Glossary of terms and abbreviations

known to apprentice soldiers

At the invitation and suggestion of Gregory Peck, here is an edited version of the
abbreviations, words, phrases and slang reported on this sight to date. Editing means
formalizing the entries and offering historical as well as source information. This list is not
subject to copyright

Abbreviations used in this list: abbr. abbreviation; ad. adoption of; adj. adjective; cont.
contraction; der. derived from; n noun; phr. phrase; v verb;

AAC abbr Army Air Corps

.
AAS abbr Army Apprentice School, formally Army Technical School, later renamed
. Princess Marina College
AB64 abbr Army identification and record book issued to enlisted personnel
.
Ablutions v The act of attending to one's hygiene
Ablutions block n Communal washroom building containing showers, washbasins and
lavatories
Ammo abbr Ammunition
.
AQMS abbr Artificer quartermaster sergeant (see WO2), signified by a crown within a
. laurel wreath worn on the lower right-hand sleeve
Arborfield n Place name of the AAS associated with the REME Depot
ASM abbr Artificer sergeant major (see WO1)
.
Artificer n Staff Sergeant; a soldier who passed an accelerated course for promotion to
the rank. (see Tiffy)
Artisan n Military tradesman holding a recognised trade taught by the army
A/T abbr Apprentice Tradesman
.
AWOL abbr To be absent without leave; one step removed from the charge of desertion
.
BAFVs abbr British Armed Forces Vouchers issued to troops station in BAOR for use in the
. NAAFI. In monetary value, BAFVs ranged a threepenny to a five pound note
Banger n sl. Sausage
Banjo n sl. Sandwich e.g. an 'egg banjo' is a fried egg sandwich
BAOR abbr British Army of the Rhine
.
Barra n sl. Lightly armoured vehicle said to be amphibious
Basha n sl. Sleeping quarters in far east stations
Bash n sl. Forced march as in 'a twenty-mile bash'
BD abbr Battle dress uniform in use from 1940 to some time in the 1950s
.
Beezing v sl. The act of polishing boots (1968).
Bevvy n sl. A glass of beer or ale
BFPO abbr British Forces Post Office. BFPOs were numbered. e.g. BFPO 36 was the
. military post office designation of Osnabruck
Bicycle n sl. Female, not necessarily a prostitute, readily available for ???????
Billet n Sleeping quarters for military personnel
Birmingham n sl. Hammer
screwdriver
Blanco n Chemical coating used on webbing
Blighty n sl. England, home (1915) ad. Hindi bilayati
Blood wagon n sl. Ambulance (see Meat wagon)
Bog n sl. Lavatory
Bolo v sl. To be cheeky, impertinent
Bolshie n sl. To be argumentative, obstructive. Contraction from Bolshevik
Booties n sl. cont. of Boot-necks, derogative naval term applied to the Royal Marines
Brass n sl. Staff officers (senior officers; colonels and generals)
Brat school n sl. Place for training for apprentice tradesmen
Brothel n sl. Rubber-soled footwear.
creepers
Buckshee n sl. Alms, gift, donation, extra, spare ad. from Arabic baksheesh. Also,
sometimes applied to a private soldier without NCO rank
Bullshit n sl. 1. Derogatory word to nonsense. 2. Word used to denote cleaning one's kit.
Busted v sl. Demoted. Reduced in rank.
Butts n sl. Firing range.
Cabby n sl. One who will drive anything of wheels or tracks
CB abbr Confined to barracks
.
Cha abbr Tea, the beverage
.
Champ n Name of a four-wheel drive vehicle of Austin manufacture
Cheese n sl. A peaked hat modified by cutting and re-sewing the sides of the peak to set
it at a sharper angle to the vertical; said to avoid the look of a 'Postman
Pat's' hat.
Chit n sl. Slip of paper authorizing the holder to be excused from one or another duty
Chopper n sl. The male sexual organ
Chuffed v sl. To be pleased, happy
Chuff-chart n sl. Graphic chart showing days to end of one's military service
Civvies n sl. Civilian clothes (see mufti)
Civvy n sl. A civilian
Clanger n sl. A mistake or error of judgement
Clap n sl. Venereal disease, usually gonorrhea
Clapped out v sl. To be physically or mentally exhausted; worn out (see knackered)
Compo n sl. Field rations, usually issued for use when catered food is not available
Corporal n Non-commissioned officer wearing two chevrons on the upper sleeve
Craftsman n (CFN) Lowest ranked trained tradesmen of the REME
Crash the ash phr. Offer cigarettes all round
CSM abbr Company Sergeant Major wearing a crown enclosed in a laurel leaf worn on
. the lower sleeve
Demob abbr Demobilisation meaning to return to civilian life
.
Demins n Overalls or coveralls worn for work
Dhobi n Laundry. orig. Hindi dhobi
Dhobi dust n sl. Washing powder (1967) orig. in the Middle East.
Dock n Hospital
Dork n sl. Slice of bread.
Drill pig n Foot drill instructor
Eating irons n sl. Cutlery: knives, forks, spoons
EMERS abbr REME regulations that apply to workshop practice
.
Erk n sl. Derogatory reference for a RAF lowest rank aircraftman
Exercise n In military parlance, field manoeuvres (see scheme)
Fatigues n 1. Extra duties awarded as punishment 2. Demin uniform (see Demins)
Field n Term to denote living under canvas away from one's depot
Flannel v To obfuscate, confuse, conceal the truth as in 'Lead up the garden path'
Flap n sl. A state of panic usual caused by the unexpected
Flog v To sell
Gaf n sl. Garrison cinema of movie theatre
Gash n sl. 1. That which is spare, surplus to issue or requirements 2. Of no importance
Get a grip phr. An injunction to improve one's performance in some endeavour or
understanding
Gong n sl. Medal
Gonk v sl. Sleep
Grot n sl. 1. An inferior person. 2. A person of low morals.
Grotty v sl. A state of being dirty and, hence, grubby
Grovel v 1. To abase one's self. 2. Smart kit or turn-out
Gyppo n sl. Gravy (1948)
Half-track n Armoured vehicle with forward tyred steered wheels and tank track drive
Honk v sl. To have an offensive and unpleasant odour
Idle v Lazy and indolent
Jankers n sl. An awarded punishment involving confinement to barracks and extra duties
(see fatigues)
Jeep n Four-wheeled drive utility vehicle orig. manufactured by the Chrysler Corp.
2. Name by which members of the junior intake of apprentice tradesmen
were known.
Jipping v sl. Queue jumping.
Juicer n sl. One who curries favour referred to as 'sucking up on those in authority'.
Keks n sl. Underpants
Knackered v sl. To be exhausted, physically or mentally (see clapped out)
LAD abbr Light Aid Detachment of REME personnel to perform minor repairs to
. equipment of units to which LAD personnel are attached.
Lancejack n sl. Lowest non-commissioned rank wearing one chevron on the upper sleeve.
Last post v Ceremonial bugle sound at the close of day to signify 'lights out'; also played
at military funerals.
Lumbered v sl. Assigned to perform extra or additional work or duties.
Made up phr. To be promoted.
Manky n sl. To be in a disreputable and dirty state.
Mark 4 n Variant of a Bedford 3-ton truck of the 1960s.
Meat wagon n sl. Ambulance (see Blood wagon)
Mess n Accommodation and messing for senior ranks: a sergeants mess; an officers
mess.
Mess tins n Metal containers with folding handles for holding food in the field.
Monkeys n Military police of the Provost Corps
MRS abbr Medical reception station; usually a small hospital in a garrison.
.
Mucker a sl. Comrade, friend, mate, pal.
Mufti n sl. Civilian dress worn by a serving soldier.
NAAFI abbr Navy, Army and Air Force Institute.
.
NAAFI break phr. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon break, usually with a mobile canteen
available.
NCO abbr A non-commissioned officer.
.
Nosh n sl. Food, usual a favourite food.
Old sweat phr. Either a serving soldier with many years service or an ex-serviceman or
woman.
Orderly Joe phr. An orderly sergeant or duty sergeant; usual signified by means of a red sash
on his duty day.
Pegged v sl. To be charged.
Piquet n Guard or fire watch personnel.
Pit n sl. Bed.
Plid n sl. Excreta. Used as a metaphor e.g. to be 'dropped in the plid'.
Pom n sl. Dehydrated potatoes.
Poncho n In military usage, a waterproof cape.
Pongo n sl. Derogatory name applied to soldiers by other branches of the armed
services.
Provost n Camp police [not alluding to homosexuality]
Quack n Medical officer.
QL abbr Three-ton Bedford truck of the 1940s.
.
Recce. Mech. abbr Recovery mechanic who retrieves damaged or bogged-down vehicles.
.
REME abbr Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
.
Reveille n The break of the work day, usually sounded by a bugle call.
RL abbr Three-ton Bedford truck of the late 1950s.
.
Roasting v A severe rebuke by a superior officer
Rodeo v sl. A Saturday punishment (work or duty) performed by defaulters.
RQMS abbr Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant wearing a crown enclosed in a laurel
. wreath worn on the lower sleeve.
Rupert n sl. A commissioned officer, applied to officers to the rank of major.
Scrote n sl. Any person held in low esteem by his fellow soldiers.
SEME abbr School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering holding courses for those
. wishing to upgrade their qualifications.
Scheme n Exercise to simulate wartime field conditions away from one's home depot
Sergeant n Non-commissioned officer wearing three chevrons on the upper sleeve.
Shambles v sl. 1. Ideas or objects in a state of confusion or disorganisation. 2. A
disorganised body of men.
Shots n Injections or inoculations provided by army medics against disease or
infection.
Shower n sl. Derogatory term applied to any inept body of men.
Shreddies n sl. Military style underpants.
Shufti v sl. Look orig. Arabic verb 'to look', shufti an injunction meaning 'you look'.
Singers n sl. Military parlance for Singapore.
Skint v To be without money.
Skive v sl. To actively avoid doing work assigned or to be assigned.
Slack adj. Inefficient.
Spider n Adjoining barrack blocks joined by covered ways.
Spit n sl. The butt of a cigarette.
Sprog b sl. An apprentice tradesman with less service than he who used the word of
him.
Square n sl. 1. The parade ground. 2. A derogatory term for Germans.
Square bashing phr. Foot drill on the parade square.
Staff sergeant n Non-commissioned officer, wearing a crown above three stripes on the upper
sleeve.
Stag n sl. Period spent on watch as part of a duty guard or fire piquet.
Tara n sl. Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM)
Ticking v sl. Complaining, whingeing, argumentative, tetchy.
Tiddy 'oggy n sl. Cornish pasty available from NAAFI.
Tiffy n sl. Artificer.
Tin lid n sl. Steel helmet.
Two's up phr. To do with borrowing as in 'After you with that'. (1950s).
Upchuck v sl. To vomit.
VM abbr Vehicle mechanic.
.
VMA abbr Vehicle mechanic of armoured or tracked vehicles.
.
VMB abbr Vehicle mechanic of soft-skinned vehicles.
.
VMC abbr Vehicle mechanic of construction equipment and tracked vehicles.
.
Wad n sl. Sandwich with thick slices of bread.
Wallah n sl. Fellow, equal, partner, comrade; orig. from the Arabic 'walad' – boy.
Wallop abbr Middle Wallop (deport of Army Air Corps.)
.
Wanker n sl. Person of perceived worth; orig. one who masturbates.
WO 1 abbr Warrant Officer, class 1, most senior rank of non-commissioned officers
.
WO 2 abbr Warrant Officer, class 2, second most senior rank of non-commissioned
. officers
Wooden tops phr. Derogatory term to describe soldiers of the Brigade of Guards.
Wog n sl. Derogatory racist word applied to persons from the east; orig. from WOGS,
abbr. meaning 'Worker on government service' worn on the backs of
fellaheen working for the British Army in early 20th Century Egypt.
X Trade abbr Highest classification of REME trade. Trades designations were A, B or X in
. ascending order. Note that all VMs were A tradesmen, but vehicles in which
they specialised were classified A, B or C.
Yonks n sl. A period of time, usually six months.
Zulu abbr Reference to use of Greenwich Mean Time.
.