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Friday Fun: Military Lingo Quiz #3

It’s supposed to be tricky, it’s a quiz!

Ahoy!

Yes, this week’s military lingo quiz focuses on words and phrases used by the US Navy.

For this quiz, we are using as the resource expert on Navy lingo the website, Haze Gray & Underway, created and maintained by Andrew Toppan and Jeff Crowell.

The write up on the Navy slang side of the website reads: “Since days of yore the military in general, and sailors in particular, have often had a rather pithy (dare I say ‘tasteless’?) manner of speech. That may be changing somewhat in these politically correct times, but to Bowdlerize the sailor’s language represented here would be to deny its rich history. The traditions and origins remain. While I have attempted to present things with a bit of humor, if you are easily offended this may not be for you. You have been warned.”

Don’t worry, none of “those” words or expressions have been included in this quiz…feel free to reference them all yourself on the Haze Gray & Underway website after the quiz. Now, let’s get started, shall we?

Please note: Bear in mind that some military terms are not exclusive to a certain branch of the Armed Forces. However, the definition given from the resource (in this case, “Haze Gray & Underway”) for that particular branch in the quiz will be considered the correct answer. Correct answers are given at the bottom of the quiz. (No peeking allowed!)
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US NAVY QUIZ

1. When sailors talk about “Amateur Night”, they are referring to:

a) Their first night of inebriation after joining the Navy.
b) A blind date a Navy friend arranged who turned out to be a prude.
c) The day after payday, when nothing seems to go right, especially shipboard evolutions.
d) Middle of the night “man overboard” drills.

2. The Navy expression “Balls to Four” means:

a) We are winning these war games, no sweat.
b) The four to midnight watch.
c) Setting the watch to include only the best qualified in the division.
d) An impromptu health and welfare inspection conducted at 0400.

3. When sailors speak of the “Golden Rivet”, they mean:

a) The moment of officially crossing the Equator on a ship at sea.
b) Earning your first Good Conduct medal.
c) The mythical last rivet which completes a ship.
d) Getting a special commendation from the Commanding Officer.

4. The slang term “Mud Duck” refers to:

a) A shallow water sailor, like the Coast Guard.
b) A Navy ship that has run aground.
c) A special drink of chocolate milk and fish sauce served at CPO initiations.
d) A term used to describe a sailor who has been put on restriction in a liberty port.

5. On a Navy ship, the “FTN Space” is:

a) The Chiefs Mess when it is closed during a formal disciplinary action.
b) A certain berthing area known to contain many complainers and slackers.
c) The place a sailor stands at attention during Captain’s Mast.
d) A hard to reach space or compartment used by sailors to hide from officers or chiefs.

6. When sailors refer to the “Dirty Shirt Wardroom”, they mean:

a) The laundry area of a ship.
b) The engineering spaces.
c) Davy Jones’ locker.
d) A space for officers aboard ship that doesn’t require those who enter to be in the uniform of the day.

7. An “Oolie” on a submarine is:

a) The shower/toilet area.
b) A difficult question that may not be about your duties or one that tests someone’s knowledge to the limit.
c) A seasick sailor.
d) A sonar expert.

8. Speaking in terms of tradition, what does “Piping Hot” mean to sailors?

a) Originally, that the boatswain’s pipe is blowing an “urgent” call.
b) Originally, meals were announced aboard ship by piping or blowing a call on the boatswain’s pipe.
c) Originally, slang for an enlisted man’s date waiting on the pier.
d) Originally, none of the above.

9. In Navy talk, to “Punch Elvis” means:

a) Get so inebriated you need help back to the boat.
b) Show disrespect to a Chief Petty Officer.
c) Taking home another sailor’s wife from a club.
d) To eject.

10. To sailors, a “Rug Dance” is:

a) Waiting for someone to relieve you on watch to use the bathroom.
b) The time spent waiting in the passageway before Captain’s Mast.
c) Quality time spent with a senior officer or CPO, usually in a very one-sided conversation.
d) The trip down the aisle a reluctant to get married sailor takes.

11. The traditional expression “Show a Leg” means:

a) A traditional call made at reveille, it originated in the days of sailing when women were let aboard ship.
b) A traditional way to salute someone who has just been promoted in rank.
c) A traditional Chief’s mess meeting conducted in private in a bar.
d) None of the above.

12. The purpose of “Dogwatches” for sailors is:

a) To be a roving watch around the ship in port.
b) To privately let sailors switch watches for money.
c) To punish sailors by giving everyone onboard a watch at the same time.
d) To let watchstanders eat the evening meal.

13. If a sailor refers to another sailor as “Walter”, it means:

a) A term of affection between long-standing drinking buddies.
b) Someone who always does for himself and never helps others.
c) The other sailor someone is “hot racking” (sharing) a bunk with.
d) All of the above.

14. A “Trim Party” to sailors is:

a) When everyone assigned to a ship is ordered to help paint its exterior at the same time.
b) A private initiation when someone makes Third Class Petty Officer.
c) A prank often pulled on a recently qualified Dive Officer or Chief of the Watch
d) Being assigned to collateral duties that keep you always late or behind in your regular work.

15. To sailors, “Tomachicken” is:

a) A Tomahawk cruise missile.
b) A tuna fish casserole served for chow.
c) A shy, reserved sailor who refuses to approach women in a club.
d) The female offspring of a superior, very much “off limits” socially.

16. When someone on a ship in the Navy refers to the “Teakettle”, they mean:

a) The main galley where the meals are cooked.
b) The place where coffee and tea is made and served.
c) The nuclear engineering plant.
d) None of the above.

17. Traditionally, a “Son of a Gun” in Navy terms is:

a) A son who joins the Navy like his father did.
b) The alternate gunner on the watch.
c) The dupe who is willing to buy everybody drinks, night after night.
d) A male child born or conceived afloat.

18. In the Navy, “Boy Butter” is:

a) Something you can’t talk about in polite conversation.
b) The opposite of putting muscle into a job, a work-related put down.
c) A light tan grease used by weapons types on torpedoes
d) Making obvious compliments to a CPO just to get special privileges.

19. On a Navy ship, “Gawkers, Walkers and Talkers” are:

a) Off-duty personnel.
b) A special inspection team that comes aboard while the ship is at sea.
c) Shipboard surveillance and communication equipment most of the crew knows nothing about.
d) Civilians who gather in a group on the pier for a private tour of a ship.

20. In the Navy, “J.S. Ragman” refers to:

a) The Secretary of Defense.
b) A term describing a Navy dirtbag or screwup member of the crew.
c) The commanding officer.
d) None of the above.

ANSWERS

1. (c) Amateur Night is the day after payday, when nothing seems to go right, especially shipboard evolutions.

2. (b) Balls to Four means the four to midnight watch.

3. (c) Golden Rivet is the mythical last rivet which completes a ship. Generally found in the depths of the engineering spaces, a maneuver used to get a female guest to bend over. “And if you look ‘way down there, you can see the golden rivet!”

4. (a) Mud Duck – Shallow water sailor, e.g. Coast Guard.

5. (d) FTN Space is an obscure, hard-to-get-to space, compartment, or void; used to hide from officers or chiefs. According to legend, some ships have had such spaces which do not show up on the official blueprints at all. Persistent rumors exist of entire, fully-outfitted machinery spaces which do not officially exist on the ship’s drawings.

6. (d) Dirty Shirt Wardroom is a wardroom (officer’s mess and lounge) aboard ship which does not require patrons to be in the uniform of the day, i.e. flight suits or other working uniforms are permitted. The etiquette of the wardroom, which is usually fairly formal, is also relaxed in the dirty shirt wardroom.

7. (b) Oolie - (Submarine) A difficult question that may not pertain to one’s duties, or one that tests one’s system knowledge to the limit. Also seen as Ouly or owly.

8. (b) Piping Hot – Originally, meals were announced aboard ship by piping (blowing a call on the boatswain’s pipe). If a meal is piping hot, it has just been served and is therefore hot.

9. (d) Punch Elvis means to eject.

10. (c) Rug Dance is considered quality time spent with a senior officer or CPO, usually in a very one-sided conversation. Typical topics of discussion include one’s parentage and probable eventual fate. Aka ‘chewing out, butt chewing, etc.’

11. (a) Show a Leg – The traditional call made at reveille, it originated in the days of sail when women were let aboard ship. At reveille, a woman in her hammock would display a leg and thereby was not required to turn out.

12. (d) The purpose of the dogwatches is to permit the watchstanders to eat the evening meal. These watches are said to be “dogged.”

13. (b) Walter – Walter One-Way, the guy who always does for himself, and never helps others.

14. (c) Trim Party is a prank often perpetrated on a newly-qualled Dive Officer or Chief of the Watch, where men and other weights are shifted fore and aft to affect the trim of the boat.

15. (a) Tomachicken is a Tomahawk cruise missile.

16. (c) Teakettle is the nuclear engineering plant.

17. (d) Son of a Gun – Traditionally, a male child born (or conceived) afloat. An archaic term from the days of sail, when crewmen were typically not let ashore for fear of desertion. Women were let aboard (the regulation said “wives”, but this was immediately and widely ignored, or at least winked at), and even carried at sea at times.

18. (c) Boy Butter is a light tan grease used by weapons types on torpedoes.

19. (a) Gawkers, Walkers, and Talkers are off-duty personnel. They can usually be found cluttering up passageways or decks where real work is being done.

20. (b) ‘J.S. Ragman’ is the generic term for Navy dirtbag or screwup. Also seen as ‘J.S. Ragman’. Aka Seaman Jones, Joe/Seaman Schmuckatelli, etc.

How did you do? Next Friday we’ll quiz you on another branch of the Armed Forces…and if you have a quiz of your own like that you’d like to share here, please let me know! Previous quizzes can be accessed through the Blog Archives.

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