Old Naval Sayings

[rotrax]

washing powder = dobey dust

Funnily enough have never heard of dobey dust, but the engine room washing machine which was used for washing the overalls was always called the dobey engine.

Mike

From the Indian Army- Dhobi Wallah's did the washing. According to Spike Milligan "Kharsi" is from the Zulu M'kharsi" for taking a dump.

 

[epervier]

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.

The odour of a diesel boat could be described as a piquant blend of (in order of pungency) diesel,old socks,sweat,flatulence,cigarette smoke,with a soupçon of cleaning agents
The dress was pirate rig, jeans and a rabbited US boat's sweatshirt, while at sea, as depicted in the picture below circa 1967/8, Good god, I was a good looking bit of skin back then, I'm on the stb telegraph, insanity was a prerequisite when applying to join boats, clearly evident in this photo

As to the reference to my cacks, what makes you think I had any? motorroom watch keepers mess was back aft, stern tubes kept the beer cool.

 

[25931]

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
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!

I knew dumplings as babies heads

 

[maxi77]

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.

I must admit that I prefered the smell of a diesel boat to that of a nucy poo. If I open an old book that was in Warspite I can still smell the boat all these years on and it is a bit like old slop drain and sewage mixed and matured.

 

[RUSSH]

Yum Yum

Cheesey hammy eggy!

Pier head jump - Very short notice draft.
Draft - Posting.
Dab toe - Seaman branch.
Scribe - Writer.
Crusher - Regulator.
Bish - Padre.
Matelot's mattress - Wren.
Tampon Tower - Wrens block HMS Dryad.
Golly - Electronic Warfare operator.
Tas Ape - Sonar operator.
Tinnie - Can of beer.
Goffa - Soft drink or large wave crashing over ship which gets you wet.
Goffered - soaked by a Goffa.
Nine o clockers - Snack served at 2100 hours.
Gronk board - Pinboard upon which was displayed the usually pornographic photos of ex wife/girlfriend or last conquest.
Sports page - Part of a letter usually from one of above of an intimate nature.
Steaming bats - Safety boots.
Rabbit - Gift brought abroad to take home to loved one, usually inappropriate tat purchased while pi$$ed on way back to ship from run ashore.
CSB - Courage Special Beer as served only on HM Ships.
DFs - Duty Frees.
Gulch - Cul de sac area of a mess deck.
Scratcher - Bunk.
Fanny - As in fanny of tea, large tea pot.
Spit kid - Large round aluminium pot in which fag buts and empty tinnies deposited.
ROMFT - Roll On My F#€king Time.

Too many more too recall right now. But thanks for bringing it all back. Those where the days!

 

[BlueLancer]

Ah Babies head takes me back, best thing in a compo box !
Its all boil in the bag now.



Where did "Bondoo bashing" (X country driving) come from?

Not sure but we called it bundoo bashing in Cyprus, when we were hunting local wild dogs on scrub land on sovereign bases from the back of a land rover. They used to become a menace, so we used to hunt them down and shoot them. Good fun but bloody dangerous when the driver had to many tinnies.

 

[maxi77]

Babies 'eads were common in boats as they were on the 'submarine comforts' list, foods that were not charged against the boats victualling account

 

[OGITD]

Well!

I’m going to 'hit me-pit/scratcher/farter/rack', and I’ll be snorting on 'both diesels' as I don’t have the ‘hey diddle diddle’, so put me down for a shake before ‘call the hands’ as I want a quick ‘dhoby’ so I can be first in the ‘scran’ queue as it’s seggies.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Gash = rubbish
oggin = the sea and, for some strange reason, hard core or shingle?
dampers = unleaven bread (basically grilled flour and water as far as I can tell - we used to dread my Mother going away when we were kids as the first thing Father would do is make us dampers).)

(these from my father who was Merchant before the war and moved across to the RN during the war and for a year or so afterwards).

Reggies must be the politest term I've ever heard for the Regulating branch. What's the difference between a Reggie, a Provo and the SP then?

Scalies or Scaleys were married personnel in the RAF and Army, from Scale E, their pay rate. Sons and daughters were scalie brats. I always assumed that went across all the Forces.

 

[pelmetman]

ROMFT - Roll On My F#€king Time.

Too many more too recall right now. But thanks for bringing it all back. Those where the days!

ROMFT my favourite saying

As an ex 2 badge AB.........there appears to be quite a few Anchor faced ex matelots on here

 

[reginaldon]

ROMFT my favourite saying

As an ex 2 badge AB.........there appears to be quite a few Anchor faced ex matelots on here

Way back, it was always 'Roll on my F***** twelve!' then they said 'How long've you got to do Jack', my reply might have been 'about six months' 'What! How old are you then?'

I was one of a v. small number of National Servicemen.

 

[ferrispeterchris]

Has "devilled kidneys on toast" AKA "s.h.i.t. on a raft" been mentioned yet?

 

[pelmetman]

Has "devilled kidneys on toast" AKA "s.h.i.t. on a raft" been mentioned yet?

I think so..........but no ones mentioned Deadmans fingers (frankfurters)........Train Smash (Mix of tinned tomatoes and baked beans)....

How about a game of Ukkers, with mixiblobs, and timber shifting b******ds

As for sayings.....some of the ones I recall..

He's so old he remembers when Victory was an acorn.....

In the old days it was rum bum and baccy.... now days its all rock cock and jukebox....

Max factor knacker lacquer, adds luster to your cluster...

 

[maxi77]

Foo foo dust, - talcum powder, or a dry shower

 

[uxb]

Ahhhh- Ukkers....

What a game, I miss that. Tried to teach some civvies after I'd gone outside but they didn't get it.

A night down the Greenies mess with a stash of Yellow Peril , an Ukkers tournament against the stokers ( home win, natch) on Channel night....

 

[OGITD]

YES!

How about a game of Ukkers, with mixiblobs, and timber shifting b******ds

Ahhhh- Ukkers....
What a game, I miss that. Tried to teach some civvies after I'd gone outside but they didn't get it.

Regional weekend Ukkers tournaments……. what a fantastic educational event this could/should/would be.

I think I’ve still got a box of serviceable bits & die, my board was left in the shed & became warped so I or someone in the Clyde area needs to make a new one & we’re off!

Edit:
If I make a new board & gain permission to hold the event at the Cumbrae Water-Sports Centre would we have enough players to make it newsworthy!?

 

[binch]

Doctors etc

Doctor = p***k farrier
Dentist = fang farrier
CDA mess =Rose cottage
Instruction to doctor: Fix it up for Friday
Getting your own back = Making an error when flushing a submarine heads
OOW Aide memoire
"If two lights you see in front
Full ahead and sink the - er- dear little fellow.
Red to red and green to green
Perfect safety go between.
Now, who remebers a night out in The Gut?
with the return on board: Not for me but for my dghaisa. And my brother from Gozo.

 

[T_C]

My grandfather's diary of his time serving on HMS Cornwall in 1914/15 (aged 17) signs off most days with "N D as usual".
I've not been able to work out what this refers to, any of you old salts able to clarify?

BTW, all this talk of nuclear and diesel subs, he later served on the K class steam powered subs, that was a challenge....

 

[uxb]

Regional weekend Ukkers tournaments……. what a fantastic educational event this could/should/would be.

I think I’ve still got a box of serviceable bits & die, my board was left in the shed & became warped so I or someone in the Clyde area needs to make a new one & we’re off!

Edit:
If I make a new board & gain permission to hold the event at the Cumbrae Water-Sports Centre would we have enough players to make it newsworthy!?

I'm in!

 

[Capt Cautious]

Franging

How about "franging" (or was it phranging). It (naturally) involved a condom on the head, just below the nose, and a race to blow it up to reach the deckhead.

CC