ARMY SLANG
B-ache—to complain.
Beans—the commissary sergeant.
Bean-shooter—a commissary officer.
Belly-ache—to complain.
Black strap—liquid coffee.
Blind—sentenced by court-martial to forfeiture of pay without confinement.
Bob-Tail—a dishonorable discharge, or a discharge without honor; to be "bobtailed"—to be discharged or to be given a discharge without honor.
Bone—to study; to try; to cultivate.
Bone bootlick on—to cultivate the favor of.
Boots and Saddles—trumpet call.
Bootlick—to flatter.
Brig—guard-house.
Bow-legs—cavalrymen.
Buck-private—a term sometimes used in referring to a private.
Bucking for Orderly—giving clothing and accoutrements extra cleaning so as to compete for orderly.
Bunkie—a soldier who shares the shelter of a comrade.
Bust—to reduce a non-commissioned officer to the grade of a private.
Butcher—the company barber.
Canned Horse—canned beef.
Chief—name by which the chief musician of the band is usually called by the enlisted men.
Cit—a civilian.
Cits—civilian clothes.
C. O.—commanding officer.
Coffee Cooler—one who seeks easy details away from troops; one who is always looking for an easy job.
Cold-feet—fear, lack of courage (to have cold feet is to be afraid, to lack courage).
Commissaries—groceries.
Crawl—to admonish.
Dog-robber—name by which the enlisted men call a soldier who works for an officer. (An offensive term, the use of which generally results in trouble.)
Dough-boy—infantryman.
Dough-puncher—the baker.
Down the Pole—to drink, after having stopped.
Duff—any sweet edible.
Fatigue—extra work.
File—a number on the lineal list.
Fogy—ten percent increase in pay for each five years' service.
Found—to be found deficient or wanting in anything, especially an examination.
French leave—unauthorized absence. Absent on French leave—absent without authority.
Goat—junior officer in post, regiment, etc.
Goaty—awkward, ignorant.
Guard House Lawyer—a soldier with a smattering knowledge of regulations and military law; quite loquacious and liberal with advice and counsel to men in the Guard House or other trouble.
Hand-Shaker—a soldier who tries to win the favor of first sergeant or troop commander.
Hardtack—hardbread, biscuits.
Hash Mark—enlistment or service stripe, worn on sleeve.
Hike—a march; to hike; to march.
Hitch—a term for enlistment period.
Hive—to discover, to catch.
Hobo—the provost guard.
Holy Joe—the chaplain.
Hop—a dance.
How—form of salutation in drinking, meaning "Here's to your health,"
"My regards," etc.
I. C.—condemned by an inspector.
Jaw-bone—credit (to get things on "jawbone," is to buy on credit).
Jump—to admonish.
K. O.—the commanding officer.
Major—name by which the sergeant-major is usually called by the enlisted men.
Mill—Guard-house.
Mule-skinner—a teamster.
Non-Com—non-commissioned officer.
O. D.—the officer of the day.
Officers Line, or Officers Row—the row of houses where the officers and their families live.
Old Issue—an old soldier.
Old File—an old officer.
Old Man—the company commander.
On Official Terms—not to be on speaking terms except officially.
On the Carpet—called before the commanding officer for admonition.
Openers—cathartic pills.
Orderly Buckle—a soldier when going on guard who strives by extra neatness of appearance to be designated as orderly for the commanding officer.
Orderly Room—company office.
Outfit—one's organization in the army.
Over-the-Hill—to desert.
P.—Prisoner.
Pills—the hospital steward.
Punk—light bread.
Q. M.—the quartermaster.
Q. M. D.—quartermaster's department.
Ranked-out—to be compelled to vacate by a senior, as "to be ranked out of quarters."
Red-tape—official formality; that is, the close or excessive observance of forms and routine in the transaction of business.
Regimental Monkey—the drum major.
Re-up—to re-enlist at once.
Rookie—a new recruit.
Sand-rat—an officer or soldier on duty in the rifle pit at target practice.
Saw-bone—the doctor.
Shave-tail—a new second lieutenant. So called, after the young, unbroken mules in the Quartermaster's Department.
Shoved up—to pawn.
Shutters—camphor or opium pills.
Sinkers—dumplings.
Sky-scout—the chaplain.
Sky-pilot—the chaplain,
Slap-Jacks—pan cakes.
Slum—a stew of meat, potatoes and onions, mostly potatoes and onions.
Soap Suds Row—the laundresses' quarters.
Soldier, to—to soldier, to serve; also to shirk.
Soldiers' One Per Cent—one hundred per cent.
Sow-belly—bacon.
Stars and Stripes—beans.
Striker—a soldier who works for an officer.
Take-on—to re-enlist before the expiration of three months after discharge.
The Old Man—term sometimes used by officers and soldiers in referring to the commanding officer; sometimes used by soldiers in referring to their company commander.
To Take Another Blanket—same as "Take-on."
Top Sergeant—first sergeant.
Up the Pole—to swear off drinking.
Yellow-leg—cavalryman.
Youngster—a young officer (a first or second lieutenant).
Wagon-soldier—light or field artilleryman.
Wind-jammer—a trumpeter or bandsman.
Wood-butcher—company artificer.