British Slang

Nincompoop, a fool. Tomboy, a boyish girl.

Nob, the head. Tippler, a drunkard.

Nub, the neck. Tope, to drink.

Numskull, a foolish person. Truck, change or barter.

Oaf, a fool. Tube, deep level railway.

Ogles, eyes. Wag, a joking, humorous fellow.

Old Harry, the Devil. Zany, an idiot, fool, or jester.

See A New Dictionary of the Terms, ancient and modern, of the Canting Crew (169o) ; Raymond Postgate, Murder, Piracy and Treason (Appendix and Bibl.) (1926).

British War Slang.

The slang which became current dur ing the World War was characterized by novelty: Anzac, from Australian and New 'Dum-dum, a soft-nosed bullet.

Zealand Auxiliary (or Army) Fag, a cigarette.

Corps. Fritzy, a German soldier.

Aussie, an Australian soldier. Humdinger, a s w i f t, good, Big Bertha, the German gun that splendid, fine something or bombarded Paris from a dis- other (borrowed slang).

tance of 76 miles. Iron rations, emergency rations.

Billy, a cooking tin or pannikin. Jerry, enemy soldiers.

Blighty, England (from Hindu- Joy-ride, "jumping" a ration

stani, bilati, homeland). lorry, or an aeroplane, without Blimp, a small, non-rigid, stream- official sanction.

line, dirigible airship (perhaps Joy-stick, the altitude control of from limp balloon). an aeroplane.

Brass hat, an officer of the gen- Napoo, no more (French).

eral headquarters staff. No bon, no good (French).

Bully, pressed beef. Old Contemptibles, the 1914 Brit Canuck, a Canadian soldier. ish forces.

C.B., confined to barracks. Packet, to get a, to be wounded.

Chatty, verminous.

Pigsticker, bayonet.

Coal-box, trench-mortar dis- Pill-box, small blockhouse.

charge. Rooty, bread (from Hindustani, Cold feet, funk ; nervousness. roti) (Indian army slang) Conchy, conscientious objector. Sausage, observation balloon Cushy, a safe job. Swing the lead, to malinger.

Cuthbert, a conscientious objector. T.B.D., torpedo-boat destroyer.

Daisy cutter, an explosive shell. V.A.D., a nurse of the Voluntary Doughboy, an American soldier. Aid Detachment.

Dug-out, a trench cave. Waacs, members of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. Wrens, members of the Women's Whizz bang, a high-explosive shell. Royal Naval Service.