Old Naval Sayings

[capnsensible]

Train Smash....scrambled egg and tinned tomatos

Commanche b@ll@x......tinned tomatos

Elephants footprints.....spam fritters

For the great unwashed, Harbour cotters....cod in batter

 

[epervier]

Who remembers using n*****s dick

Only just come across this thread, and the answer is yes, Nice little sideline in Dolphin's battery shack, spare crew, refurbin' car batteries before the days of sealed for life, hotknife the top off, flush out the sludge, fit back with n*****s dick, recharge with some 1360, price? beer tokens x 5.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Maybe we should launch a "Jackopedia" site? Here is my contribution!

(English followed by RN Version)

Hemorrhoid = Bum Plums or Fartleberries
Submarine = Boat
Ship = Skimmer or "target" (terms used by Submariners)
Naval Aviator = W.A.F.U (Wet and F. Useless)
Steak and Kidney Pudding = Babies Heads
The Sea = Oggin
Afternoon off = Make and mend.
Engine room mechanic= Stoker
Medical Assistant (Probably called paramedics these days) = Scab lift Scab lifter is still used occasionally, but the medic is usually referred to just as the 'MA" as in "emmay"
Members of the RN regulating branch (RN version of red caps) = Reggies
Corned Beef = Corned Dog
washing powder = dobey dust
Salt = Sea dust

I may post more later if more comes to mind - been 21 years since I left the RN so stretching the old grey cells!

You will be relieved to know that all the other phrases are still in common usage. I learned a possible explanation for the background of 'egg banjo' (a fried egg sandwich) only the other day. When it drips down your shirt front (as they invariably do) you brush the egg off and the action looks just like you're playing the banjo. No idea if its true, but it sort of makes sense.

 

[chinita]

A couple of Army ones:

Sparrowfart - dawn

Batscrap - Just before dawn

 

[monkfish24]

Guz - Plymouth
Jockroach - stormy scotsman
baby's rat packs - boobs
Wafu (wonderful and f***ing unique) - fleet air arm
dream sheet - flying programme
harry . . . . . . . - prefix to any noun meaning owned by the MOD i.e Harry black maskers, MOD owned black duct tape (don't ask why it's called masking when it's duct tape!?!)
Scrinson - any item that you need!


And my personal favourite, although I have never heard it in use but it's in jackspeak...

Cossif - the bit of skin between your legs, cossif it wasn't there, it'd all fall out!

 

[reginaldon]

Guz - Devonport

Jagos - The Messdeck in Guz Barracks

Three Badge F A. - Always oldest unpromoted matelot in the mess, who was a bit of a
sage Each badge, a stripe for 4 years service, unless lost for misconduct

Killick - Leading Hand

Jimmy - First Lieutenant

The Old Man - Commanding Officer, of course

Sky Pilot - Chaplain

Sin Bosun - Chaplain

Jaunty - Regulating P O or Master-at-Arms

Well it was when I was last there - '53

 

[Gk 66]

Biffens Bridge?

 

[epervier]

And my personal favourite, although I have never heard it in use but it's in jackspeak...Cossif - the bit of skin between your legs, cossif it wasn't there, it'd all fall out!

It was only ever applied when referring to wrens, the bit if skin between the two hull drains

Tasteless I'll agree, but nevertheless true.

 

[OGITD]

Diesel Weasel ..... you'll always be a Diesel Weasel

It was only ever applied when referring to wrens, the bit if skin between the two hull drains
Tasteless I'll agree, but nevertheless true.

Oh yeh! ….. 'Diesel Weasel' Diesel Boat Crew (obviously!)

 

[epervier]

Oh yeh! ….. 'Diesel Weasel' Diesel Boat Crew (obviously!)

The Mantra is as good today as it was back then,.................





Think Diesel, Stink Diesel

 

[OGITD]

In Keeping With 'Mess Rules'

Tasteless I'll agree, but nevertheless true.

I would very much like to expand and debate this ..... but I believe the 'S&S' (the Fa**y's) would complain & I'd be 'Nostro'd' by Laura.

 

[monkfish24]

I but I believe the 'S&S' (the Fa**y's) would complain

When do S&S not complain????

 

[prv]

The Mantra is as good today as it was back then,.................

Think Diesel, Stink Diesel

Not sure it is as good today - do we still have any diesel boats?

Pete

 

[epervier]

I would very much like to expand and debate this ..... but I believe the 'S&S' (the Fa**y's) would complain & I'd be 'Nostro'd' by Laura.

Yes, I'm afraid that in todays PC correct world you'd get FUBARed, most of these terms date from way before Personal Computers, never mind Political Correctness.

 

[reginaldon]

Scaley B*****d - A rating disinclined to wash (generally a trainee)
Treatment (administered by messmates): bath of cold water, bar of 'pusser's hard' and a scrubbing brush,

Cleanliness was a priority, maybe this led to calling soldiers 'Pongos' as of course most of the time a soldier had far fewer opportunities for personal cleanliness than most matelots. - just my theory.

 

[prv]

maybe this led to calling soldiers 'Pongos' as of course most of the time a soldier had far fewer opportunities for personal cleanliness than most matelots. - just my theory.

I always understood the source to be "wherever the Army goes, the pong goes", which would tend to agree.

Interestingly, the RAF being known as "crabs" is universal in the Army, despite the origin (uniforms the colour of "crab fat" dockyard paint) being a Navy thing.

Pete

 

[maxi77]

I always understood the source to be "wherever the Army goes, the pong goes", which would tend to agree.

Interestingly, the RAF being known as "crabs" is universal in the Army, despite the origin (uniforms the colour of "crab fat" dockyard paint) being a Navy thing.

Pete

Crabs, hard skinned and scuttle away sideways at the first sign of trouble

 

[maxi77]

Oh yeh! ….. 'Diesel Weasel' Diesel Boat Crew (obviously!)

The 'Great Unwashed' though covers all forms of propulsion, especially crossthreaded old farts like me.

 

[OGITD]

Aft of 99

The 'Great Unwashed' though covers all forms of propulsion, especially crossthreaded old farts like me.

All the lads aft of 99 (propulsion) were allowed to shower during periods of ‘water rationing’ but never during extended periods of ‘Anti-Jez’ etc.
They weren’t a ‘bad-lot’ (to be honest) as they gave us most of what we needed to do our 'job', and carry the ‘Mid-ship Ballast’ around the ‘black hole’ (aka box of many).
Smell! ….. there’s nothing comes close to describing it ….. not even epervier’s ‘skidders’ after a 15 & ½ week ‘Sneaky’ living in Diesel mist.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

All the lads aft of 99 (propulsion) were allowed to shower during periods of ‘water rationing’ but never during extended periods of ‘Anti-Jez’ etc.
They weren’t a ‘bad-lot’ (to be honest) s they gave us most of what we needed to do our 'job', and carry the ‘Mid-ship Ballast’ around the ‘black hole’ (aka box of many).
Smell! ….. there’s nothing comes close to describing it ….. not even epervier’s ‘skidders’ after a 15 & ½ week ‘Sneaky’ living in Diesel mist.

I am completely non military, the family were all in retained employment: merchant navy, food distribution. So I will have a go at deciphering the above based on knowledge gleaned from RN types who hang about the sailing scene on the Firth of Clyde, TV and books. Here goes: -

The engineers aft of the 99th bulkhead (water tight compartment) on a nuclear submarine that carried ballistic missiles, were allowed to shower when the boat was silent (I assume because the water makers were noisy and therefore rationed). During extended periods of avoiding being actively hunted by a known hunter killer stalking them they were not allowed to wash at all.

They were good engineers who kept the systems going and reliable to allow the primary objective to be carried out: undetected launching of nuclear missiles at an enemy. There were a lot of missiles in tubes around the mid ship section of the submarine and tubes were contained within a separate compartment.

The stench of the engineers after a prolonged period of non washing can't be described as it is worse than Mr Epervier's under pants, which were worn constantly as he carried out engineering activities on diesel electric submarines operating clandestinely in enemy territory for 15.5 weeks.

Okay, how did I do? Maybe it was just car pool mechanics.