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Military Sayings in Everyday Life

 
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Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 3:08:55 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		Thought you may find these interesting....Feel free to add your own.

The Balloon Has Gone UP : you know there is trouble ahead: WW1 observation balloons sent up to watch for attack and WW2 barrage balloons being raised was a sign of impending action.

Bite the Bullet : carry out a task against your wishes : At the time of the Indian Mutiny in The British Empire Hindu soldiers were forced to bite the bullet off the charge to load their guns. This contained pig fat which was from a holy animal and they were forced to bite this against their wishes.

Chance Your Arm: take an uncalculated risk: soldiers would take a risk to be promoted and get stripes on their arms.

A Feather in Your Cap: do something well : In Medieval England a knight showing bravery was rewarded this way, hence the crest of the Prince of Wales.

Flash in the Pan: Great show but no result: sometimes to powder ignited in the lock pan but failed to ignite the charge in an early musket.

A Line in the Sand: go no further :one of the Macedonian kings, a bit short of cash, decided to invade Egypt, then a Roman protectorate. His army was met at the border by a lone Roman senator named Popillius Laenas, who ordered the king to withdraw. The king began to stall for time, so Popillius Laenas drew a circle in the sand around the king and demanded that the king agree to withdraw his army before he stepped out of the circle

The die is cast: What will happen will happen: Caesar on crossing the Rubicon into Italy

There's a few to start you off.
Post #: 1
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 3:18:24 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		Just thought of another

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey : it's pretty cold : Brass monkeys held the cannon balls on the Men of war ships. If very cold the balls would fall through onto the deck.

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Post #: 2
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 3:28:52 PM   
HansBolter


Posts: 7704
Joined: 7/6/2006
From: United States
Status: offline 		Crossed the Rubicon: Committed to a course of action...when Ceaser crossed the Rubicon he committed his army to the advance on Rome.

Screwed the pooch: fighter jockey slang for screwed up.

< Message edited by HansBolter -- 3/13/2008 3:29:15 PM >

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Post #: 3
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 5:43:28 PM   
ilovestrategy


Posts: 3611
Joined: 6/11/2005
From: San Diego
Status: offline 		Square Meal. On British Ships of the Line the plates were square.

I can't believe it! I actually got to contribute some knowledge on this forum after being here for over 2 years!


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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 8:50:01 PM   
PunkReaper


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From: England
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quote:

Screwed the pooch: fighter jockey slang for screwed up

What's the origin of that saying...who originally screwed the first pooh?

Run : run away : French Army
Surrender : Give up the enemy have arrived : Italian Army sorry couldn't help myself.

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 8:53:30 PM   
HansBolter


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper

quote:

Screwed the pooch: fighter jockey slang for screwed up

What's the origin of that saying...who originally screwed the first pooh?



not gonna touch that one

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Post #: 6
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:02:05 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		That's what the first fighter jockey should have said

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Post #: 7
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:18:17 PM   
HansBolter


Posts: 7704
Joined: 7/6/2006
From: United States
Status: offline 		Since you stepped over to the lighter side above I'll add another:

EBay add for used French Army Rifle:

Slightly used French Army Rifle: Dropped once, never fired!

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Post #: 8
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:23:11 PM   
Jeffrey H.


Posts: 3154
Joined: 4/13/2007
From: San Diego, Ca.
Status: offline 		Give it or gave it The whole nine yards - Something to do with a length of belted ammunition being 9 yards long. Ledgend varies on the origin.


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Post #: 9
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:29:19 PM   
andym


Posts: 1117
Joined: 7/12/2006
From: Kings Lynn UK
Status: offline 		Show or Shake a Leg:RN saying form when in Port the call to show a leg would go out,if it were hairy then it was a Matelot if not invariably it was a female and allowed to stay in the hammock.

Nipper (as used in reference to a small boy)RN Slang for a Small boy that was employed to wrap(nip) a warp around the very large Anchor cable to enable it to be raised via the capstan.

Not enough room to swing a cat:RN saying refering to a small space where the Bo'sun couldnt weild the cat o nine tails effectively.

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:33:42 PM   
James Ward

 

Posts: 1183
Joined: 5/9/2000
From: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Status: offline 		SNAFU: Saying used by grunts used to express admiration of leadership ability of their superiors - Situation normall, All F*cked Up.

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Post #: 11
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:44:04 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		It is amazing how many Royal Navy expressions are used in everyday speech.

Son of a Gun : Child born on the gun deck

The Bitter End ; End of an anchor rope...meaning the water was too deep to anchor

Goes by the Board: Board was the side of the tall ship so to go by the board was to be lost

Had your chips: workers in the old dockyards were allowed to take home wood (chips) as a prk but if they fell out of favour they were told they had had their chips.

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Post #: 12
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 9:57:06 PM   
HansBolter


Posts: 7704
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Status: offline 		MRE: Meals Rejected by Everyone

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/13/2008 10:34:17 PM   
Capt. Harlock


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From: Los Angeles
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper


Bite the Bullet : carry out a task against your wishes : At the time of the Indian Mutiny in The British Empire Hindu soldiers were forced to bite the bullet off the charge to load their guns. This contained pig fat which was from a holy animal and they were forced to bite this against their wishes.



I always thought that "bite the bullet" came from literally doing so to help deal with the pain of battlefield surgery. Incidentally, the business about pig fat (for the Muslim soldiers) and cow fat (for the Hindu soldiers) was only a rumor to incite the Mutiny. The cartridges issued were paper enclosures containing bullet and powder, and they could be torn open with the fingers, but in the heat of battle they were usually torn open with the teeth so as not to drop the musket. The British actually greased them with lamb fat, or waxed them, to make them water-resistant. But as Mark Twain said, "A lie can travel hal-way around the world while Truth is still putting on her boots".


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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 12:44:47 AM   
uncc


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From: Virginia, USA
Status: offline 		don't forget FUBAR 

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 2:18:49 AM   
Jevhaddah


Posts: 626
Joined: 11/24/2005
From: Scotland
Status: offline 		Going off Half-Cocked: Firing yer musket without setting the striker to Full Cock, Doing something before yer really ready or prepared.

Shooting yer bolt: Firing yer rifle without a round in the chamber, playing mummys and daddys and not making it over the finish line Probably means other things in other parts of the world

Cheers

Jev



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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 3:27:32 AM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: ask doggie
Status: offline 		'Nuts'

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 3:58:25 AM   
Jeffrey H.


Posts: 3154
Joined: 4/13/2007
From: San Diego, Ca.
Status: offline 		Just a flash in the pan - Something brief and meaningless. I always felt that this was a term from muzzleloading rifles.

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Post #: 18
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 4:56:55 AM   
Johnus

 

Posts: 615
Joined: 5/23/2002
Status: offline 		I thought having "shot your bolt" means having "fired" your crossbow and, hence, having done your best.

< Message edited by Johnnie -- 3/14/2008 4:59:36 AM >

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Post #: 19
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 10:26:56 AM   
Ironfist738


Posts: 139
Joined: 4/30/2001
From: Cincinnati,Ohio.
Status: offline 		" Damn the Torpedoe's " I beleave was a battle cry from a American Naval officer.
means: Forward / Attack at any cost.

< Message edited by Ironfist738 -- 3/14/2008 10:28:31 AM >

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 3/14/2008 6:40:25 PM   
reg113


Posts: 368
Joined: 3/21/2002
From: MS, USA
Status: offline 		David G. Farragut, Battle of Mobile Bay. Did not have any minesweepers with him (hadn't been invented yet). Attack stalled under the guns of Fort Morgan when monitor Tecumseh was sunk by a mine (torpedoe).

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Post #: 21
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 8:49:13 AM   
Zap


Posts: 3639
Joined: 12/6/2004
From: LAS VEGAS TAKE A CHANCE
Status: offline 		Can anyone tell us what these military acronyms are
DFAC=?
TRATS=?

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 11:27:20 AM   
Krasny

 

Posts: 315
Joined: 7/3/2003
Status: offline 		I hear the term 'Hang-Fire' used incorrectly all the time.

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 11:46:01 AM   
JudgeDredd


Posts: 8573
Joined: 11/14/2003
From: Scotland
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Ironfist738

" Damn the Torpedoe's " I beleave was a battle cry from a American Naval officer.
means: Forward / Attack at any cost.

Sorry...who actually says "Damn the Torpedoes" in everyday life?

And maybe I shouldn't have picked on yours specifically...HansBolter's MRE is another (and the one about the French rifle)...the thread is about military sayings used in everyday life...hence the topic title...Military Sayings in Everyday Life"

Just thought I'd point out the error of peoples ways

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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 12:01:04 PM   
Twotribes


Posts: 6929
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quote:

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ironfist738

" Damn the Torpedoe's " I beleave was a battle cry from a American Naval officer.
means: Forward / Attack at any cost.

Sorry...who actually says "Damn the Torpedoes" in everyday life?

And maybe I shouldn't have picked on yours specifically...HansBolter's MRE is another (and the one about the French rifle)...the thread is about military sayings used in everyday life...hence the topic title...Military Sayings in Everyday Life"

Just thought I'd point out the error of peoples ways

Living up to your name Judge Dred?

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Post #: 25
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 12:22:34 PM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: ask doggie
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Zap

Can anyone tell us what these military acronyms are
DFAC=?
TRATS=?


Dinning facility/ Chow hall

As for “TRATS” I’m not sure but I have heard it used. I think it has something to do with Tactical Reconnaissance Assessment ?

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Post #: 26
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 2:03:11 PM   
MadmanRick


Posts: 579
Joined: 4/9/2004
From: New York City, U.S.A.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Zap

Can anyone tell us what these military acronyms are
DFAC=?
TRATS=?


DFAC = Dining Facility

TRATS = Tin Tray Rations







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RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 4:06:40 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		How about, "The die is cast", attributed to Julius Caesar on crossing the Rubicon. Either means the dice has been rollled i.e the gamble has been made or the matter is fixed i.e the metal has been cast.

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Post #: 28
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 4:09:17 PM   
Nixuebrig

 

Posts: 1138
Joined: 1/2/2001
From: (c) Lübeck, now Berlin
Status: offline 		in german
0815 = means nothing unusual , average, nothing new etc.




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Post #: 29
RE: Military Sayings in Everyday Life - 7/4/2008 5:38:31 PM   
andym


Posts: 1117
Joined: 7/12/2006
From: Kings Lynn UK
Status: offline 		ROMFT     Roll On My F**king Time(Twelve)

Term used by a hacked off or RDP matelot.


RDP       Run Down Period,the period of time before the rating is released from Service,usually spent dodging work and a lot of loafing.

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