Page 14/The Battalion/Monday, April 30, 1984
Military slang entrenched
in day-to-day conversation
United Press International
BRAINTREE, Mass. — When
you’ve had it with the chow and
are ready to dump your next
tube steak down the nearest la
trine, give credit to the Army
for those expressions that make
life easier to stomach.
From World War I to Viet
nam, military slang has pro
vided a wealth of expressions to
describe everything from hot
dogs to bayonets.
Frank Hailey, a career Army
sergeant from Pembroke,
Mass., has collected 900 such
phrases and published them in
“Soldier Talk,” a book compiled
with the help of two other Mas
sachusetts veterans.
“Not even a real trained phi
lologist (someone who studies
historical linguistics) could find
out exactly where some of these
phrases start,” said Jack Drum-
mey, a retired lieutenant colo
nel in the Army Reserve.
A Navy veteran, Don Irving
of Walpole, printed 4,000 cop
ies of the book. It has been pop
ular with veterans, news of it
circulating largely through
word of mouth.
The glossary of terms spans
56 years of military language,
during the careers of Hailey
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We have: tables & chairs
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1904 Texas 2301 S. Texas
Bryan, 779-0085 C.S. 693-1313
and his late father, who joined
the cavalry in 1904. Lacey E.
Hailey collected slang as he
rode with General John “Black
jack” Pershing along the Mexi
can border and later during
World War I, before he retired
as a inajor.
Frank Hailey continued
where his father left off, listen
ing to how fighting men spoke
in World War II, Korea and the
early years of Vietnam.
Some phrases such as “R and
R” for “rest and recreation” or
“B and B” as in “booze and
broads” seem permanently en
trenched in civilian language.
Others, such as “Maggies
drawers,” an old term having to
do with target practice, or “Dis
neyland East,” a Vietnam War
expression for the Pentagon,
seemed destined for oblivion
unless someone wrote them
down.
Even when in use, some sol
dier talk was inscrutable to girlf
riends and families reading let
ters from their boys at war.
“They didn’t know what the sol
dier was talking about,” Hailey
said.
With his book, Hailey said
families could finally under
stand the meanings of “bottled
sunshine” (beer), “dead soldier”
(an empty liquor bottle or keg),
“fishbait patrol” (crossing a
river under heavy enemy fire)
and “50 mission crush” (the way
young pilots crushed their vis-
ored-cap sideways, as if head
phones had been slung over
them for 50 combat missions).
Hailey said he left out crus
tier expressions used by soldiers
so that “a nun could read it and
not blush. If I put everything in
‘Soldier Talk’ that should be
there, it would have to be
printed on asbestos paper.”
The phrase, “you’ve had it,”
is, heard everywhere, but how
many people know it came from
the British phrase for battle cas
ualties? Or that “jarhead” was a
cavalry term for a half-broken
mule?
Many expressions appreared
with the change of wars and
weaponry.
Infantrymen were “dough
boys” in World War I, “G.I.s”
and “mudslushers” in World
War II and Korea, “grunts” in
Vietnam. Bayonettes, or “Irish
butterknives,” in World War I
gave way to tanks or “Patton Ca
dillacs” in World War II.
Phrases also changed for the
two constants in soldiers’ minds
— death and home.
According to Hailey, no sol
dier likes to talk openly of
death, but invents phrases such
as “He’s gone West” or “bought
a wooden overcoat” (World
War I), “He’s had it” or “pushin’
up daisies” (World War II), “He
bought the farm” (Korea), or
“He got greased” (Vietnam).
Jumping High
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northAmerican.
Jessie Williams, 33, from the. Bren-
ham State School goes up and over the
bar in the high jump event at the re
gional Special Olympics track meei
Friday at Bryan High’s Viking Su
dtum.
Dam good for U.S., Mexico ties
United Press International
DEL RIO — The United States
is now generating electricity at
its $30 million plant at Amistad
(Friendship) Dam on the Mexi
can border, but the project pro
duces more than power.
“Amistad Dam is a living
monument to the good working
relationships between the
United States and Mexico,” said
U.S. ambassador Joseph F.
Friedkin, commissioner ot the
U.S. Section, International
Boundary and Water Commis
sion.
The U.S. official refers to the
six-mile-long dam built by both
countries to prevent flooding
and store precious water for ir
rigation and recreation.
Since the dam was inaugu
rated in 1969, the communities
of Del Rio, 13 miles down
stream, and Ciudad Acuna,
across the Rio Grande in Mex
ico, have become tourist meccas
lor boaters, fishermen, water
skiers, scuba divers and other
outdoor enthusiasts.
Friedkin said Amistad will
hold an open house May 9 to .
give the public an opportunity millk
to visit the power plant. . . ..
1 1 A similar poivei
One of the unusual aspects of the planning stages
the power plant is th
ers will not have to pa
The two 33,000
deliver power to t!
Electric Cooperative
South Texas Electri
alive under a power
tract that will fully
the U.S. governmeii
construction c
m
■McDonald's
DRIVE-THRU
. WINDOW
MCDONALD’S
INTRAMURAL HIGHLIGHTS
At University Drive
McDonald
■ l 8
BREAKFAST EVERY
MORNING
Now at Manor East Mall
ALL-UNIVERSITY
CHAMPIONS--
TRACK
1984
EVENT
NAME
TEAM
TIME
Women’s 100 Meter Edna Brown
Fleet Feet
18.73
Low Hurdles
Men’s 110 Meter
Frederick Schronk
Law Mule Train
14.36
Low Hurdles
CoRec 800 Meter
Brad Presnal
Flash
1:41.7
Relay
John Shomake
Lisa Huddleston
Marcie Titsworth
Women’s 400 Meter Tracy Drummond
Robert’s Girls
1:08.62
Dash
Track Club
Men’s 400 Meter
Dennis Burns
D.G. Striders
52.28
Dash
Women’s 400 Meter Karen Lyles
Ka’s Company
56.51
Relay
Marcie Titsworth
Juli Kennedy
Lisa Huddleston
Marilee Matheny
Jana Graves
Men’s 400 Meter
Brad Presnal
Cyclones •
44.38
Relay
Mike Hudson
Alan Burns
Derek Lichote
Women’s 1600
Debbie Green
Fleet Feet
5:50.45
Meter Run
Men’s 1600
Steve Jones
Hotard Hiltons
4:31.02
Meter Run
Women’s 200 Meter Stacey Smith
Robert’s Girls
26.53
Dash
Track Club
Men’s 200 Meter
Brad Presnal
Cyclones
22.44
Dash
Women’s 100 Meter Stacey Smith
Robert’s Girls
13.05
Dash
Track Club
Men’s 100 Meter
Lance Haverda
D.G. Striders
10.98
Dash
Women’s 800 Meter Bobbie Van Cleave Robert’s Girls
2:45.85
Dash
Track Club
Men’s 800 Meter
Thomas Ratliff
Cyclones
2:03.44
Dash
Women’s 800 Meter Mary Phillips
Robert’s Girls
4:31.87
Relay
Bobbie Hill
Track Club
Sherry Ann Byer
Stacey Smith
Tracy Drummond
Men’s 1600 Meter
Ted Hoffman
Cyclones
3:31.32
Congratulations Graduates!
The IM-REC SPORTS OFFICE
Wishes you the best of luck
in your future endeavors.
ALL UNIVERSITY CHAMPIO!
FIELD EVENTS 1984
Men-Scott Vaughan
6’6”
Crocker
Women-Gina Jones
47”
Fowler
HIGH JUMP
Men—Kevin McIntosh
22’ 4'/4”
Aston
Women-Stacey Smith
15’a 1 /*”
R.G.T.C.
SHOT PUT
Men-John Cole
Women—Jeannie Pruett
51’ 11”
36’ 8”
Keathly
SOFTBALL THROW
Men-Mark Alexander
310’ 10”
Moore
Women-Serri Scott
182’ 8”
Briggs
; U ^ |ii
Relay
CoRec 440 Relay
Doug Ming
Brad Presnal
Tom Ratliff
Sheri Scott
Jeff Farrar
Karen Guerrero
Tom Bumgardner
3rd Time Around 47.83
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
McDonald’s® Intramural Highlights is sponsored each Monday in the Battalion by
your local McDonald’s® Restaurants at University Drive, Manor East Mall and on
Texas Avenue. Stories are wnttor. kw ^ ers Q f intramural Staff, graphics are
by Mike Borg, and photos ‘ ^ ^ 0 Donne!! and Mark Riesz.
HP
I p
*
m
The Men’s Rugby team will be playing in the! 1
tional Collegiate Championships in California^
weekend. Good luck team!