The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-23
GODs.

OCCdslOH Oh u VlSlI 10 tnlS port Oh tne
North Atlantic feet, a number Of
capable and anti-paclfist nephews Of
Uncle SAM who wore the navy blue
protested vigorously against the OPP
plication to them and to their mates
Of the diminutive Jackie" bestowed
In affection as a contraction Of blue
jacket, or Jack Tar, and used in oil
innocence by persons who desired to
record their affection, and who Incl
dentally revealed their ignorance Of
the sea. A sailor does not want a
pet name; he is man, not child !;
as, subsequently, Sammy" raised the
ire Of the d6ughboys. SO Jackie" af-
fected the sturdy guardians Of the
great deeps.
The sailors had good reason to
protest. Not only does the appella.
ton Jackie" consign them to the
infant class, but it has other mean.
ings not less Objectionable. A JACKIE,
which easily become Jackie" is an
ape, or parrot.
Recently our friends in the Middle
West, which BOASTS an astonishing
naval training station ut Great Lakes,
Ill.,, have fallen into the error of dub
hing the followers Of FARRAGur and
PORTER "Jackies," and our highly es-
teemed contemporary the Bulletin of
that establishment, "for the good of
the ship" has set forth to correct
them. Under the beading "Over-
board" the Bulletin says:
''If any civilian called any sailor on
this station a mollycoddle there would
| be a grand fight.
yet the sailors stand for the appel
lation Jackie without resentment. The
men on this station are sailors, or at
least they are training to become sail
ors. They are men and are In q mans
game. They are not children. Why
call them Jackies'?
Jack Is a good old navy name. but
what is the meaning Of Jackie: The
nearest we can figure 1t Is that Jackie
means the kind Of sailor you fnd on a
| magazine cover. Have you ever seen
! q live magazine cover sailor? When
you do you may rightly call him q
Jackie, but there Is no such animal
on this station.
"As BILL MACK says in his homely
way, Where do they get that stun"
If the ancient and acceptable
Jack" will not do for those who
wish to address and speak of naval
sailors in intimate style, "tar" is
acceptable; "bluejacket" will do
sailor" in an emergency, Of course
but the most poetic and mouth filling
name that has come to our attention
so far Is the highly satisfactory and
uneffeminate COB"
No dictionary will give clue tc
the association that makes "gob" &C
ceptable to the sailors. As word
not as title. 1t signifies, in mining
| al WI Ming Alicu WIFI rel
use; to COB is to stow away waste
In coal mining, to support the walls
A "gob" is a little lump or piece; "a
COB Of taffy or butter" And many q
boy has been told to "shut his COB,
or has received "a punch on the
COB" But what has the man with
bell bottomed trousers to do with
dictionaries? He speaks a Language
Of his own, full Of pith and sub
stance; he may make up his words
as he goes along, for all we care, ant
we shall receive them joyfully; We
can hear the Admiral command the
signal boy to find out whether all the
gobs in the landing party are ashore
along with the leather necks; and II
the men who rule the ocean want tC
be gobs, then gobs they shall be.
L -------------------------