Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1909-07-07
THE SOLDIERS SLANG
Army VernacuIar as Odd as That
of the Navy.
MANY QUEER EXPRESSIONS.

a Man Just Enlisted Is Called "a
Rocky" and Men Who Enlist at the
Beginning of Winter and Desert In
the Spring Are Called "Snowbrds."
The army has just as odd a vernac-
ular as the navy. To the uninitiated
some army expressions would convey
little or no sense, as. for example, if a
soldier were heard to say, THE top
told me to report for kitchen police
and help skin the spuds for Stun for
supper" the nearer would have sew
eral guesses before he would come
anywhere near what this meant in the
patter Of tie barracks
In plain language, it means that the
first sergeant 0he ranking or orderly
sergeant had told him to report to the
cook to assist him in peeling the pota-
toes to make the hash or stew for sup
per. Hash CT stew is always "slum."
and the first sergeant is the top"
Kitchen police" man who assists the
cook in the preparation of meals and
the washing of dishes. pans, etc.
a man who has just enlisted or has
not yet been in the ranks long enough
to be considered a full fledged soldier.
having learned all his duties. is called
"a rocky" and woe be unto the
''rooky" who gets fresh" before an
old sergeant who has been in the
ranks since before the fresh ROCKY"
was born! He will be told in any but
gentle terms by the old timer: "Shut
up and go about your work. Your
name is not yet dry on your enlistment
paper" meaning that when he was
sworn in and promised to serve for
three years and obey the orders of
the president and the officers appointed
over him" he had signed his name to
this paper and the signature had not
had time to get dry.
When a man says he is going to
take on" or take to another blan-
ket,' he means that he is going to re-
| enlist. The government, in the cloth
| ing allowance for each man, provides
a blanket; hence the term to take an
/ other blanket"
The guardhouse Is called 1.-THE mill"
Some Ill behaved soldier away back in
| the past (the term is a very old One)
| no doubt thought his term In the
guardhouse ground out toward its end
very slowly. so he applied this now
much used name to the prison of the
garrison.
When the top" says, Get youl
blanket and go to the MILL" the sol
der knows he is in for a tour Of duty
in the guardhouse. and his blanket
means one or more nights, for in that
much to be avoided place nothing is
supplied in the way Of comforts, and
each occupant carries with him his
blanket, or more If he has them. to
make his rest more comfortable
All meals are called chuck" and
along toward mealtime the expression
as it not time for chuck call to blown
IS heard very frequently.
"SnowbirdS'' are men who enlist IN
the winter about the time snow begins
to fall and the real snowbird puts il
Its appearance and desert In the spring
when the robin appears. They take
on" only to tide over the winter witt
its discomforts.
The oldest man in the company Il
dad" and the youngest "the kid
Any Gcserter Is called skipper"
Two men -ho share the same small
10. or rh"se hunks are side by sidt
in he barr & room are called bunk
les" This ancient term originated il
The DAYS Of the very old "r'ay. whel
the Eun,.s -~cre built fer tG-O' ant
two men slept side by side on mat
.rcss filed With straw and one blan
kct apiece. much different from today
n-hcn each nan has bis hair mattress
Pillow. sheets ard blankets. A ''bunky
always has CHEW or filing for n pip
> for his mate. when be might tell an
other man That he has not enoug
weed to put under your nail"
All fines received from a court ar
called "bllrd" so that a man who re
ccivcd ten days in the guardhouse an
a Gna Of g would tell his comrade
that ho go ten days IN the mill an
4 five blind"
TIE commanding officer of a con
rany or the post IS always the "Ol
/ is-tL. - IT, - uDi liAtu bllltI Tel III
rot rarlCr foli. are used.
Al field musicians are called win
tanners" On account Of their jammin
Of wind into the trumpet that calls til
men to labor or rest
Every man on the completion of h
: term Of enlistment Is given a di
charge. At the bottom of his paper
olden times was a space in which IL
character borne by the man during b
term of enlistment was written. If b
service had been bad this part OF Il
discharge was cut off, and 1t WI
called "a bobtail." In speaking of Il
length Of time a man has to serve
- fore he has completed his term Of e
listment the term butt" means lie
Y than a year. so to say he has ye'
and little less than two years