Military Jokes and Humor Military Word-Phrase Origins

Author: Rod Powers
Military Word-Phrase Origins

HORRIBLE ETYMOLOGICAL REVELATION. In 1941 American military etymology lovers discovered with horror that the abbreviation CINCUS (Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet) implied the invitation to the enemy 'Sink Us'. The abbreviation abetting the enemy was hastily changed.

ETYMOLOGY TORPEDOED. Everybody knows about that naval weapon 'torpedo'. But only few people are aware of the connection of this word with the fish world though the torpedo was often called a 'tin-fish', a 'kipper', etc. The word 'torpedo' is a metaphorical transfer from the name in Latin of an electric ray from the family Torpedinidae which possesses a peculiar organ enabling it to stun its prey with electric shock.

EIGHTBALL. 'Eightball' is a highly uncomplimentary slang word standing for a rather objectionable character ('gold brick', 'goof').

The word owes its origin to the billiard game where the number 8 ball has some restrictive associations which make it an object of disapproval. Namely, in a pocket billiard game, popular in the USA, the player loses if he directs the eight ball into the pocket. Hence, the phrase 'be behind the eightball' (in trouble). In the Army the word has likely connections with the expression 'Section 8' which was a section of provisions specifying the reasons for discharge from military service. 'Section 8' defined the reasons for discharge for reasons of mental, psychiatric deficiencies and therefore 'Section 8' figuratively means a 'psycho', a 'moron'.

DRONE. A drone is a collective name for pilotless aircraft. But original meaning was and is 'the male of the honeybee and other bees'. This particular kind of the insect through clear associations was connected with such notions as 'one who lives on the labor of others', 'an idler', 'a sluggard'.

These associations underlie the transfer of the meaning to an aircraft which was steered by remote control without a pilot. Initially, pilotless aircraft were used as air targets for training AA gun crews. These targets were marked with black stripes along the tail part of the fuselage. These stripes looked like those of a drone (the insect). Hence, the nickname. Nowadays pilotless aircraft are distinguished as drones and RPVs (remotely-piloted vehicles). Drones are program-guided while RPVs are piloted from a distance by operators. It is curious to know that bomber air crews called jokingly air gunners 'drones'. Probably because air gunners were idle during flights and had only lots of things to do when firing at enemy fighters.

SEESAW BATTLE. 'Seesaw battle' is fighting with unconclusive result for both sides, with ups and down of war luck. A very well-known plaything of children (a rocking plank with a support at the middle) used to provide fun for kids was associated with some combat operations. British also use the phrase 'ding-dong battle' where 'ding-dong' is a figurative expression of back and forth motion of the knocker of a bell.

DEADLINE. This word is now a term. Its principal meanings are 'date limits', 'state of disrepair'. It's interesting to trace the development of this signification from the original meaning.

'Deadline' in jails meant the line in the yard where prisoners used to walk beyond which they had not to go. Guards could shoot dead any inmate crossing it. Hence the meaning (date or time) 'limit'. Vehicles with a long service period were scheduled to be sent to a maintenance shop for repair after a definite date (deadline). Those under repair were said to be 'deadlined'.

ABBREVIATIONS

(which do not abbreviate anything)

SOS. This abbreviation known throughout the world as the international distress signal, transmitted by Morse code by ships at sea or aircraft in emergency, is often decyphered as spelling 'Save Our Souls'.

Though this interpretation seems very romantic it has nothing to do with the real meaning. SOS is the simplest combination of dots and dashes to be easily memorized by any radio operator or listener. OVRA. This abbreviation fortunately is not any longer known to younger generations. But in the recent past it was as well familiar as German 'Ges-tapo'. OVRA meant Italy's secret police during the fascist regime. Mussolini chose this haphazard combination of letters with a purpose to impress Italian people with the mystery of the meaning. He said the more mysterious this abbreviation would look the more fear these four letters would inspire.

DITCHING. How the word meaning a 'ditch' (trench as an excavation) came to mean 'forced landing by aircraft on water at sea'?

During WWII British aircraft returning from missions in Germany had to fly over the English Channel. In the sailors' lingo the word 'channel' has a familiar synonym 'ditch'. Hence, the English Channel was called the 'Ditch'. Naturally aircraft made emergency landing in the Ditch. They were 'ditched'. Now the word 'ditch' means 'to land planes in emergency on the sea anywhere' (for example, such terms as 'ditching exercise', 'ditching drill', etc.).

SWEEPING AGAIN. In addition to what the reader may know about this word we may point out the humorous phrase 'Admiral's Broom' which is nearly close in meaning to the expression 'Marshal's baton' proverbially carried by every soldier in his knapsack.

The Dutch Admiral, Marten Tromp, beat the English fleet in 1652. He allegedly sailed up the Channel with a broom at his masthead in token of his ability to sweep the seas of the enemy.

KNOWING THE ROPES. Phraseology connected with the sea and sailors and sailing pervades the English vocabulary. Here are some of the phrases of naval origin.

Know the ropes - know everything thoroughly about a subject. In the era of the sail fleets it took a lot of effort for a sailor to learn everything about the rigging of the ship (made up of canvas sails and ropes) and its manipulation. The expression 'know the hang' of something is of the same origin (know how to set up - 'hang' - various sails).

Of naval origin are such well-known phrases as 'full steam ahead', 'keep steady'. To naval activities belong 'steer clear of-avoid; 'torpedo an undertaking (conference)'; 'be three sheets in the wind', 'half seas over'-be drunk; 'go overboard'; 'clear the decks (for action)'-prepare for something; 'fire abroadside'-apply effort; 'lie of the land'- general situation-'See how the land lies'; 'Weigh anchor'-move off, and very many others.

SABOTAGE. This word meaning in English 'malicious injury to work, tools, machinery, etc., or any underhand interference with production or business, by enemy agents during wartime' should be traced to the French word 'sabot'-a shoe with a thick wooden sole. What has a shoe in common with the above mentioned meanings?

French workers used to show their protest against bosses with knocking with their sabots. Sometimes sabots were thrown into machinery to damage it. Hence 'saboteurs', acts of sabotage'.

CODE NAMES. Code names in military English include such words and expressions which are used as nicknames' (an official word) for naming operations, weapons, plans, etc. Code names, in their primary meaning, do not have any logical connection with what they designate. They are mainly designed to cover (conceal) the thing they represent to all persons who do not know their prearranged meaning.

Here are some examples. In WWII the code name 'Alsos mission' was the cover name for a large-scale operation engineered and conducted by the American strategic secret service in the late period of the war to find and evacuate to the USA all prominent atomic scientists in Europe. 'Alsos' is Greek for 'grove' (small wood). The military leader of the American A-bomb development project (Manhattan Project) was General L.R. Groves. The code name 'Husky' was given to the operations plan of American landing in North Africa in 1943. The primary meaning of the word ('Eskimo dog') suggested something connected with the North (maybe just North Africa) but was deliberately misleading (Africa can hardly be thought as a country in the North). Nothing may be seen in the well-known nickname 'Overlord' of the Anglo-American invasion of Europe across the English Channel in 1944. It was just a cover word.

Sometimes such names have peculiar origin. They say that an American general in charge of the R&D project of a tactical missile was asked: "How should we name this missile?" and exclaimed: "Honest John!" (which was an exclamation expressing ignorance). And the missile was named 'Honest John'.

Names of weapons in the US Armed Forces are chosen to provide pompous designations of propagandistic significance, for example, 'Titan', 'Nike', 'Spartan' (to name but few missiles), 'Phantom', 'Cobra', 'Shooting Star' (aircraft). 'Samaritan' is the British name for an ambulance vehicle. Here some connection may be seen between the form and the meaning. Samaritan (from the bible) is 'one who is compassionate to a fellow being in distress' (compare the biblical 'good Samaritan'). Another British special combat vehicle for the battlefield recovery (extraction) of damaged and stuck mobile equipment was nicknamed 'Samson' (after the mythical performer of Herculean exploits).

'Brimstone Project' was the code name of the siting of Minuteman ballistic missiles in abandoned sulphur and copper ore mines.

WHAT GENDER AND WHAT SEX? Why a ship is referred to as 'she'? But why a military ship is called 'man of war'? Now etymologists also ask what sex a computer is. A wit says that computers are feminine. They are admitted for their configurations, he explained. They have the ability of total recall and correct all mistakes (by men). They also predict future foolishness '(of men). And, of course, they are always right.

A DOSAGE OF ETYMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS. Ammunition. From the French 'munition' (all war essentials).

Bullet. From the French 'boule' (ball) -any projectile (cannon or musket). Compare the modern term 'ball cartridge' (sharp ammo).

Grenade. From the Latin 'granatus' (seedy).

Gun. From Old Norse 'Gunnhildr' (a woman's name). Weapons often received feminine names.

Missile. From Latin 'missilis' (a weapon or other object thrown or projected).

ATTACKING CISTERNS. This combination sounds like a pun or a phrase from a sci-fic story. But 'cisterns' was the code name suggested at first to conceal new weapons developed by the British in WWI. Instead of "cisterns' these weapons were shipped as 'water tanks'. Hence tanks were called 'tanks.'

TATTOO. Originated during the Thirty Years War, and called the Zapfenstreich. At 9:00 p.m. when the call was sounded, all bungs (Zapfen) (sticks used to cork wine barrels) had to be in their barrels, signifying the end of the drinking bout. A check line (Streich) was then drawn across the bung by the guard so that it couldn't be opened without evidence of tampering. Bungs were translated in English as taps and the whole command as 'Tap to' that became 'Tattoo'.