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Nov. 28, 1917.
Recruit's Primer
Os Trench Idiom
For the benefit of the American
troops who are going into the trenches,
the veterans of the British recruiting
mission have prepared a glossary of
trench slang. The list contains a
strange mixture of language, a little
Hisdustan, being now and then em
ployed to convey the meaning to the
Tommies. Os course everyone knows
that Hun is applied to the Germans,
but it is interesting to learn that it is
never meant to designate the troops
as a unit, but signifies the nation
only.
Men from the front declare that a
knowledge of this trench jargon is quite
essential to the comfort of the raw
recruit, since without it the language
would be quite unintelligible. A
glance at the list would seem to con
firm this. The Philadelphia Inquirer
in presenting it says:
The following glossary of trench
slang was revised by Col. St. George
Steele, in charre of the mission. It
is “up-to-the-minute,” and while in
common use at the front is rarely heard
elsewhere.
According to Colonel Steele, much
of the current trench slang is derived
from Hindustani as a result of the first
British army under Kitchener being
composed largely of veterans who have
served in India. Examples of words
with Indian origin are "cha” (tea),
“rooti” (bread), and "blighty” (for
eigner).
The list follows:
Ack- Emma—Morning.
Archi —Anti-aircraft artillery.
Brass Hat —A staff ofieer. Presum
ably a reference to the gold lace which
is a part of the staff uni' rm.
Bug-House—A dug out. Also flea
pots.
Charlie Chaplin’s Army Corps— I The
Canadian casualties. Center. A clear
ing house for Canadian wounded.
Coal-Box —A heavy artillery shell,
Which, when exploding, sends up cloud
of thick, black smoke.
Char-Tea—(Hindustani) —used to
designate the meal so dear to the Eng
lish heart, afternoon tea.
Creeping Jimmy—A high-velocity
shell which gives no warning of its
eporoach.
Crumper—A 5.9 shell.
Crump-Hole—Any shell hole.
Dixie—Strictly speaking, this is not
slang. The cooking-pots issued hy the
Army Ordnance Corps are officially de
signated as “Dixie” for what reason
no one seems to know.
Dud —Anything that’s no good, that
friis to accomplish its end. Thus a
“dud” shell is a shell which does not
explode.
Emma G 6 gun or ma
chine gunner (signalers’ alphabet .
Flea-Bag—Officers’ sleeping bag.
Flying Pig—An aerial torpedo.
Fritz —One of the many names ap
plied by British troops to the Ger
mans who oppose them.
Flipper—Hand.
r'-vnifire —Morning tea.
Heine —A pet name for the German
soldier. Possibly suggested by the
name of the well-known poet.
Hun —A name (not pet) applied to
the Germans as a nation. Never used
SEND—
THE AUGUSTA HERALD
With all the news of the
Camp and the city’s happen
ings, back to the home folks in
Pennsylvania.
60 CENTS A MONTH.
Sign and Mail the Coupon.
THE AUGUSTA HERALD
AUGUSTA, GA.
Send The Augusta Herald
months, for, which
I enclose (at the
rate of 60 cents a month) to
the following address:
N ame .... .... «• • • •••« ..
Street and No
City and State
Kindly notify party that the
paper is being sent with the
compliments of the under
signed.
Name
Co. and Regt
Camp Hancock.
TRENCH AND CAMP
to designate the troops opposed to the
British as a unit.
Jerry—A steel shrapnel helmet.
Jack Johnson—A big shell which
bursts with a cloud of black smoke.
Jake—Universal army term to ex
press satisfa.ctoin. If a girl is pretty
she is “Jake.” If a stew tastes good it
is “Jake.” Probably an Anglicization
of "chic.”
M. and D. —Medicine and duty. Uni
versal medical treatment for small ail
ments in the trenches. In other words,
a dose of physic and g<? back to work.
Mulligan- A stew made of the regu
lar ration issue and whatever extras
may come to hand. Sometimes cooked
in a shrapnel helmet.
Mulignn Battery—Cook wagon.
Minnehaha—A Minnewerfer, or Ger
man trench-mortar.
Napoo—Angl.cized version of “il n’y
a pas.” Used in the opposite sense to
“Jake” and with an equally universal
application.
O Pip— An observation post (signal
ers’ alphabet).
One-Star Wonder—A second lieuten
ant, or “half-loot”; alsa "one-star ar
tist” and "one-lunger.”
Pip-Emma—Evening (signalers) al
phabet), for I’. M.
Pineapple—Aerial torpedoes used by
the Germans. So-called from their
shape which distinctly resembles that
of a pineapple.
Rooti—Bread (Hindustina).
Riveter—Machine gun.
Rum-Jar —A trench-made explosive
consisting roughly of 200 pounds of
powder in a rough casting, fired from
a trench-mortar.
Sammies—This name has been wide
ly adopted by the British troops as a
name for their American comrades in
arms. It may be an Anglicized version
of the French “Nos Amis,” but is prob
ably derived from the appellation
“Uncle Sam.”
Skilly—A stew.
Suicide Club —Bombing squad or ad
vanced machine gun squad.
S. O. E. —Delete. Applied to any
thing tha can’t be done, or is called
off. (Signalers’ alphabet).
Sanfairyann—Anglicization of French
"Cela no Fait Rein.” Meaning same
as Napoo.
Ticklers Artillery—A bombing squad.
Typewriter—A machine gun.
Tootfinny—Anglicization of “tout
fini,” with the same meaning, “it’s all
over.”
Torp—An : erial torpedo.
Tin Hat—A shrapnel helmet.
Wipers—Tommy Atkins’ idea of the
correct pronunciation of Tpres.
Whistling Jimmy—Howitzer shell.
Local American recruiting officers
advise a familiarity with these strange
trench words and idioms.
r —■ i ■»«—- ' i
i DRINK
Seaboard
—AND—
Milo
AT ALL
SOFT DRINK STANDS
“THEY ARE BETTER”
WHEN DOWN TOWN
ON A LARK
DROP IN
“THE
IDLE
HOUR 5 *
1148 BROAD STREET.
For a Cold Drink and a
Sandwich, or Cigars, Cig
arettes and Tobacco. Try
HIRES
ROOT BEER
AT OUR NEW
SODA FOUNTAIN.
The polite F. T. Wise will
chow you every courtesy
and a good time is prom
esed you.
JAMES E. PAYNE.
avera & e husband seems to fancy
that no matter which side of a question
his wife takes he is bound to take the
other side just to keep it from tipping.
rend your g
iC/ photography young man who’s join- I
/\ name / Pj ed Uncle Sam’s army or
' K~~ ' "A fij navy will make the old folks I
fPs back home mighty happy by
■_ j|S surprising them with his photo- ■
Wrim pH Photographs make the best fl
I y| Christmas gifts for those we
Is love and who love us.
gl J§ WE DEVELOP FILMS.
E. QUARLES, Photographer
842 BROAD STREET. PHONE 462. |
1
SO ff
We Are Ready to Help You Cold.
Note the following new amvalsj
Sheep-lined Coats in all sizes .„ ... .V. $12.50 to $20.00
Overcoats, sizes 34 to 48 . .$32.50 to $50.00
French Coats, sizes 34 to 48. . :. . . . .$27.50 to $40.00
Heavy weight Uniforms and Army Regulation
Sweaters.
MILITARY OUTFITTERS.
Pennsylvania
Home Restaurant
Ninth and Walker Streets, one Block from Post
Office. Near Union Station.
“THE PLACE TO MEET HOMEFOLKS.”
Special Dinner
Cream of Celery Soup
50c Roast Chicken with j
Dressing
Roast Tenderloin of Beef
Mashed Potatoes Green Peas
Stewed Tomatoes
Corn Muffins
’ Waldorf Salad
50c Tapioca Pudding 50c
Coffee Tea Milk
Special Turkey Dinner ,75c
“Come in and get a Real Pennsylvania
Welcome.”
Oh, pshaw! No man really wants to
deceive the woman he loves—he simply
can’t find any other way of keeping her
from finding out things.
Page 13
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