Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-11-14
A NEW NAVAL TONGUE.
SPECIMEN OF LINGO SPOKEN
BY MIDSHIPMEN
Words That Have Been Coined By
The Cadets And Which
Have Been Long
Current.

4 EMAf MlAAAGM HN IallAfM - tNtAtN AaNtiet
Of this city. and published in the No
| vemher number Of Army and Navy
| Life:''
/ The Naval Academy was establish
/ ed in 1915. In the very FIRST year of
| its existence a new word, synony-
nous with midshipmen, appeared
| II was REFERS. Its appropriateness TO
| the men who reefed sails was notice
able. This historic word is found in
letter that the late Commodore
Jeffers, L. :. N, wrote when he was
a member OF the first class of midship-
men sent TO the Naval Academy.
The next birth was twins. When
| the new midshipmen came To the Ma
/ val Academy il became a necessity 10
have designation for the two sets.
/ The midshipmen promptly coined
| them The older midshipmen were
oldsters, and the new ones youngsters.
This term remained as a distinction
TO the last arrivals down To n score
of years ago. In the meantime the
word spIebe'' had been introduced
as an appellation OF contempt for the
| fourth-class men. This word came
into use when the Naval Academy was
at Newport, between the years 1861
| 1866 Plebe and youngster eontended
| long for the mastery, when natural
selection closed the contest young
ster becoming the special title of
third class men, those who dated the
fourth class men one year, and plebe
being i'm the vernacular the name of
the latest arrivals.
Ad is admiral superintendent, and
anchor midshipman who has drop
ped TO the bottom of his class. Ann
| is the feminine name of the abbrevia-
| ton for the annual examination
Femmos Is the word constantly used
| for the ladies in common conversa-
| tion, and peaches designates the fairest
OF the fair sex, and gold brick is
girl who can neither talk, dance
nor look pretty. Bat means that the
thing to which the verb or adjective
is applied has been we'll done; bazoo
is n literary production of plebc or
fourth-classman at the order of an
upper classman. 1t also means a lu
dicrous message sent by an upper
classman to another upper classman
| through means OF fourth classman.
Biff is TO do thing well. Bilge is
to be dropped, DISMISSED, or be
Obliged to resign. Bilger is dis
missed cadet, or one who has been
required TO resign. Bone means TO
study. BCncs is the nickname OF
physiology and hygiene; math for
mathematics, and skinny for physics.
Boy is term applied to servants, and
never to midshipmen. Bust, is TO
| fail at a recitation or an examination.
| A buzzard is the insignia of frank of
| n cadet petty officer-an eagle perched
| on an anchor. Boojam is four in
/ studies--a perfect mark.
| Dewberry is one who encroaches
| upon another PERSONS dates. 1t also
| means to obtain unlawful informa-
/ ton in recitation or an examination.
| Doggy is interpreted to mean swell.
Drag means TO drag IN femme to q
| hop. or escort her there. 1t also
/ means to make much from nothing,
| also to receive an inhalation from a
| cigarette, and, as noun, is defined
| as pull. a certain kind of bread
| pudding is designated duff, and a
| fiend is lone who biffs anything ex-
ceeding WE'LL Fume is to smoke
/ gobbled is being caught in scrape
| graft is a blum, and grease means a
bootlick, and an upper classman may
| get grease, that is, become popular
by reporting a ratey midshipman, 50
| it was stated by Midshipman Meri-
wether in his trial.
Greaser was long ago given rs term
of derision TO the Engineer Corps Of
the navy by the midshipmen of the
| line, and in the remote period Of the
origin of the new tongue gyrene foI
marine, who was also jocosely called
sea soldier The bugle has been
changed in the midshipmen' S vocabu-
larry to the gugag; and a handout il
described as grub from the officers
hop Hit means to do something
we'll, and is synonymous with bif
and frap and frappe. The hustlers'
is the Naval Academy's scrub il
football.
| Insides has been assigned TO near
the tobacco that goes to make up 1
cigarette. Jimmy Legs is the face
tious title Of the master-at-arms, wh'
on sbipboard answers TO the chic
| of police on shore, and that marin'
official is not at all agree able to mis-
chievous midshipmen such as general
~ make up the personnel OF the
corps. The plain word of sportiv'
youth Jump means that the midship
man has been run by hazer or rep
| rimanded by an officer or instructor
in rough or severe manner. JuD'
bug is the title of a midshiDman en-
tering in June, and TO knock a thins
is 10 do it well. A May plebe is ont
who enters the Naval Academy il
May, and a smoke is colored ser
want; mystery in hash, and navy
girl is young lady friendly 10 and
popular with the midshipmen.
Pap is the daily conduct report
parkie is a wooden muse, tllat is, on
low in his studies, given TO writing
verses. Push means to smoke; rag j
to report one, and, also, 10 rag al
instructors marks lof the midship
man in his reeitations) is to view
them surreptitiously rate means t
exceed in rank, or TO be entitled to
privilege; ratey is to refuse to abid
by the rates: rats is an expression c
disapprobati0n a rhino is chroni
! grumbIer; sayez is bright, and, wood
en- dull; slush is an excessive form 0
J fIattery or obsequiousnesss snag Is I
catch one breaking the regulations
a soiree is a party OF plebes engages
in the exercise of hazing; spoon !
! an upper classman who is a friend Q
fourth classman; spooning means t
associate with the fair sex; and t
stab is to make a Wild guess at any
thing; a star is a miashipmaa T-h'
gets above $40 IN his final ewaGsi1a
: tioaS for lhe yeas; sPuds are potatoes
/, | cu,r f,a.s sarnrol f1oau5uue-uof diff