# What was "BS and C" (Army chow slang)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578 "2010-09-21T20:55:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/1 "2010-09-21T20:55:22Z")
From the novel _From Here To Eternity_ set in 1941 Hawaii in which soldiers eat something affectionately known as “BS and C.” What was the dish? And what is the literal meaning of the abbreviation? compare with SOS = shit on a shingle = chipped beef on toast ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/2 "2010-09-21T21:48:08Z")
According to the novel, BS and C is Roast Beef Hash and Gravy, but I don’t know what it stands for. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/3 "2010-09-21T23:09:05Z")
I can’t find anything in my slang dictionaries, but a WAG is “Bull Shit and Cum.” ---
**Author:** ![GreenHell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@GreenHell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenHell)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/4 "2010-09-22T03:07:16Z")
That is completely disgusting. Since I’m a vet, I have to admit that it sounds plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/5 "2010-09-22T03:20:37Z")
Or the gravy could be ‘Cream’. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/6 "2010-09-22T03:25:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Or the gravy could be ‘Cream’. Not if it were army chow slang. The classic chow acronym is SOS (Shit on a Shingle) for creamed chipped beef. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/7 "2010-09-22T05:45:43Z")
Could it be something to do with B Rations and C Rations? ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/8 "2010-09-22T09:09:57Z")
I was in the Air Force and for us it stood for Backed Salmon and Caviar. Anyone buying this? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/9 "2010-09-22T09:27:06Z")
Before my Navy days, I was a ground pounder, so I’m going to offer a WAG here: **B** eef **S** tew and **C** rackers. Hey, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/10 "2010-09-22T09:43:43Z")
I don’t know, but just a couple of questions for clarity. Was it actually BS with both letters uppercase? Or was it Bs which could mean the plural of something beginning with B. Was it really “and C” or was it “&C” because the latter is an abbreviation for _etcetera_. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/11 "2010-09-22T09:50:32Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I don’t know, but just a couple of questions for clarity. > > Was it actually BS with both letters uppercase? Or was it Bs which could mean the plural of something beginning with B. > > Was it really “and C” or was it “&C” because the latter is an abbreviation for _etcetera_. [Here’s](http://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&tbo=p&q=BS+%26+C+intitle:from+intitle:here+intitle:to+intitle:eternity&num=10) a snippet view from Google books. Don’t try to search further than my link, as the preview won’t pick it up. > [@](#): > > bald head floated leisurely up the open window, heading for the kitchen where he and Warden ate, instead of with the Company in the messhall. “Whats for chow?” Warden called. “BS and C,” stated the … ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/12 "2010-09-22T10:26:59Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > **B** eef **S** tew and **C** rackers. That sounds reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/13 "2010-09-22T12:16:13Z")
I lived & worked with the US Army for 4 years in the early 80s. Ate a lot of Army chow both in garrison & in the field. I never encountered the term “BS & C”. Now back home in the USAF it meant the O-Club was serving, yet again, the braised salmon & caviar. The Army? Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bs-and-c-army-chow-slang/554578/14 "2010-09-22T13:29:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > > Or the gravy could be ‘Cream’. > > Not if it were army chow slang. > > The classic chow acronym is SOS (Shit on a Shingle) for creamed chipped beef. The Navy affectionately referred to this dish as creamed foreskins on toast.