Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-07
TOMMY'S SLANG
TO BE KEPT IN
FOND MEMORY
War Dictionary of Words and
Phrases Being Compiled
for British Museum.
SEEK HISTORY OF ORIGIN

LONDON, Jan. IAN effort is to be
made to preserve in the British Museum
a the wartime slang Of the British Tom
my. For the benefit of the students OF
the great war a dictionary is in the
course Of compilation dealing with the
many words and phrases born Of the war
The secretary Of the Imperial War
Museum has issued a request for notes
on the subject giving the slang terms
used in the British army, together with
the meaning of the words and, if possible,
their derivation.
Much Of this slang was a legacy Of
the old regular soldier at Mons and
originated for the most part in the East
The most popular and the most romantic
and sentimental slang term of the lot I'M
doubtedly was "blighty." That is now
almost universally used 1t is derived
from the Hindustani and means home.
However, the history of such express
sions as kip" posi-" 'wangIe," eye
wash" "swank," square pushing" or
''wlnd-up" is not yet written, and the
secretary aforesaid is now carefully col
lating his data. In his request for data
the secretary very naively suggests that,
of course, many of the army terms are
not polite and hardly fit for publica-
ton"
As a rule, however, the slang Of the
British Tommy has a much more whole
some derivation than most Of the French
"argot les branches"
ONLY ONE
TRENCH LANGUAGE.
Perhaps the most astounding thing
about the army slang of the Brit
ish is the generality of it's uses. Those
knowing Great Britain know that the
dialect Of no TWO counties Is alike. The
accent of the Lancashireman is as diff
ferent as possible from that of his neigh,
Dor, the Yorkshireman, while the troops
from Northumberland were completely
and wonderfully unintelligible to the
rest of the British army. Many Of the
Welsh regiments, too, could speak no
other language but their native Welsh.
Yet the language Of the trench was the
same for all.
To all brass hat" was a staff field
officer. True, the Scotsman put two ex-
ira RS" into it, and the Northumbrian,
as he is wont, 'gutteralled" the r.
and made it appear Iike-well certain
~ nothing which could be printed.
Some of the examples are as follows:
Air-fiappers-army signalIers.
Archie-an anti-aircraft gun. prob
ably a corruption of aircaft.)
Bully-bully beef, timed cdrned beet.
"a relic of South Africa.)
Misunderstanding which is to spare
or can be borrowed. Derived from the
Arabian beggars' term, backsheesh)
Blighty-home, England. (Hindu-
stani)
Bynt-a young woman. (Arabic.)
Cushy-soft. Derived from cushion.
A cushy wound Is a slight wound. a
cushy job is a task which can be per
formed sitting DOWN.
SOME HINDU,
TOO.
Dekko-to look CHindustani)
Eyewash--over- elaboration, generally
in some scheme to hoodwink a general
Emma Gees-the signaling term for
the initials M g." i. e., machine gun
ner.
Jerry-a German soldier.
Kip-to sleep; a bed.
Lancejack-a lance corporal
Leaf-leave of absence. Corruption of
leave)
Monjy-bread, or something to eat.
Corruption of the French.)
POsh-ultra smart.
Padre-an army chaplain.
Quarter bloke-the quartermaster.
Red cap-an army policeman who
wears a red cap.
scupper-to wipe out completely.
Square pUshing-to walk out with a
sweetheart in soldiers best uniform.
Sapper-an Ell gineer.
Swanking-f0ur- flushing.
Snob-the Iegimental bootmaker.
Snips-the reglmental tailor.
Wangle-to achieve an object by
doubtful means ''Wangling Leaf means
to get leave Of absence by giving false
reason.
Wind up-to be nervous and apprehen-
sive. 1t does not necessarily mean to
be frightened; many Of the bravest SOL
diers confessed to having 1.-The wind up
In the officers mess it was known gen
orally as the vertical breeze" or the
"draught.''