THERE IS A WORD FOR IT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24775, 24 December 1943, Page 3

THERE IS A WORD FOR IT

The New "Slanguage" in the Services

enterprising young English officers, J. L. Hunt and A. G. Pringle, have compiled a timely little dictionary of service slang. It is, as the compilers freely admit, an incomplete work; but they have assembled an excellent selection of R.A.F. slang, characterised "by its gaiety and brilliant understatements," Army slang "by its inexorable knowledge of human nature," and Naval slang "by a freshness that never wears off."

The richest mine of this war's slang is undoubtedly the R.A.F., some of whose coinings have already passed into more or less general usage, but both the Army and the Navy have grafted original scions of speech on to the well-tried stock of older wars. There are five common service ways of saying a comrade has been killed or gone missing: "He's gone for a burton" (probably cockney rhyming slang for "gone for certain"), "he's had it," "he's bought it," "he's bought a packet," and (a Canadian contribution) "he's hopped the twig." "Courting a Cat" If you are showing interest in a girl, jou are "courting a cat," or, as the }?avy has it, "nibbling." The girl, herself, is a "popsie," a "bint," or (high praise) a "lush bint." The loveletters you write to her are "yumyurn." If you have imbibed excessively you are "draped, horizontal, shot to ribbons, or doolally." You are never bored —you are "browned off, brassed off, cheesed off, or jarred off." An officer, if ho wishes to reprimand you, "tears off a strip," as a result of which you are "malleted." or "shot down in flames," or you have "received a bottle" or "received a rocket." Non-flying Air Force personnel are ungenerously known as "kiwis" or "wingless wonders." Less obvious is the "midwaaf"—an officious W.A.A.F n.c.o. There is a new and pleasing euphemism coming into vogue for being "axed" or "stellenbosched": thus, instead of saying, as heretofore, that a general has been "bowler-hatted." you say he has "taken felt." "To waffle" is defined as "to discourse without precise knowledge of your subject.'"

Here are some miscellaneous gems which may be unfamiliar to laymen: "Button your flap"—shut up; teen medals" —beer stains; "cats' eyes"—night-fighter pilots; "cob on" —sulk, take offence: "dead man's effects"—false teeth; ''donkey's break-fast"—straw-filled palliasses; "fang

farrier"—dentist; "marmalade"—gold braid on senior officers' caps; "paradise" —place where shirkers take refuge. Finally, three apt R.A.F. terms: A Wellington bomber is a "flying cigar," a Dornier, a 'flying pencil, and a Hampden a "flying suitcase."