# Military Slang **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066 "2004-10-30T20:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/1 "2004-10-30T20:52:12Z")
Hello. I need some help. What slang terms do they use for soldiers ans sailors and other servicemen and -women/fighters in all branches of the Armed Forces? What terms do they use for tough men and women, heroes, heroines, troublemakers, good men, good women, smart and seasoned people and terms of endearment? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/2 "2004-10-30T20:57:01Z")
> [@Dr. Starfish](#): > > Hello. I need some help. What slang terms do they use for soldiers ans sailors and other servicemen and -women/fighters in all branches of the Armed Forces? > What terms do they use for tough men and women, heroes, heroines, troublemakers, good men, good women, smart and seasoned people and terms of endearment? And other terms that are reflective of their personalities or characteristics? And terms for good-looking or attractive men and women, charmers, sweet men and women, clever men and women, and men and women physically fit or endowed? ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/3 "2004-10-30T21:29:36Z")
Generally speaking: Sailors-squids Airmen-zoomies Soldiers-grunts Marines-jarheads For actual personality traits and other features, the lingo is just the same as the stuff you civilians use. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/4 "2004-10-30T21:32:09Z")
Marines: grunts, jarheads, leathernecks Army: ground-pounders, GIs, doggies, dogface Navy: swabbies, anchor-clankers, blackshoes, deck-apes, snipes, airdales (Naval Air personnel) Air Force: flyboys, zoomies Women Marines used to be referred to as “BAMS”, or “Broad-Assed Marines”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/5 "2004-10-30T21:36:41Z")
Troublemakers = shitbirds A good sailor is generally referred to as “squared away”. A tough guy who gets the job done would be a ‘hard charger’. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/6 "2004-10-30T21:52:07Z")
I can only speak for the Army. Those that are very good at what they do are considered “high-speed” or “squared away.” Non airborne soldiers are called “legs” by airborne qualified soldiers. Marines are called “crazy.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/7 "2004-10-30T21:58:51Z")
British armed forces, especially the Royal Navy have a very rich tradition, almost a sub language. Ropey Gropey - Very ugly woman. Jimmy the One - First Lieutenant Bootie - Royal Marine Tree - Soldier Crab - Airman Squaddie - Soldier Matelot - Sailor Crumb brush - Officers mess steward Deck ape - Seaman Blue nose - Overly keen sailor Grunter - Officer Greenie - Electrician(comes from the colour of rings between the electrical officers gold bands - no longer part of uniform nowadays) Stoker - Engine room person Wafu- Navy Aircrew (this is rather rude so I’d better not post it) Mattress - Wren - Female Navy staff. Split - All women in general Spanner wanker - Navy Engineer Non com - Anyone not part of the crew needed to fight a ship, such as storespersons, office staff. Office staff also known as scribes Buffer - The person in charge of all on-deck operations including maintenance, ropes etc. OD - Dimwit, actually the term applied to navy ratings that have not yet completed their basic seaborne training and as such must be kept under supervision at all times when working, cannot be left alone until trained. Snotty - Very junior trainee officer, given all the crap jobs, will go on to the privelidge officer role so everyone takes it out on them whilst they still can. Scablifter - Medic, first aid type rather than the doctor type. Airy Fairy - Aircrew Harry Skinters - Not having any money Milestone - When the ship comes down with a sudden thud as it clears one wave and crashes down on the next Nobby - Shark (rhyming slang Nobby Clark)(anyone with the name Clark in UK armed forces is usually nicknamed Nobby) Chippy - Ships carpenter, they usually do all the plumbing and water pipework, but not things like fuel lines steam pipes etc. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/8 "2004-10-30T23:07:18Z")
[http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Military\_slang](http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Military_slang) An ok starting point., Wish I still had my other computer, I had an exchange of emails on a list of all sorts of military slang, american and german. submarine terms, US anybody in the foreward part of the ship = conehead sonar tech = shower tech, or sonar girl electronics tech = twidgets radioman = wirebiter auxilliaryman = a-gang [polite], knuckledragging hammer-swinger engineering lab techs = mad scientists machinistsmate, nuclear = nuke torpedoman = wannabe gunnersmates supply officer = chop chief of the boat = cob quartermaster = quarterguesser any surface vessel = target assorted other - tanker = track toads infantry = crunchies airborn = targets, wetspots [on the ground] helicopter pilots = rotorhead navy blimp pilot - bag-overs boatswainsmate = deck ape will keep my eyes open and see if i can get someone to copy me back on teh old list=) ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/9 "2004-10-30T23:31:52Z")
Im not touching this one with a ten-foot pole, uh, scratch that!! make it kid gloves!! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/10 "2004-10-31T03:38:14Z")
Wow with that list of submarine terms I’m surprised the generic term for any submariner was omitted - **bubblehead**. This term _might_ seem less than complimentary but from what I’ve heard, any submariner is not upset at this term and submariners are one of the most respected members of the armed forces. Some ancient US Navy slang - a radio man was called “sparks”. Probably because his insignia is lightning bolts (sparks). Also WAY back when, radio transmitters used a spark gap method of transmission. The ship’s supply personnel, storekeeper, etc, used to be called “keys” because their insignia is … well I think you can guess what it is. From what I’ve heard it’s been a very long time since the term “sparks” or “keys” have been used in the US Navy. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/11 "2004-10-31T03:45:26Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Matelot - Sailor And how the heck is that pronounced? I’ve been wondering since last summer. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/12 "2004-10-31T04:49:39Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Wow with that list of submarine terms I’m surprised the generic term for any submariner was omitted - **bubblehead**. > This term _might_ seem less than complimentary but from what I’ve heard, any submariner is not upset at this term and submariners are one of the most respected members of the armed forces. > > From what I’ve heard it’s been a very long time since the term “sparks” or “keys” have been used in the US Navy. True, the sub community has a camaraderie that a lot of other groups dont because they are not very populous…My husband knows an amazing number of other bubbleheads, because they all circulate through the same billets[jobs] going from sub to sub, and when on shore duty they tend to still swap jobs with each other [when we moved to connecticut, the guy he replaced for shore duty went down and took his billet on the Spadefish, and we even rented his house with an eye towards buying it until it just would NOT pass a VA inspection…and my first husband was roomamtes with mrAru, stationed on the same sub, and we all met playign D&D at Campaign HQ in Norfolk. Did I mention that first hubby is married to mrAru’s ex? giggle] They use twidget for anybody who pushes electrons nowdays, I have bene told it is because of the twitch they do when the ‘plug’ into a live line :dubious: The storekeeper oddly enough is in charge of the charts used for navigation, and many nav duties, so keys dont enter into it, but a number of ships kept getting lost a while back so they started calling them guessers=) Beats some of the boat names they have, like the Sea WOlf is Building 21…its hull number is 21, and it seems to be bolted to the pier and never goes anywhere=) Coral Sea is informally called the Captain Crunch from its tendency to hit other boats :rolleyes: USS City of Corpus Christie is called ‘City of’ Hm, chiefs quarters is called the goat locker, HM 3&2 manual is called the Blue Sominex [it is really boring reading’ and you really dont want to hear about becoming a ‘blue nose’ [crossing the arctic circle south to north] though mrAru got blue nose and magellan[circumnavigating the globe] on the same cruise [around the world under the ice pack=) I do know the best way to torque off the weapons officer on a family cruise is to casually mention that a chinese hechun class hydrofoil can in fact outrun a mk48 torpedo after he gets done telling everybody that there isnt anything that can outrun one+) [did I ever mention for some reason I play a killer game of 688? mrAru has been stationed on 688s for about 14 years now, off and on=) and we have our own copies of most of the Jane’s =)] ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/13 "2004-10-31T05:11:15Z")
NZ fighter pilot (now extinct): Knuck, should for knucklehead I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/14 "2004-10-31T05:13:16Z")
“short” not “should”. Also “Fighter Jock” and “Jet Jocky”. The latter is sometimes used to refer to any jet pilot, civilian or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/15 "2004-10-31T06:05:05Z")
I thought a troublemaker was a yardbird. A tough sailor is a salty dog-any other terms for a tough soldier? What about a tough pilot? A destroyer is an attractive female. What are terms for tomboys in the army, navy, air force, marines? What is a crockabeastie? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/16 "2004-10-31T06:06:36Z")
Any other terms for a tough sailor? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/17 "2004-10-31T06:22:16Z")
Well, I’m active duty Air Force, so I’ll do what I can. But I gotta say that a lot of what of what you have heard is slang, and may be unit-to-unit. Your mileage may vary. Tripler USAF RED HORSE ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/18 "2004-10-31T07:20:14Z")
**Some Army slang:** Someone who’s tougher than he thinks he is: A John Wayne. Someone who’s as tough as he thinks he is: John Wayne. Armor: Tanker, DAT (Dumb-Ass Tanker) C-DAT (Computerized Dumb Ass Tanker, M-1 style). Infantry: Grunt, Dirt Ape, Mud Bug, Crunchies (by tankers). Paratrooper: Dope-On-A-Rope. Artillery: Cannon Cockers (one of the few MOS’s truly respected by tankers). Medics: Doc (ditto). Aviation: Rotor Heads, Jet Jockeys. Special Forces: Sneakers, Sneaky Fuckers, Snakes, Snake Eaters, Rambo’s. Cooks: Mother Fuckers\*. With animosity. Military Intelligence: Spooks, Morons (as in, “oxy-”) Everyone Else: REMF’s, with varying degrees of derision and disdain. **Other Services:** Air Force: Air Farce. Navy: Popeyes. Marines: (as both compliment _and_ insult) “What’s the sound of shit hitting the fan? MARR-IIIIIINE!” Most tankers I knew had a gruding respect for the Marines (due in part to the works of Ralph Zumbro). Among the uninitiate, the “shit hitting the fan” joke was supposed to be an insult; among those in the know, it was actually a compliment. Winston Churchill may as well have been talking about the U.S. Marines in his “…so much, by so many, to so few…” speech. Of course, we can’t let the Marines know that. Just keep throwing hand grenades and three-syllable words at them to keep them in their place. If their heads get any more swollen, they’ll never get their brain buckets on. 😉 \*_Army_ cooks rate their own special epithet for their unique ability to take normal, edible, probably even tasty raw ingredients and turn them into something unappetizing, unappealing, and quite possibly even dangerous to consume. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/19 "2004-10-31T08:58:41Z")
We used to call Marines lead-catchers or jar-heads, although not to their faces :). ---
**Author:** ![Chis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Chis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chis)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066/20 "2004-10-31T11:23:59Z")
> [@racinchikki](#): > > And how the heck is that pronounced? I’ve been wondering since last summer. In the (British) Royal Navy “matelot” is pronounced “mattlo.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-slang/272066.md?page=2)