Though it did cause some confusion among the Italians:
“Is that a U-boat?”
“No, that’s not-a my boat.”
I’m not sure this is a genera trait of English. NATO has developed elaborate systems to give English-language names to weaponry of non-NATO countries. Such as, for example, Mike for the Soviet nuclear submarine that was called Plavnik in Russian, or Fulcrum for the MiG-29, or Fagin for the Chinese Chengdu J-20.
It’s not just used by the German Navy for its own submarines; it’s also the generic German word for all submarines, including those of other countries.
Groucho: “Go along the viaduct.”
Chico: “Why-a- duck? Why-a no chicken?”
What a polite term for those that skulk around and sink ships without warning.
There was a use for a term for a German submarine, because they were using a lot of them, to great effect. There wasn’t much use for a term for any other nation’s submarines, because they weren’t using them so much.
“Is that a U-boat?”
“No, I’m just looking”
Only in Central Park Pond. Before WWI subs were model boats, many of them remote controlled. Tesla demonstrated one in 1898 and they took off from there. When the word submarine or sub was used people in America certainly - thought of the homegrown and totally peaceful boating community rather than warships. One major reason why a foreign term had terrific propaganda effect.
At one time - the largest operator of submarines in Canada was the West Edmonton Mall. (they were removed in 2012, making the Navy once more number one).
Another point bears mentioning here – not only is U-boat short for Unterseeboot, but the ship designations for German submarines almost invariably started with a “U”, such as the U-505 currenty on display in Chicago, or the UC-97, which was brought into Lake Michigan after WWI as a gimmick to sell bonds, and was later sunk in Lake Michigan.
In contrast, US subs launched between WWI and WWI ran in entire series starting with different letters – H, K, L, M, N, O, R, S, etc. I don’t know of any US subs hose alphanumeric designation started with “U”. (afterwards they started giving the subs fish names, instead)
Like the Cod, now a museum ship in Cleveland.
Its origins to refer to first aiders is pretty clear, it comes from the ointment, which is a British invention, not an enemy word. Where the ointment name comes from is what’s uncertain, but it’s a Victorian patent medicine, so “made up from scratch” would be my guess. It’s definitely not a South African Bantu word or town name.
Thanks - I did a bit more digging after that post, and got to pretty much the same place. Pondering potential enemy Z words does lead me to Zeppelin, which was used in preference to German lighter-than-air aircraft or airship, so its now Assegai to Zeppelin.
This name is easy to explain: it comes from the pioneer builder of airships, Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin. Such aircraft is still called a Zeppelin in German.
That company seems to still exist:
Ironically (or not?), Blitz itself is, of course, also German in origin (short for Blitzkrieg, or lightning war).
Deliberately done, and well-spotted.
As an aside, if you ever find yourself in Chicago, the U-505 exhibit is an ABSOLUTE must-see if you’re at all interested in the Battle of the Atlantic, and includes some amazing relics like the ship’s Enigma codebook and the Medal of Honor that was awarded to the leader of the boarding party. The guided tour of the sub is extra, but well worth it - you can really get a feel for how cramped and miserable it must have been for 60 men to live and work in that hot, smelly (it’s been 80 years and the engine room STILL reeks of diesel, to say nothing of how intense the BO must have been) dark tube underwater.
Can confirm. One of my favorite museum exhibits, and the guided tour is pretty great. I’m pocket sized, and am generally not concerned with personal space. That place was cramped.
But to the original question: yeah, in some ways it’s just because they were the enemy, and that was the word they used for them.
Apropos of nothing, from 1956 to 1998 Locomotive manufacturer GE had a line of “universal” locomotives. All of the model numbers began with U so to railroaders of the period they were universally (heh) called U-boats.