Rhymes of the Rookies - LightNovelsOnl.com
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Youngster--a young officer (a first or second lieutenant).
Wagon-soldier--light or field artilleryman.
Wind-jammer--a trumpeter or bandsman.
Wood-butcher--company artificer.
ENGLISH ARMY SLANG
Gravel Crushers--infantry soldiers.
Poultice Wallahs--Royal Army Medical Corps men.
Doolally Tap--when a soldier becomes mentally unbalanced he is said to have received the "Doolally Tap." "Doolally" is a corruption of the name of an Indian town, Deolali.
Bun Wallah--a soldier who drinks nothing stronger than tea, and is in consequence supposed to eat voraciously of buns.
Chips--the regimental pioneer sergeant, who is usually a sergeant.
Lance Jack--a lance-corporal.
Quarter Bloke--the quartermaster.
Rookey--a recruit.
Scrounger--a man with plenty of resource in getting what he wants.
Yob--one who is easily fooled.
Bobygee--a soldier cook. In India a native one.
Baggies--sailors in the Navy.
Badgy--an enlisted boy.
Long-faced Chum--a cavalryman's term for his horse.
Rooty--bread.
Slingers--a meal of bread and tea.
Muckin--b.u.t.ter.
Bully Beef--the tinned meat ration.
Lamping--eating heartily.
C. B.--confined to barracks.
Chucking a Dummy--when a man faints on parade he is said to "have chucked a dummy."
Clink or Mush--the guard room.
Brief, Cheque or Ticket--discharge doc.u.ments.
Dock--a military hospital.
Swinging the Lead--the equivalent of "telling the tale."
Weighed off--when a soldier has been awarded punishment for an offense he is said to have been "Weighed off."
High Jump--an appearance before the C.O. to answer a charge of breaking regulations.
Lost His Number--a man is said to have "lost his (regimental) number"
when he is reported for any offense. It is "lost" because it is placed on the report sheet.
Stir--imprisonment in a detention barracks.
Chancing His Arm--committing an offence in expectation that it will not be discovered. A N.C.O. is said to be "chancing his arm" because he may be deprived of his stripes.
Jankers--defaulter's drill.
Dog's Leg--the first stripe received on promotion.
Bundook--a rifle.
Bobtack--powder mixed into a paste to clean b.u.t.tons and bra.s.s work on equipment.
Muck-in--share in.
Square-Pus.h.i.+ng--courting. Your best boots, cap, etc., are called square-pus.h.i.+ng boots, etc.
Square-bit--your best girl.
Atcha--all right.
Blighty--home.
WORDS TO THE ARMY TRUMPET CALLS
REVEILLE:
I can't get 'em up, I can't get 'em up, I can't get 'em up in the morning; I can't get 'em up, I can't get 'em up, I can't get 'em up at all; Corp'rals worse than the privates; Sergeants worse than the corporals; Lieutenants worse than the sergeants, And the capt'n's the worst of all.
