# What is a "boony-rat buddy" and where did it come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-boony-rat-buddy-and-where-did-it-come-from/363252>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 5, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-boony-rat-buddy-and-where-did-it-come-from/363252 "2006-07-05T20:27:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-boony-rat-buddy-and-where-did-it-come-from/363252/1 "2006-07-05T20:27:09Z")

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I’m curious about the origins and meaning of the phrase “Boony-rat buddy” and am hoping someone can deconstruct it for me and give me some entymological history on it.

Thank you.

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**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:** [July 5, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-boony-rat-buddy-and-where-did-it-come-from/363252/2 "2006-07-05T21:33:08Z")

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\*Boonie-rat buddy \* you mean, like in the Johnny Cash song 😕

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**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-boony-rat-buddy-and-where-did-it-come-from/363252/3 "2006-07-05T21:49:15Z")

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> [@ddgryphon](#):
>
> I’m curious about the origins and meaning of the phrase “Boony-rat buddy” and am hoping someone can deconstruct it for me and give me some entymological history on it.
> 
> Thank you.

boonie rat n: A combat infantryman., from the following [Site](http://www.slangsearch.com/army.html)

You also have a boonie hat, which was used by infantrymen (and branched off to non-infantry) in Vietnam, and is still used during jungle training today, when in a ‘non-combative’ atmosphere.  
[Picture]([www.camo-store.com/](http://www.camo-store.com/) images/ACU%20Boonie%20Hat.gif)