The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-19
LATEST ARMY SLANG.
ADDITIONS THIS WAR HAS MADE
TO "NIILITARY PARLANCE."

the civil War-One Soldiers story
of His Bunkie and the Grub Boss.
Many of These Slang Words IN
Vogue in English Army-Witness
KfpIing-Mcn Not Shot Now EN-
cept when Drunk-But They Were
'Mausered." "DagOed,' Sometimes
"Strappcd" at SnntiagO-Why the
Cubmns Are Called Cubebs-SOme
Colonies and Generals NicISnamed
Gen. Shafter Called Nothing.
From New York Commercial Advertiser.
How those boys have managed TO pick
up such a condemnation of slang terms
in the few short months that they have
been away passes my understanding, said
an army officer the other day. He had
been listening to a couple of returned sol
diers, who were swapping stories of the
war, and was much amused and apparent
ly not a little perplexed by their language.
1T is certainly not Spanish" he added,
but whatever it is, it is decidedly Dutch
to me- During the war (the civil war, I
mean-we have to distinguish our wars
now the boys added a great many slang
words to their vocabulary. put these young
'uns beat us out of sight. 1t is a sign of
the times I suppose, but If they had stay
ed in Cuba much longer they would have
had to bring back an interpreter with
them. 1 can't understand half they say
as 1t is"
As the officer walked off the two priv
ates looked at one another, winked and
commenced to laugh.
What was the 'boss'-I mean the cap
tain-sayin' to you?" asked one, of the re-
porters.
SAID you were talking so much slang
he couldn't understand you"
Guess he wasn't in the South then. but
we were pitching it rather fierce. eh, bum
kie?" to his companion. "Bunkie" didn't
say anything, only grinned.
But, say" continued the other you'd
a died TO see bunke here when he came
down to Cuba, an heard the men talk.
say II was out o sight. He's no sweet
tempered angel at the best of times, and
he's been my bunkie Chats my tent mattel
an so 1 know. He was one of the last
recruits to reach the island. We call the
recruits rockies now. At first they was
new boys but now they're rockies The
grub boss, that's the quarterma ster-ser-
geant, comes around next morning an sees
my bunkie sitting in front of the tent.
Here, rookie he calls, tel your bunkie
to come an get his punk Punk means
grub, bread, anything to eat you know
Bunkie looks at him, an then says 'Aw.
what re giVn' us? That's all right
rookie said the grub boss, jest you tell
your bunkie. That's him in the tent there
Then bunkie got mad. Now just you
look here, sergeant sails he: Just you
mind who you re addressin' See? You ain't
xHrbn
your arm. Don't you call me Out o. by
name, cause it don't go, see? amt no
bird, an / won't stand for it,. Gosh, he was
mad. told him rookie was only slang for
recruit, but he said he didn't want any
slang in his. But you got used to it fore
long, didn't you bunkie?'
The terms rookie" and "bunkie" and
'slops" for clothes used so frequently
by the soldiers, are all expressions in vogue
in the English army, and are quoted fire.
quently by Kipling For Instance In Back
to the Army Again" he says: Il couldn't
'elp 'oldin' straight when me an the other
rockies come under the barrick gate"
The derivation of other expressions is
doubtful if not impossible to ascertain.
Most of them probably had their genesis
in the fertile brain of some soldier who de-
seribed a fact in terms that amused his
companions. Others caught on" because
of their literal ruthfulness. AS an exam
shot" except when referring to intoxica-
ton, has been changed to "mausered." If
a man was wounded otherwise he was
probably "macheted." If he was killed
cause of injury unknown, the soldiers viii
tell you he was "dagoed," and let it go at
that. The reason for calling the Cubans
"cubebs' is not hard to find nor WHY the
Spanish victims of their butchery were
'dagoed." The Spanish sharpshooters
were not lynched by the American SOL
diers they were strapped" which is a
distinction with only a slight difference
Ropes were not handy" and rife straps
always were
The soldiers in Santiago didn't take
walk or made march; he did a hyke
Any soldier knows what ''hyke" is, but
very few seem to know why 1t is A vol
unteer In the army building yesterday
said that he had been "hykiug all over
looking for transportati ton"
What does hyking mean?" he was
asked.
oh, you know! Just-ah-to hyke."
was his reply.
Food is, of course, grub. but bread and
bareback are often known as "punk''
while the word rations has been abbre-
Waited to rats" Hardtack by itself is
commonly known as ''angel food" A SOL
der who was asked the reason for this
term simply laughed and replied. Cause
it amt"
soldier doesn't lie nowadays. at least
those who have been in Cuba don't They
only pitch you a fierce one" or possibly
give you pipe" If the soldier has
doubts as to your veracity he NAV insin-
uate that you are dreaming" or that
your pipe is out" If he wanted you to in
fer that he had been locked IN in the
guard house by member of the provost
guard he would probably say that he had
been ''cooped in the BOBBY hatch by a hun ;,
Should a soldier inform civilian thar his
bunkle was baked by bull for iumpin'
a gump' he would probably be misunder
stood. His meaning would be that his tent
mate had been arrested by the provost
guard for stealing chicken, which is MOI
quite as bad as ii sounds
Private soldiers are known as either lack
or Pete TO their comrades. ANY of them
win answer to either name Leutenants
are tufts" to the men, while the captain
Is 'his nibs.' or cap" Any colonel with
the exception of he of the Rough Riders is
known by the appellation of the boss"
Col. Roosevelt is called by every man in
sir