Yut! - You Ugly Turd NUB - Non-useful body (a precursor to hazing on subs) Ragged Band of Gypsies - any unit with uniforms of poor repair Chucks - Navy term for recruits, also issued steel toed boots Soup sandwich - failure to function or a poor uniform standard Goat Locker - Senior NCO/Chiefs mess Forward Hold - Homosexual referance as in “they snuck off to the forward hold.” Don’t get caught - The liberty motto Keep talkin’, we’ll find you, sir!” - common response to a fart  ED NOTE: Here’s another thank you note to all commenters on this thread. I have heard many of these, but “Yut!” is a new one. Fantastic term.
Comment by Petey — 11/20/2006 @ 1:53 pm
bad juju, doing some bad shit that brings you bad karma embrace the horror - or as a Scot friend asked me; what do you mean ? Kiss the bitch? thus - embrace the whore, kiss the bitch BOHICA, bend over here it comes again mushroom, or playing mushroom - kept in the dark and made to eat shit lifer, in the army until he retires, “corporate boy”, all army, all the way road toad, road guard dope on a rope, air assault bug dope, bug repellant master blaster, master parachutist butter bar, second lieutenant hump, road march zoomies, air force cherry, first timer
Comment by Neutral — 11/20/2006 @ 1:57 pm
clusterf*ck, you can figure that one out goat rope, clusterf*ck like a monkey fcuking a coconut, just ridiculous torn out of the frame, you’re in trouble flash blasted, screamed at by top
Comment by Neutral — 11/20/2006 @ 2:02 pm
BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes Again Green Weenie - a term of endearment Marines use to describe what they are being “fucked with” i.e. - “Weekend Liberty has been cancelled. Guess we’ve been fucked by the big green weenie yet again.” High Speed, Low Drag - Term that describes what is usually considered the latest technology in equipment.
Comment by SoupNazzi — 11/20/2006 @ 2:03 pm
Here are a couple more now that my thinking is jogged: Pogy bait - Snacks and shit, usually found in the field. “My helicopter was hovering nose-low due to all the pogy bait behind the soundproofing.” (Pogy, I suppose, being a creature like a snipe) Newbie - New guy. (we had two guys named “Newbie” show up to AIT at the same time once. Instead of shouting “All non-enrolled personnel on the rock!” at Sunday formation that week, the First Sergeant changed his litany and shouted “All newbies on the rock!” and the two guys named Newbie dutifully trotted their happy asses forward. The First Sergeant then shouted “There is no f**king way there are only two f**king FNGs this week! Where are the rest of the f**king newbies?” to which the two guys named Newbie said “First Sergeant, we’re the only Newbies..” which just confused the situation more. It took 10 minutes to find the other 6-8 privates that had arrived that weekend for AIT, and they took quite a bit of individual PT for their lack of understanding that ‘newbie’ in that context means “f**king new guy” not “just the two guys named ‘Newbie’ who showed up this week.”) “like a monkey f**king a football” - A screwed up situation. See “Clusterf**k”. “Gawddamn, LT, during that last alert, 3rd squad looked like a monkey f**king a football..” “I’ve been better organized monkey sh*t fights at the zoo.” - This one speaks for itself.
Comment by NIN — 11/20/2006 @ 2:04 pm
Pinger. Originally a bastardization of the phrase IPer, as in someone inprocessing. (Those guys getting run aound the base with checklists looking all scared like must be IPers.) Pingers was adopted because they stood out like sore thumbs (Who dropped that tray? Must have been a pinger), and it also came to stand for “Persons in need of guidance and recreational sex. Idiot stick. M-16, specically in the hands of someone who really shouldn’t have an M-16. (Sucro, how are you going to guard that structure without your idiot stick?) Dub, WSA, or weapons storage area. (Anything going on in the Dub tonight?) All American Decoy. A gunguard posted out in the open. “We’ve got a team in the building, and an all American decoy outside.” Airman alignment tool. Any tool that can be used to beat the shit out someone. Specifically a breaker bar. Badgeless wonder. (Or wander) Someone who doesn’t have a security badge and must be escorted around their work center for the entire shift. (Joe hasn’t gotten a badge appointment yet, so don’t let him out of your sight.” “Alright ya badgeless wander get the hell over here.”)
Comment by curtis — 11/20/2006 @ 2:10 pm
FUBAR - Fu**ed up beyond all recognition Dinky Dau - VN for crazy A few clicks up the road - a few kilometers . . . Tread head - in armor or armored cavalry Wog - Or polliwog - someone who hasn’t crossed the line (Equator) aboard a Navy ship Shellback - someone who has been through the initiation of crossing the line Pork Chop - Lead Supply Officer on Navy ship
Comment by Eric — 11/20/2006 @ 2:22 pm
FIGMO F*&# it, I Got My Orders: Scribbled across a copy of your PCS/separation/retirement orders and posted on the board.
Comment by Kalroy — 11/20/2006 @ 2:24 pm
Turtle…Applies to anyone serving in Korea who has more days to go in country then you. It originates from the fact that the inprocessing site is 30 feet from the outprocesiing site in TDC. They give you a stupid helmet liner (think WWII era)with a number on it and it takes you one year to go from one building to the next. Turtle Ditch. Drainage ditch that you quickly learn about. But if you are a turtle and it rains and you don’t see it… well all you see is top of the turtle. D**k skinner. You did wash your di**skinners before putting ice in my glass? Right d**kbreath? P = Plenty. When solving for how pounds (P) of explosive are needed to blow the bridge. Solve for P. P = plenty Dummycord. A 550 cord holding any sensitive (read expensive or mission critical) piece of gear to your body. Great in the desert but sucks in the woods.
Comment by Joe — 11/20/2006 @ 2:35 pm
MARINE = Mostly Army Rejects Riding In Navy Equipment. Though I did hear they guard sailors, sheep being too obvious. Moving like Frozen Puerto Rican pond water= told to us by a Dominican DI in Harmony Church. PJT = Prime Jacking Time= quiet alone time. Bedtime Pal= your happy sock. “Jesus who left a bed time pal in the laundry room?”
Comment by Joe K — 11/20/2006 @ 2:45 pm
I always liked: Wrong as two boys fuckin’. The Four Fingers of Death (i.e. the beef frankfurter MRE) Hamburglar (i.e. particularly attractive female, pronounced HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMburlar. This may be Ft. Sill specific.)
Comment by Rankin — 11/20/2006 @ 3:23 pm
Semper Gumby - always flexible
Comment by Michael — 11/20/2006 @ 3:27 pm
Good Idea Fairy: Someone, often anonymous, who generates changes to the plan at the last moment. “The Good Idea Fairy has struck again, here’s the new oporder.” The “good” part is almost exclusively sarcastic. ED NOTE: Thanks for the tip. Thanks to everyone who is responding to this post. I’m working on a pamphlet of current GI lingo– though some current terms are ages old.
Comment by RTO Trainer — 11/20/2006 @ 3:31 pm
IED: Politically correct term for Booby Trap. Booby traps catch BOOBS (dumb people; not breasts). We don’t want to offend anyone here, so naturally in keeping with PC protocol, we use eight syllables instead of three. Of course it has been changed now from “look out..booby trap!”; to which dumb guys starting looking around for female forms, to “lookout..I E D!” Good source material on booby traps can be found here> http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbooby.html
Comment by Bill — 11/20/2006 @ 4:12 pm
Lots of these comments are OLD! I think he was looking for modern terms? ED NOTE: I’m going to include many “good-uns” if they’re still in use.
Comment by AF Dad — 11/20/2006 @ 5:10 pm
Di*%skinners - Hands Food Suck - Mouth Army Gloves - pockets “get your di*%skinners out of your army gloves” CAX SWA - Combined Arms Exercise Southwest Asia - Iraq Young Jedi’s - Marine Grunts Float or Pump - deployment (MEU) Semper I - concerned for ones own interests Semper Knife - backstabbing Semper Fu - Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) MARINES - the sound s*%t makes when it hits the fan or Many Americans Running Into NeverEnding S*%t Semper Fi
Comment by bluliner10 — 11/20/2006 @ 5:25 pm
Ate up. For Air Force, it’s like someone who’s totally into AF rules (it’s a negative connotation)…. “Dude, that guy is so ate up.” Ring Knocker. A graduate from the Air Force Academy And some of the stupid Army terms: Velcro: Hook and pyle fastening tape Zipper: Slide fastener Jumping jack: Side straddle hop
Comment by Allicadem — 11/20/2006 @ 6:32 pm
Trash Hauler - Cargo aircraft Fast Burner - Jet fighter Mud Mover - Close Air Support aircraft, i.e. A-10 or AV-8 Flight line - plastic-coated cable used to tie down AGE Body bag - flight suit Brain bag - Helmet bag Plastic brains - checklist in plastic document protector
Comment by William Hughes — 11/20/2006 @ 7:21 pm
Charlie Foxtrot, clean version of cluster f@%k, basically means all screwed up.
Comment by Old Tanker — 11/20/2006 @ 7:28 pm
“Mothafuckahs want to play fuckaround, fuckaround, pretty soon mothafuckahs ain’t gonna be around.” — SGM Hugh Roberts, former platoon sergeant for First Platoon, A co., 2/75
Comment by Uber Pig — 11/20/2006 @ 7:40 pm
SOL = “Sh*t-out-of-luck, “You are SOL if you miss that last flight”
Comment by Chris — 11/20/2006 @ 7:44 pm
Shoe clerk - same connotation as “REMF” or “fobbit” - someone who is non-tactical - “That @$$hat in the MPF is a complete shoe-clerk” Saddlebags - aircrew (typically fighter pilot) set of pouches and velcroed pockers, easily stored in the cockpit, and for sets of flight pubs, checklists, kneeboards and cards, and charts/maps - “Dude, I almost forgot my saddlebags” Patch - Noun. Air Force. designates a graduate of the USAF Weapons School, referred to as Weapons Officers - usage “I don’t know, go ask the Patch” “Behind the Green Door” - classified information requiring a higher level security clearance “Mike got some new job behind the green door” Secret Squirrel - classified information, or tightly controlled need to know sensitive information: “dude all the details on that are secret squirrel” OBE - Overtaken By Events: information received too late to be of any use “Dude, you know that intel is completely OBE?” BUFF - The B-52 Stratofortress “Big Ugly Fat F*cker”
Comment by MOGS — 11/20/2006 @ 8:08 pm
Zippersuit: Pilots “Damn zippersuits think their s*!t don’t stink!” Fred: C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft “Fred’s broke again.” Sneakernet: How you transmit non-digital information “I don’t have a soft-copy of this report, so I’ll have to sneakernet it to ya.” Mortar shell: 1/2 liter bottles of beer in Germany “I’m going to go grab a rack of mortar shells.” Sergeant Bolt Upright: See “Ate Up” or “Corperate Boy”
Comment by Direwolf — 11/20/2006 @ 8:26 pm
“SEE” - Significant Emotional Event (an ass-chewing of the first order). “You just hold the tail, I’m f#&*@$% this cat!” - Stay in your lane, I’m in charge here.
Comment by Swede — 11/20/2006 @ 8:33 pm
Black Death may have originated in a vodka of the 1970s which actually had that name. The label sported a skull in a top hat. The guardians of public morality gasped and the brand got croaked.
Comment by Bleepless — 11/20/2006 @ 8:50 pm
I was sitting in my desk job, back in the day (mid-80’s), and my SMSGT said “Hey. Capt. T. You’re the MFWIC today.” I didn’t know what MFWIC was. The SMSGT said “LtCol. J. is on leave. Maj. L. is flying today. That makes you the MFWIC” MFWIC=MoFo What’s in Charge. BTW, I took no disrespect out of this. Instead I took it as a high honor that the real guy who ran the place–the senior enlisted guy–would make sure that I was prepared to be the guy answering the Colonel’s questions.
Comment by azlibertarian — 11/20/2006 @ 8:55 pm
I read a few at ALa’s today, from a couple of Marines I lurv. “Dick the dog” (screw the pooch) was my favorite.
Comment by AFSister — 11/20/2006 @ 9:29 pm
Bleepless, I didn’t know that cans of Black Death vodka had been around earlier. Too funny, not that anybody I ever met overseas would ever have thought about violating a General Order or anything (smiles). A few more: Blue Falcon - Code name for a Buddy Fukker, or backstabber. Promising young Blue Falcons are often greeted with a bird call. “Look at that Blue Falcon, CPT Dipshit, over there over there sucking up to the colonel.” Fucktard - A more messed up version of a retard (no offense meant to actual cereberally challenged people or former Democratic presidential candidates with three or more Purple Hearts). For instance: “I can’t believe that fucktard is running for President.” or “If that fucktard thinks he’s more educated than me, I’d like to see him try to make a speech with my three degrees shoved up a$$.” Or “Gosh Hillary, I can’t believe our party actually nominated that fucktard” [Opps, sorry got off target for a second there] Bo - (used mostly in SC National Guard in units with primraily Low Country carolina boys) A cross between brother and boy, a general pronoun that can be used to symbolize any males name. Not considered degrading like the term “boy.” For instance, “I tell you what Bo, that female MP SGT was stacked.” or “Goddamn BO! Stop shooting at all those sheep!” Pop Smoke - think this is still around from ‘nam. It means leave, get the hell out, usually in an expeditious manner. “C’mon guys, let’s pop smoke before somebody figures out we’re not supposed to be here.” btw, for you ‘nam vets, I’ve even heard di di mao used the same way a few times still. Bang - a term for any primary explosive charge and usually refering to quantity. “Luckily those Italian mines don’t pack a lot of bang.” Frag - the metal that accompanies bang to kill Joe’s. “Them banagalores got a lot of bang, but no frag” “You’re/His turn in the barrel” - basically it’s your/his turn to get screwed. I think this is derived from the old lumberjack joke about being stuck in the barrel. I’ll leave it at that.
Comment by charm — 11/20/2006 @ 9:33 pm
Hangar Queen = an aircraft constantly in for repairs. Stuff Ex = What a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) undertakes when it is looking at a major storm while at sea, stowing as many aircraft as possible in the hangar deck of an amphibious ship.
Comment by Rich — 11/20/2006 @ 9:38 pm
Tip of the spear: the main effort, where all the action takes place. Honed to the razor’s edge: the highest level of training/proficiency possible. FAG: Former Action Guy, usually in reference to an SF tabbed sergeant stuck in a staff position, the term implies that he was a valuable A-team member at one time. ROAD: Retired on Active Duty, someone over the 18 year mark who knows he cannot be fired, accomplishes nothing, and is waiting for his earliest possible retirement date. Pig looking at a wristwatch: a dumbfounded look. Stop looking at that mop like a pig looking at a wristwatch and mop the floor. Hooah badges: Skill badges worn on the uniform. Badge hunter: someone who volunteers for a school or duty assignment just for the cool looking badges or promotion points. PX Ranger: Someone who wears skill badges or combat awards without earning them, i.e. he bought them at the PX without earning them.
Comment by Francis Marion — 11/20/2006 @ 10:01 pm
My favorite (an old one): Tango Uniform=Tits Up=broken (unserviceable) equipment or anything-else that screwed-up
Comment by Juliette — 11/20/2006 @ 10:50 pm
BOGART–verb, to flinch, steal, sweet talk out of. “See if you can go to supply and Bogart us some food.” CASPER—noun as in Casper the Ghost. Someone who always disappears when there’s work to be done and then reappears. “He pulled a Casper.” PUZZLE PALACE–High security intel site. Usually thought of with derision, as in, “What do those F**ks at the Puzzle Palace say now?” CHRISTIANS IN ACTION—CIA agents. KNUCKLE DRAGGERS–What Intel types call soldiers.
Comment by Paul — 11/20/2006 @ 11:22 pm
From Army Aviation: “LT, when the blades of a helicopter cease powered flight through the air, the helicopter itself assumes all the glide characteristics of a highly polished coke machine.” Which is also known as: “F**ked up like a football bat.”
Comment by MAJ (ret) Kev — 11/20/2006 @ 11:32 pm
Lifer Juice : coffee Boot: new Marine, or someone who acts like one Grunt-proof: see Idiot proof Field Day: an extensive clean-up, military-style. Probable Navy/Marine Corps specific Semper Field-Day-Us: rhymes with Semper Fidelis. Think about it. Secret Squirrel, as I’ve heard and used it, refers to Special Operations forces or generally anyone a little more high-speed, low-drag than normal. Usually used semi-sarcastically. High-Speed, Low Drag: exceptionally good gear that makes operations easier BTW, there were Black Death cigarettes as recently as 2000. Don’t know if they still exist. Black box with s skull in a top hat.
Comment by DocZinn — 11/21/2006 @ 1:13 am
Ranger Panties = the small spandex shorts sold in the PX. Great for keeping sandflies off your junk. NNLL or Norwegian Nurse Landing Light= A small flashlight attached to an Army belt buckle. Air Force Mittens = pockets. Gloves have fingers. Forth point of contact = Your ass. Sir = is the word for cheese in Slavic languages(Polish, Serb) Battle rattle = all your gear needed to go on Patrol.
Comment by Joe k — 11/21/2006 @ 3:45 am
Here are a bunch from thirty to forty years ago, but still used. Send me an email if you wish and I’ll translate it for you. All the oldtimer Navy guys qill have no trouble with the story. SAILORISMS Me and Willy were lollygagging by the scuttlebutt after being aloft to boy-butter up the antennas and were just perched on a bollard eyeballing a couple of bilge rats and flangeheads using crescent hammers to pack monkey shit around a fitting on a handybilly. All of a sudden the dicksmith started hard-assing one of the deck apes for lifting his pogey bait. The pecker-checker was a sewer pipe sailor and the deckape was a gator. Maybe being blackshoes on a bird farm surrounded by a gaggle of cans didn’t set right with either of those gobs. The deck ape ran through the nearest hatch and dogged it tight because he knew the penis machinist was going to lay below, catch him between decks and punch him in the snot locker. He’d probably wind up on the binnacle list but Doc would find a way to gundeck the paper or deep six it to keep himself above board. We heard the skivvywaver announced over the bitch box that the breadburners had creamed foreskins on toast and SOS ready on the mess decks so we cut and run to avoid the clusterfuck when the twidgets and cannon cockers knew chow was on. We were balls to the wall for the barn and everyone was preparing to hit the beach as soon as we doubled-up and threw the brow over. I had a ditty bag full of fufu juice that I was gonna spread on thick for the bar hogs with those sweet Bosnias. Sure beats the hell out of brown bagging. Might even hit the acey-duecy club and try to hook up with a Westpac widow. They were always leaving snail trails on the dance floor on amateur night. If you understand this, you’re true blue and gold!
Comment by Everett R Littlefield — 11/21/2006 @ 5:10 am
GIF - pronounced “giff” Good Idea Fairy; The Good is sarcastic and refers to all the tweaking done by senior officers on any plan, briefing, order, etc. Good Idea cutoff point - the point in any plan after which no more good ideas are accepted; frequently ignored by general officers Iron Major - any staff officer who would much rather be shooting bad guys who gets stuck making endless PowerPoint slides or writing orders; found frequently at Echelons Above Reality; often disgruntled with their status as a staff pogue. Blamestorm - like a brainstorm but occurs after an action has gone wrong and everyone blames everyone else instead of working to fix the problem.
Comment by Travis — 11/21/2006 @ 5:18 am
GOBI -pronounced like the desert; General Officer Bright Idea; most famouse are the black berets now worn by the Army; thank you GEN Shinseki
Comment by Travis — 11/21/2006 @ 5:20 am
Snuffy- From Snuffy Smith. A low-ranking soldier, usually (in my time) a draftee with an IQ near 0 on the Centigrade scale. “Don’t let Snuffy stand guard! He might hurt himself!”
Comment by AF Dad — 11/21/2006 @ 7:26 am
I don’t know how widely used it is but from two armor officers in two different states I have heard the phrase “crumble” to describe damaged or destroyed buildings or city infrastructure. “He got some great pictures of the crumble.” is an example.
Comment by Noel Judd — 11/21/2006 @ 8:10 am
Here’s a few from Signal Corps land… dynamic truth - basically means “this is the plan when my supervisor gave it to me, but change is likely already in the works” beep and a rush - usually said to an officer who is making no damn sense. come from the sound you get when you key the handset of a secure terminal that has comsec that doesn’t synch with other terminals batman - name for any soldier, usually young leuitenants, who has an assortment of gadgets and gizmos on his LBV “just in case” named for batman’s famous utility belt Combat Aquisition System - name for the time-honored tradition of robbing other units blind when needs arrises. the rules are simple: never steal from your own unit, never steal anything that is REALLY important and never steal anything that is going to get someone in trouble. candiates for the CAS include humvee parts, creature comforts and in one memorable occasion, 3000 board feet of plywood and several dozen wooden pallets sgt peterson mission or pull a peterson - to engage in the combat aquisition system. named after sgt peterson of “The Green Berets” ninja mission - another version of pull a peterson, also used for any unauthorized convoy, trip, party, beer run, etc. shiny pants - signal version of REMF, usually refers to batallion staff geeks others that aren’t signal specific: wall-to-wall counseling - to counsel a dirt-bag soldier by bouncing him around a room or other such physical forms of communication wall-locker express - a more severe form of wall-to-wall counseling in which the offending soldier is shoved into a wall locker and thrown down a flight of stairs nuck - a non-comissioned officer candidate, or NCOC. applied to anyone in an NCO school John Wayne Driving School - the practice of an NCO beating a humvee to near death under the pretense of teaching new soldiers to drive and finally… the shit sandwich - usually what happens when the good idea fairy visits your XO before a major move. trucks are pre-packed, packed, re-packed, and unpacked as new ideas which directly conflict previous good ideas are introduced into the load plan. usually used as “the XO handed us a big ol’ shit sandwich and everyone has to take a bite”
Comment by Thomas Foreman — 11/21/2006 @ 1:08 pm
Not sure if it was already listed or not (1)WTF - Or better know as “What the F**k” (2)Tower Of Power - Pathfinder, Airborne, Air Assault, and Expert Infantry or Combat Infantry Badge (Dude did you see that tower of power/) (3)Muldoon - non combat arms soldier - Hey Muldoon pull your head outta your a** (4)Spear Chunker - MLRS Rocket Launcher - Hey there goes one of Arapaho’s (Alpha Battery)spear chunkers. (5)Beef on trails - moving the stabilizer leg of a towed howizter usually a M198 (155mm towed howitzer) (6)Lawndart - Artillery tube that has landed tube first during airborne or assault operations. Looks just like a lawndart (7)Thunder Stick - ma duece .50 cal (8)Go faster’s - running shoes (9)Inshalla (In sah lah) - Arabic for “if its Allah’s will” usually meant no during bilates. (10) Bilates - or bi-lateral conferences with the local indigious peoples ie: going on a bilat to discuss the security situation with Haiji. (11)Pie Hole - Mouth “stop shoving shit in that pie hole and move” (12) Soup Sandwhich - someone usually f’d up ” damn fix that uniform you look like a soup sandwhich” (13) Moon beam - flashflight (14) Going Green Latern - Using NVD’s - Don’t ask me why, but my plt sgt always said “time to go green latern” when using NVD’s (15) CHUville - a base consisting of a large number of CHUs. (16) Death Blossom - The tendency of Iraqi security forces, in response to receiving a little fire from the enemy, to either run away or do the “death blossom” spraying fire indisciminately in all directions. The term originated in the 1984 movie “The Last Starfighter” as a maneuver in which a single starfighter can single handedly wipe out an entire armada (17) Hill-Billy Armor - much like the marine term of frankenstein armor- Armor that usually was scrounged and welded on the best that you could. Kinda reminded you of the Beverly Hillbillies riding around. (18)Haji mart - any small store operated by Iraqis to sell small items to Americans. (19)Haji patrol - 1: escort detail; 2: Local National unit is also referred to as the Haji patrol, with all the projects that are being performed by the local nationals. (20)Haji shop - even the smallest base has some form of what soldiers call a “haji shop” or, in more politically correct terms, a shop run by locals. Frequently near the PX, the “Haji” shop would sell everything from cigarettes to knockoff sunglasses to pirated DVDs. (21) Walmart - FOB Liberty at Biap or FOB Anaconda @ Balad - Always could get it there if you needed it. (22) Mookie - Muqtada Al Sahdr - “Hey going back into Najaf, Mookie and The Mookie army are restless again” (23) Man Dress - what GI’s call the clothing worn by some arab males. It is actually called a dishdasha, but we call them man dresses. (24) Back Door Draft - Being Stoplost in the military especially in the Reserve or Guard, held past you ETS date so that you can deploy. (25) Giant Voice - Voice from loud PA systems or Sirens from PA systems - “Yep, there goes the giant voice, we’re taking rockets again. (26) Infantillery - Artillery units converted from Field Artillery to Infantry to perform the same tasks as there Infantry brethern. (27) Johnny Jihad - a Muslim or Muslim combatant (28) Perfumed Prince - a man who is seen as bureaucratic or careerist; a man who is said to be effete, feminine, ineffectual, vacillating, or cowardly; (hence) a member of the U.S. military leadership (There goes the ADCM (Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver, I hear he is a Perfumed Prince) Related: fobbit (29) Rummy’s Dummies - a derogatory name for the U.S. military under the leadership of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (Dude, haven’t you heard we are part of Rummy’s Dummies now) (30) Tiny Heart Syndrome - reluctance to fight or to fully commit ( Why hasn’t he gone out of the wire lately ? he got an attack of the Tiny Heart Syndrome) (31) Twidget - a soldier or other military individual whose job primarily involves using or maintaining electronics ( Hey tell the twidgets to get in here and fix this damn piece of shit MCS) (32) Turkey Peek - a glance around or over an object or surface, such as a corner or wall ( Now, once you’ns are done there do a turkey peek be that wall and well keep moving to the next building) (33) DBIED - Donkey Borne Improvised Explosive Device ( No kdding actually happened)
Comment by Chris — 11/21/2006 @ 1:53 pm
(Ref http://thisisyourwarii.blogspot.com/2006/11/breakfast-at-dennys.html) “The World” apparently still means just what it did when I was in Nam, and for I won’t guess how long before that. Home, the place we fight to protect and hope to live to see again.
Comment by Bill Faith — 11/21/2006 @ 9:29 pm
Is “The World” still “The land of the big BX” or are they doing a better job supplying the troops now?
Comment by Bill Faith — 11/21/2006 @ 9:31 pm
“In God We Trust” (All others will sign hand reciepts.) Sign found on the wall or door of well run supply & arms rooms everywhere. DILLIGAF? does it look like i give a f**k? WAFWOT! what a f**king waste of time. IHTFP. i have truly found paradise. or i hate this f**king place. LWASTA lifer with a short timer’s attitude FUBIJAR f**ked up, but i’m just a reservist redc1c4, “Scouts Out!”
Comment by redc1c4 — 11/22/2006 @ 12:29 am
Well lets see it’s been a while: DAT - Dumb Assed Tanker Airborne and Amen - When some REMF drops something Ranger Rick - The name we gave our CO’s when they were really fu*ked up Red Leg - Artillery “people”
Tred Heads - Tankers see DAT Roger out - (sarcastic) yah right DiFac - Dining Facility Chow or Mess hall LBE - Load Bearing Equipment
Comment by Steffen Caldwell — 11/22/2006 @ 1:08 am
Crockets’ or ‘Car-Tillery’: The insurgent practice of putting rockets or artillery rounds in a vehicle and then having somebody else deliver it. LGTGFOW (pronounced Liga-tiga-fow): Lets Get This GoatF**k Over With. A resigned reaction to a badly planned mission. FOBbit: The Iraqi and A-Stan placeholder for ‘REMF’ ‘Trunk-Monkey’: term used to describe some of the ‘Low Speed’, ‘High Drag’ Personnel Security Detachments who built machine gun emplacements in the backs of their Yukons, Suburbans, Blazers and other vehicles to ‘protect the six-oclock position’; also used derisively toward Iraqi Troops with a machinegun and an swivel chair bolted into the back of a Nissan or Mitsubishi pickup truck. “Trunk monkeys in an IA convoy coming from 12 o’clock.”
Comment by Rich Johns — 11/22/2006 @ 7:47 am
What, nobody had mentioned WRATGAS yet? (Who really and truly gives a shit?)
Comment by Bugz — 11/22/2006 @ 10:00 am
BOM: Booger Eating Morons
Comment by Ed — 11/22/2006 @ 11:50 am
SNAFU - Situation Normal, All F#%ked Up FUBAR - F#%kup Beyond All Repair Stick Actuator - a pilot FOD - Foreign Object Damage
Comment by Rick — 11/22/2006 @ 4:51 pm
Road Apples = When the Deuce & 1/2 can’t stop, and you’ve got to go, you hang your butt off the end. Indian Thinking Position = Three points of contact… forehead and both feet. Buffer Rodeo = 8 seconds riding a floor buffer Meat Gazer = Careful where you’re looking while in the showers. Hollywood Jump = A parachute drop without combat equipment. Jump & Hump = Airborne training operation where you jump in and walk home.
Comment by Patrick — 11/22/2006 @ 10:02 pm
Zonk = Usually a PT formation of Company level or higher, which gets dismissed suddenly with the call “Zonk!” All personell will immediately run screaming and yelling in all directions, and usually head back to the rack for an extra hour of sleep.
Comment by Patrick — 11/22/2006 @ 10:08 pm
There’s been a bit of drift. I think “Pogey” started out as “Pogue”, or “Piroque”. A young woman (or boy) hanging out near a base, looking for love. “Pogey bait” was cheap junk for establishing friendly relations leading to sex, and was mostly flash trash or bling-bling. (”Boy butter” being, of course, KY Jelly, sold in small tubes so lifers would quit stealing the lub. “Don’t ask, don’t tell, and don’t screw the recruits when you’re supposed to be working,” pre-WWII.) Junk food or snacks was “Geedunks”.
Comment by Phillep — 11/23/2006 @ 10:24 am
Skate (Navy) - To let down on the job (not necessarily a bad term). Geedunk (Navy) - Vending machines and small stores on ship catering to snackoholics. Mail Buoy Watch (Navy) - An official watch on board many ships (complete with helmet and life jacket) supposedly for keeping watch for helicopters dropping mail buoys. However, this is a practical joke designed to catch newbies to the fleet. King Neptune ceremony (Navy) - A ceremony designed to turn pollywogs into shellbacks when the equator is crossed. It involves “Kissing the baby.” Generally considered to be one of the roughest hazings that sailors give each other. Sea Bat (Navy) - A mythical creature that is occasionally caught by sailors at sea. It is generally conceded to be rather painful to watch. Especially when it is the Marines doing the catching. Airedailes (Navy) - Sailors attached to an airgroup (generally on a carrier). Bubbleheads (Navy) - Submariners. Boomer (Navy) - ICBM submarine. Skimmer (Navy) - Member of the surface fleet.
Comment by Natrium — 11/24/2006 @ 4:21 pm
STICK-ACTUATOR-Otherwise known as a FIGHTER PILOT—-most often used by Air Force aircraft maintenance personnel referring to the pilots who fly (and constantly break) the planes they have to fix
Comment by Tracy — 11/24/2006 @ 11:57 pm
Most of what I would add has been done already. “First Shirt” or “Shirt” - AF slang for First Sergeant. (similar to the Army’s “Top”) “Undershirt” or “Wife Beater” - AF Slang for the First Sergeant’s assistant. (Wife beater describes a type of undershirt)
Comment by AF Son — 11/26/2006 @ 9:28 pm
201 shirt - BDU’s or utilities with the maximum load of qualification patches, reflecting its wearer’s personnel (201) file
Comment by Martin Morehouse — 11/27/2006 @ 9:50 pm
Anyone who ever went to the docs in the past 15 years knows this…if you have a brain tumor or an ingrown toenail, you will be prescribed 100 800mg pills of Motrin. Motrin - “Vitamin M”
Comment by AF Son — 11/29/2006 @ 9:40 pm
Barnyard Pimp…..commonly used word in the Army during mid 70’s identifying that chicken is the meal of the day in the mess hall..
Comment by anthony zangrilli — 11/30/2006 @ 11:54 am
f**k trophy - your kids “I’ve got two f**k trophys, one 6 and one 4yrs old” booger eater - insurgent “I shot one booger eater in the face” dick beater - hands “Get you dick beaters off my chair” oxygen thief - worthless person “PFC Shitbag is a f**king oxygen thief” squared away - Proficient “PFC Stud was squared away when it was his turn to lead PT” spotlight ranger - Someone who’s squared away only when he’s in charge “Ranger Joe was a spotlight ranger when he was in a leadership position” stick pusher - Last paratrooper out on a pass inspector gadget - The guy who buys all the cool guy gear and gadgets aka “gear queer” Â ED NOTE: Good stuff. Unfortunately, I turned in the dictionary last Monday. I’ll keep the additional material for an update.
Comment by Wally — 12/2/2006 @ 7:40 am
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Comment by h — 6/26/2007 @ 2:15 pm
“Its hotter than two rats f*cking, stuffed in a wool sock!” “Band-aid” Term for medic when you don’t need one. “Doc” Term for medic when you do need one. Ranger Candy- Motrin/Ibuprofen Dirt Dart- Airborne for ‘chute didn’t open “Does your pussy hurt/ Do you have sand in your pussy/ Do you need some vagisil” General responses when someone is whining? “What, do you want a f*cking cookie?” When someone brags about something unimportant or menial 5 jump chump-someone who has completed Airborne school and thats it.. Hooah, Army word that can be used as: Yes, sir, I understand, Fuck you sir, Go f*ck yourself sir, as if I would do that… or as a marine once told me “its how you say ooorah with a d*ck in your mouth” Roach Coach- snack truck that drives around the base to sell candy coffee etc.. LBS = Lost Bigger’n shit OTF = Out there Flappin L 7 Squared away Boy I am going to shove my boot so far up your ass, that you taste the kiwi (polish for the civilians and the air farce) Air Farce- Military Branch just higher than Boy Scouts Squids- Military Branch Just lower than Girl Scouts Jarheads- Military branch which has people who are unable to get into any of the other 3 (4 if you count the coasties) Brown Water Navy/Canoe Club Coast Guard- They do some hardcore shit, but I think that they are DHS now or some sh*t fomunda cheese- the thick nasty “cheese” that builds up under your nutsack when in the field for a long time. “choagie boy” gopher, runner, or bitch Golden easter egg- Mk-19 Live rounds Charlie Foxtrot (CF) Clusterf*ck Blue Falcon (BF) Buddy F*cker “Poster child for legalized abortion” someone who is super ATFU ATFU = Ate to F*ck Up Fat and Happy- used to describe a cush job, You are all fat and happy wtf are you complaining about? PX Ranger, someone who buys rather than earns tabs badges awards etc C uh nt Cap, the old garrison cap for the Class A’s Asses and Elbows means move fast- ” I want to see nothing but asses and elbows” When when SFC 11C was asked to spell Colorado, his reply was C-O-W-el-orado spotlight ranger; someone who only works hard/or at all when someone is watching.
Comment by Armymedic — 9/15/2007 @ 1:20 am
In response to USN uniforms, which make every females butt look huge… BOSNIA. Basic Over Sized Navy Issue A$$…
Comment by BairdUSN — 11/22/2007 @ 6:05 pm
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Air Matress: Female USAF Personnel; Field Expedient Cot(FEC Pronounced FECK): Female USMC Personnel; Water Bed: Female Navy Personnel; Slut: Female US Army Personnel.
Comment by Chris — 9/29/2008 @ 5:13 pm
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