“TIDDLEY FOR GIVORY.”

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2647, 10 November 1919, Page 7

“TIDDLEY FOR GIVORY.”

— — GRAND FLEET SLANG. The Navy speaks a natural language of its own, which, to the shoregoing ear, is both uncouth and bewildering. There is not an article or a man in the navy which escapes a nickname. Contrary to the popular belief, these are by no means', a sign that a man is beloved of those who live, work, and have their entire being in his company. Take that commonest of things, for instance, food. It is “scran” or “mungy,” this latter being an adaptation of the Maltese word for food. “A bit off the horns of the cow in front” is a joint looked upon with disfavour, while “wardroom end” is rump steak, the popular fallacy being that this succulent portion of the carcass is reserved for officers. “Liver and grapes” does not sound at all appetising, but it is a mixture of liver and bacon cuttings ; while “gramophone,” “song-book,” or “humming bird” all refer to the bloater.

The sausage is "ordinary seaman’s delight" ; while "a watertight door and a bunker spanner" are a tin of sardines with the necessary opener. "Ticklers” is a term that is applied equally to short-service seamen, manufactured tobacco in tins, and jam—all three being recent innovations into the Service, looked upon with anything but favour by the true blue. And that reminds me. Never refer to a bluejacket as "Jack Tar” or ‘‘sailor" —these are insulting terms. To the naval man "sailor" is synonymous with his own contemptuous' term for a swanker, "Jack Shalloo, the only man who ever slid down the lee side of a rainbow and biffed a sea-serpent.” To himself he is a "matloe" or a "webtoe," or, maybe, a "mucko." To confer upon him the designation "a good sailorman" is equivalent to offering him a knighthood.

And he is a "matloe" no matter whether his rating is that of "angle" —wireless operator, wearing a badge of a lightning-struck pair of wings ; a "rag-tearer" or "bunting-jerker”— which is a signalman ; a "shovelengineer" or "dustman"—which is a stoker ; or a "Jack Dusty"—which is a steward.

Plis trousers . aren’t slacks, they’re "bells," and his collar is a "dicky." His cap, similarly, is a "gibby"— the same term means spoon in cutlery. Should he be dressed rather more neatly than usual, or be the slightest bit departing from strict uniform, the sailorman is "tiddey for givory"—that is, smartened up excessively for leave.

He "catches the boat" when he manages to obtain something just before the shops close ; when he has a second helping at table he is "rounding the buoy.” "Lot’s wife" is the salt ; the "lighthouse" is the pepperduster, and butter is variously termed "Section Eight" or "running man"—the reason being that the eighth section of the seaman’s land musketry course consists of firing at a running man target ; the butter, in the summer-time, takes on the same peculiar habit of being hard to get hold of.