Slang of the Great War (1914-18)
OldContemptible
Commonwealth troops during the Great War (1914-18).
The website is at http://members.tripod.co.uk/hinckley/slang.html
Any advice and/or contributions gratefully received.
Thanks
Paul Hinckley
Jim Elbrecht
>I'm in the middle of compiling a web dictionary of slang as used by British and
>Commonwealth troops during the Great War (1914-18).
>
>The website is at http://members.tripod.co.uk/hinckley/slang.html
Looked interesting until the java froze my browser. [NS4 on a WFWG3.11
computer]. I only got as far as 'D' in the phonetic alphabet.
I was wondering if you've seen _Over the Top" by Arthur Guy Empey.
He was a Yank from New Jersey who joined the Brits in 1917 before the
US got involved in the war. The book was published in NY in 1918.
I'm not sure if it was before or after we joined the effort. [he was
wounded & sent home-- and I think finished the book before we declared
war]
The back of his book includes a great glossary called "Tommy's
dictionary of the trenches". I was struck by how many of the terms
[and *all* of the humor] was similar to the slang we used in Vietnam
in the 60's.
Some examples from _Over the Top_ . '.....' indicates that he said
more-- the '[]' bracketed comments are mine;
Adjutant; The name given t an officer who helps the Colonel do
nothing.........
Apres la Guerre; "After the war". Tommy's definition of heaven.
Blighty; An East Indian term meaning 'over the seas'. Tommy has
adopted it as a synonym for home...... [In VN we called the US 'The
World']
Blighty one; A wound serious enough to send to send Tommy to England.
[in VN, we called them 'A ticket to the world']
Busted; Term applied when a non-commisssioned officer is reduced [in
rank] by court martial. [same use in VN-- but it applied to anyone
with any rank to lose]
Caterpillar; not a bug, but the name given to an engine used to haul
the big guns over rough roads. [any relation to the Caterpillar
company in the US which makes heavy earth moving equipment?]
I'm sorry; Tommy's apology. If he pokes your eye out with his bayonet
he says 'I'm sorry', and the matter is ended as far as he's concerned.
[we used the VNese 'Sin loi'[sp?]-- but the usage was similar]
Mad minute; Firing 15 rounds from your rifle in sixty seconds. A man
is mad to attempt it, especially with a stiff bolt. [We had them in
VN-- if I recall, 300 rounds was possible from an M16]
******
fix that Java. [or just lose it-- what can it possibly add to your
site? and is that worth losing all the folks who's browsers it
doesn't agree with?]
jim
pet...@ms.com
oldcont...@aol.com (OldContemptible) wrote:
> I'm in the middle of compiling a web dictionary of slang as used by
British and
> Commonwealth troops during the Great War (1914-18).
>
> The website is at http://members.tripod.co.uk/hinckley/slang.html
>
>
> Thanks
> Paul Hinckley
>
>
I just happen to be reading Byron Falwell's
new book, Over There - the United States in the
Great War, 1917 - 1918. In a footnote he mentions
that "plonk" is Cockney rhyming slang for vin
blanc.
hth
Pjk
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Roderick MacDonald
from pet...@ms.com contains these words:
It may be a simple corruption of vin blanc, but it is unlikely to be
"Cockney rhyming slang".
If it was CRS it would be known as "plinkety" or something
(plinkety-plonk = vin blanc). In CRS the part which rhymes with the
actual subject is dropped and the actual subject is known by the
other part of the slang-word, thus making it indiscernable to outsiders.
Examples:
apples = stairs (via apples and pears)
trouble = wife (via trouble and strife)
dog = phone (via dog and bone)
Rod
--
UNDER FOURTEEN FLAGS
The Remarkable True Story of a Victorian Soldier of Fortune
ISBN: 0-9533168-2-3 Paperback 229pp £9.99
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/somerled/
Rob Ruggenberg
"Soldatentaal 1914-1918" (Soldiers language), published in 1994 by the
Belgian author Tony R. De Bruyne, from Ypres. It is in Flemish (Dutch)
only.
About Plonk he writes (I translate):
"Plonk": Australian for whine in general. Sound imitation of pouring
out.
"Pling Plong" or "Plinketty Plonk": English for cheap white whine.
Deformation and imitation of the French "vin blanc" and the sound of
pouring out whine from a bottle.
Hope this helps,
Rob
pet...@ms.com
You say...
> pouring out whine from a bottle.
I think the "whine" comes in the morning after.
8-)
Ian MacLure
Jim Elbrecht <elbr...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:SdtrOP3mfx89vL...@news.mindspring.com...
[SNIP]
> Mad minute; Firing 15 rounds from your rifle in sixty seconds. A man
> is mad to attempt it, especially with a stiff bolt. [We had them in
> VN-- if I recall, 300 rounds was possible from an M16]
> ******
Hmmm, IIRC, the mad minute ( Mr Koman of .ZA would know ) was
16 rounds aimed fire in one minute at a target 200yards (IIRC) away.
It was the minimum standard expected of a British regular soldier of
the pre-war period. And note, AIMED FIRE! You were expected to
hit the target.
Start with a full mag and two stripper clips of 5 each.
Not something you'd want to attempt with a bolt action other than a
Lee-Enfield.
______________________________________________________________
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Ian MacLure
<pet...@ms.com> wrote in message news:84sci5$ned$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
[SNIP]
> I just happen to be reading Byron Falwell's
> new book, Over There - the United States in the
> Great War, 1917 - 1918. In a footnote he mentions
> that "plonk" is Cockney rhyming slang for vin
> blanc.
Nope, "Plonques" was a firm of French wine merchants noted for a
particularly
vile type of Algerian Red they supplied to the French Army.
Hence it has passed into English as a synonym for rancid tipple.
pet...@ms.com
"Ian MacLure" <i...@svpal.org> wrote:
>
> <pet...@ms.com> wrote in message news:84sci5$ned$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
>
> [SNIP]
>
> > I just happen to be reading Byron Falwell's
> > new book, Over There - the United States in the
> > Great War, 1917 - 1918. In a footnote he mentions
> > that "plonk" is Cockney rhyming slang for vin
> > blanc.
>
> Nope, "Plonques" was a firm of French wine merchants noted for a
> particularly
> vile type of Algerian Red they supplied to the French Army.
> Hence it has passed into English as a synonym for rancid tipple.
When in doubt, I guess Webster's isn't a bad
place to look.
"Plonk" Of F[rench] vin blanc, white wine,
cheifly British: cheap or inferior wine.
hth
Daniel
From Digger Dialects by WH Downing
--
Daniel Ross
Danie...@Adelaide.on.net
<pet...@ms.com> wrote in message
news:84sci5$ned$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> In article <19991230160757...@ng-fr1.aol.com>,
> oldcont...@aol.com (OldContemptible) wrote:
> > I'm in the middle of compiling a web dictionary of slang as
used by
> British and
> > Commonwealth troops during the Great War (1914-18).
> >
> > The website is at
http://members.tripod.co.uk/hinckley/slang.html
> >
> > Any advice and/or contributions gratefully received.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Paul Hinckley
> >
> >
>
> I just happen to be reading Byron Falwell's
> new book, Over There - the United States in the
> Great War, 1917 - 1918. In a footnote he mentions
> that "plonk" is Cockney rhyming slang for vin
> blanc.
>