Appendix:Glossary of U.S. Navy slang

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. Revisions and sourced additions are welcome.

The following are some examples of slang of the United States Navy, sometimes also referred to as "NAVSpeak":

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Table of Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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[edit] 0-9

• 0'dark hundred: Pronounced "oh dark". Referring to some point really early in the morning, like 0200 (which would be pronounced oh-two-hundred)
• 0'dark thirty: one half hour after 0'dark hundred.
• 1MC: One of many communication circuits aboard a ship, this is probably the most widely recognized. When used, it is heard on every external speaker by everyone aboard the ship.
• 1st Lieutenant: Division found in most aviation and afloat commands that is responsible for the material condition and cleanliness of the ship. On ships equipped with small boats the "1st" owns these boats and the sailors who maintain and run them. On small boats the "1st" is in charge of Boatswain mates and deck seaman. On larger ships the "1st" may be in charge of air crewmen. Work for 1st division varies among ships depending on size. Small ships only have one division while larger ships like carriers can have up to 5 or more.
• 2JV: Engineering sound-powered circuit.
• 2MC: Engineering loudspeaker circuit.
• 21MC: Ships command intercom circuit, mainly used between the bridge, combat, and flight decks.
• 2-10-2: Slang referring to a female aboard with a much higher percentage of males when out at sea or deployed who is not very attractive (a 2 on the scale of attractiveness) BUT when on the ship with relatively few females around, they are paid much more attention then they normally would. "she was a 2 before going to sea, a 10 out at sea, and back to a 2 when she returned"
• 4MC: Emergency communications circuit that overrides sound powered phone communications to alert controlling stations to a casualty.
• 5MC: Similar to the 1MC, except that it is only heard on the flight deck of an air-capable ship.
• 180° Amnesia: Occurs when the sailor has been deployed and selective memory is desired to deal with questions asked by significant others.

[edit] A

• Abu Dhabi (adj.):(More Common: Hadji) Refers to any product labeled in Arabic aboard a ship, particularly soda cans. "We've been home from cruise for 8 months and we still have Abu Dhabi Cokes in the vending machines!"
• Acey-Deucey Club: Recreational facility serving alcohol for first and second class petty officers.
• Admin: Pre-arranged meeting point in-port for carrier pilots.
• Admin Warfare Specialist: Joking, sometimes derisive term for Yeomen, Personnelmen or other Navy administrative ratings. Used especially in cases when said sailor does not have a warfare pin.
• ADSEP: ADministrative SEParation - basically getting fired from the navy for misconduct.
• A-Farts: slang for American Forces Radio & Television Service. A-Farts is received via satellite all over the world and offers a variety of shows. Some of the most entertaining offerings are the propaganda commercials it frequently airs since regular advertising is not permitted.
• A-Gang: The Auxiliaries Division of the Engineering Department. Members known as "A-Gangers."
• Ahead Flank Liberty: Fictitious speed after a mission or patrol is completed with high marks and ship is headed into very nice foreign ports that cater to visiting US Forces.
• Air Boss: Air Officer. His assistant is the "Mini Boss".
• Airedale: A sailor who works on or around aircraft.
• Airstart: Any attempt to restart an aircraft's engine(s) after in-flight failure. Also a blowjob.
• Airwing: Aviation detachmant on board the ship.
• A.J. Squared Away: a term used to describe a sailor who is always "squared away," meaning always having a perfect shave, perfectly ironed uniform, spit-shined shoes, haircut with less than 1mm of hair, spotless uniform, etc. Anyone who has been designated with this nickname is most likely a lifer who has no life outside the navy. Compare to dirtbag below.
• All Ahead Bendix: Beyond maximum possible ship's speed, indicated by engine order telegraph maker "Bendix" label; the position past 'Flank'
• Aluminum Cloud: slang for the F-14 Tomcat
• Angles and Dangles: (Submarine Service) Placing the boat in crazy angles and positions soon after leaving port, to see whether anything breaks loose. Similar consequence noises while on patrol are not desired.
• "Another Fine Navy Day!": an expression voiced (in a very cheery manner) on occasions when, in fact, it's not that much of a Fine Navy Day at all.
• Anymouse: Slang for anonymous. Safety system where sailors can drop an anonymous recommendation into a locked box.
• AOL: Absent Over Leave; Navyspeak for AWOL. See UA, the Sailors preferred usage.
• AOM: All Officers Meeting, held for a variety of reasons like training, port calls, mess issues, etc...
• "Assholes and elbows": A deck hand on his hands and knees holystoning a wooden deck. As in "All I want to see is assholes and elbows." as spoken by a boatswains mate.
• "Asshole of the Navy": Slang for Norfolk, Virginia, home of the fabled "DOGS AND SAILORS KEEP OFF THE GRASS!" sign. The Urban Legends Reference Pages says that the sign is an urban legend [1], but cold shoulders from civilians persist in Navy towns. See also "NoFuck, Vagina", below.
• AWOL: Absent Without Official Leave
• Aye: Yes (I understand)
• Aye, aye: Yes (I heard the order, I understand the order, and I intend to obey the order).

[edit] B

• Baby Birdfarm: An Iwo Jima-Class helicopter carrier.
• Baboon Ass: Nickname for corned beef, based on color and flavor.
• Back Alley: Card game of trump played by 2 to 4 players (mostly "snipes"). Players are first dealt 1 card each then 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13, 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Players bid on the number of tricks to be taken, trump is determined by draw. Score is kept by awarding 3 points for bids made and taken and 1 point for each additional trick. A player unable to make their bid goes set 3 X the bid. Game can be played by partners.
• Bag: Flight suit. Also, to issue demerits at the naval academy.
• Bag of Dicks: An unwanted or extremely tedious task, usually one that is given one hour before shift change and will require at least 3 hours to complete. Also called getting "bagged".
• Bag Nasty: A pre-packaged bag lunch usually consisting of a cold cut sandwich, piece of fruit, and juice box or can of soda. Served at galleys in lieu of regular chow for sailors on the go.
• Ball Button: A term used for the fourth button down on the new Service Uniform, when it has a tendency to open up.
• Balls Thirty: A term used to indicate the time of the 0030 security sweep on some bases
• Ball Button: A term used for the fourth button down on the new Service Uniforms, because it has a tendency to come undone.
• Balls to Two: A short watch stood from 0000-0200. Not generally seen outside of Boot Camp.
• Balls to Four: A four hour watch technically spanning from 0000-0400 though in practice begins at 2345 and ends at 0345. Most commonly seen on a "Dogged Watch" schedule.
• Balls To The Wall: Expression originally referred to the balls on top of aircraft throttles. If one needed full throttle, the balls were, quite literally, pushed forward to the firewall - hence 'balls to the wall'.
• Bandit: aircraft positively identified as hostile
• Barney Clark: Slider topped with a fried egg. Also called a "One-Eyed Jack."
• Barricade: Also called the barrier, this is a huge nylon net strung across the landing area of a carrier to arrest the landing of an aircraft with damaged gear or a damaged tailhook.
• Batphone: A dedicated outside telephone line (not for personal use) typically for shore power or security purposes.
• Battle Group (BG): A group of warships and supply ships centered around a large deck aircraft carrier and its airwing. Usually consists of one cruiser, one supply ship, and one or two destroyers, frigates, and submarines. Has been sanitized and emasculated lately and is now referred to as the Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
• Battle Racks: When mission-exhausted Aviators are allowed to sleep through General Quarters.
• Battlewagon: Battleship
• BCG's: Birth Control Glasses. Standard Navy-issue corrective eyewear. So named because they are so thick and hideous that you are guaranteed never to have sex while you are wearing them. Term has become obsolete due to more normal looking frame choices offered nowadays (outside of recruit training, at least).
• Beer Day: On many navy ships, even in the present day, all hands are given 2 beers if they are underway without a port call for a given period of time - generally 45 days. Both beers are opened when they are given to the crewmember to prevent them from being hoarded.
• Bells: Naval way of announcing the time of day aboad ship, usually over the 1MC. One bell corresponds to 30 minutes past the hour. Bells will only be rung as a single strike, or a closely spaced double strike, with a maximum of eight bells (4 sets of 2). Bells repeat themselves every 4 hours. For example 2 sets of 2 bells, followed by a single bell could be 0230, 0630, 1030, 1430, 1830, or 2230.
• Benny: A treat or reward, derived from "Benefit".
  • Benny Suggs: The Navy's Beneficial Suggestions program, a method where DON employees, and Navy and Marine personnel can make suggestions to improve various programs and operations.
• Bent Shitcan: Someone below Naval standards.
• Big Chicken Dinner: slang for a Bad Conduct Discharge, a punishment awarded to a sailor who has committed a serious infraction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
• Bilge Juice: Non-sanctioned alcoholic beverage created while on long deployments by mixing yeast, water and sugar.
• Bilge Rat: Someone who works in the engineering spaces.
• Bilge Troll: Engine room lower level watchstander; junior enlisted nuke machinist mate on sub.
• Bilge Turd: Derogatory term for "Boiler Technician", typically from Machinist Mates who attend the identical A school
• BINGO: Minimum fuel needed to return to base (RTB).
• Binnacle List: The daily list of ship's crew who are sick in quarters (see below). So called because in the old days of sailing, this list was posted on the binnacle, the casing that housed the ship's compass.
• Birdfarm: Aircraft carrier.
• Bitchbox: Intercom or amplified circuit used to communicate between spaces of a ship.
• Bitching Betty: The computer generated female voice heard in an aviator's earpiece when something is not as it should be. Usually caused by unsafe flight conditions or an enemy threat.
• Black and Decker Pecker Wrecker: Derogatory term for any female who has braces.
• Black Hole, The: Reference to the Navy's main base at Norfolk, Virginia, so called because "it's where sailor's careers go to die."
• Black Shoe: Term used to secribe shipboard or 'surface' officers and senior enlisted members, due to the black footwear worn while in uniform. See also BROWN SHOE
• Blowing a Shitter: (Submarine Service) Inadvertently "flushing" a toilet (see "Shitter," below) while San Tanks are being vented overboard.
• Bluejacket: An enlisted sailor below the rank of E-7 (Chief Petty Officer).
  • Bluejacket's Manual: The handbook of seamanship issued to recruits.
• Blue Shirt: same as bluejacket, refering to the blue utility shirt worn by those personell.
• Bluenose: An individual who has crossed the Arctic Circle.
• Blue on Blue: Fratricide or friendly fire. Named for the color associated with friendly forces during "workups" and exercises. The fictional enemy country is almost always Orange. In port the definition of blue on blue is much more enjoyable, as it refers to girl-on-girl stripper scenes, porn scenes, etc...
• Blue Tile: An area of the carrier on the starboard main passageway, O-3 level, where the Battle Group (now called Carrier Strike Group) admiral and his staff live and work. As the name implies, the deck is indeed blue there. Passing through, especially by junior enlisted sailors, is highly discouraged. During wartime, armed guards may be posted on both sides of the blue tile. Pictures of bare-assed drunken aviators standing on the blue tile during port calls are highly prized keepsakes.
• Blue Water: Deep water far from land. Only larger, self-sufficient ships can operate on these waters. Also called the "high seas." See "Brown Water."
• Boat: Water craft small enough to be carried on a ship, unless a submarine, which is ALWAYS called a boat. A ship may be called a boat but ONLY by members of its crew, and only those who have actually completed a deplyoment.
• Boat Goat: A female sailor onboard a ship. This term is typically used during the later parts of a long underway or deployment.
• Boats: a sailor in the Boatswain's Mate rating.
• B.O.C.O.D: "Beat Off Cut Off Date" The date before returning home from a deployment to stop masturbating in order to save it up for your wife or girlfriend.
• Bogey: unknown aircraft which could be friendly, hostile, or neutral
• B.O.H.I.C.A.: (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again)
• Bolter: Failed attempt at an arrested landing on a carrier by a fixed-wing aircraft. Usually caused by a poor approach or a hook bounce on the deck, this embarrassing event leads to a go-around and another attempt to "board."
• Boomer: Missile Submarine
• Boondoggle: Any unorganized, inefficient evolution. Similar to a "goatrope."
• Boopdiddley: All-purpose, virtually meaningless expression, used as an exclamation i.e. "Boopdiddley!" or " Aw, Boop!" (1974)
• Booter: A term used, usually derisively, when referring to any Sailor who has very little time in or a lot less time than the speaker.
• B.O.S.N.I.A.: Big Ol' Standard Navy-Issue Ass (from the apparent widening of the hips due in part to the cut of the working uniforms)
• Bosun's Punch - New sailors on ship are sometimes assigned to find this mythical tool in the office of one of the ship's Bosuns (Boatswain). The sailor is then typically punched very hard in the shoulder by the Bosun in question.
• Bounce Pattern: When several aircraft are practicing touch and go landings at the same airfield.
• Brain Fart: a condition when, under stress, one cannot recall or perform something that would normally be easy or second nature.
• Branch: lowest organizational level in most naval commands. Below department and division.
• Bravo Zulu: Originally "BZ" was a signal meaning "Well Done". It is sometimes co-opted by seniors praising subordinates in one form or another.
• Bremerloes: Female of husky build. Term originated at Bremerton, Washington base where they are rather common.
• Bremerton: It's how much a Bremerloe weighs.
• Brig: Jail.
• Brig Chaser: A Sailor escorting a prisoner to the brig.
• Broke-dick: Technical term describing malfunctioning or inoperable equipment. Example: "The fuckin' aux drain pump is fuckin' broke-dick."
• Brown bagger: Married sailor who brings his lunch from home in a paper bag.
• Brown Nose: Sailor trying a "little too hard" to make rate by sucking up to superiors. Can also refer to those who wear khakis (Chiefs, Officers) since it is assumed that most have "brown-nosed" to obtain their present position. Mythical rate "Chief Brownnose" or "Brownose First Class." Also known as a "Butt Shark."
• Brown Shoe: Term used to describe aviation community officers and senior enlisted members, due to the dark brown footwear worn in uniform.
• Brown Water: Shallow water close to land. Also called the littorals. Smaller ships can operate in these waters.
• The Bubble: When someone is on the very edge of passing or failing at something, or when they are undecided, they are said to be on the bubble. Similar to riding the fence.
• Bubblegummer: A newbie or young sailor just out of boot camp or school.
• Bubblehead: A Sailor in the Submarine service.
• Buddy Fucker: As implied, someone who fucks over their shipmates. Not to be trusted with any information or watch swap.
• Bug Juice: Kool-Aid-like beverage in dispensers on the messdeck. Side-by-side - Orange or Red. Before the turn of the century bug juice was also used as a replacement for cleaning agents to clean decks with.
• Bug Juice Sunrise: Orange with a splash of Red.
• Building 39: 1990's-era Naval Station Norfolk slang for the USS EMORY S. LAND (AS-39), which during that time period, rarely left port.
• Building 38: USS PUGET SOUND (AD-38). Same reasons as above, in the 70's and 80's.
• Bulkhead: Wall.
  • Bulkhead remover: an 'in-joke' shared by veteran sailors and often delegated as a task to new sailors, as in, "Go get me a can of bulkhead remover."
• Bull, aka "Bull Ensign": the seniormost Ensign onboard a surface ship. In charge of various wardroom duties, often including mentoring the juniormost Ensign (see "George") and setting up the wardroom's movie night. Originated during World War II from Admiral "Bull" Halsey's need to designate one officer to oversee wardroom functions.
• Bullet Sponge: U.S. Marine.
• Bun: A sexually active female sailor.
• Burn a copy: Make a xerox copy of a document or sheet of paper.
• Burn a Flick: to watch a movie underway.
• Burnbag: A poor performing Cryptologic Technician or a "CT" Shitbag.
• Buster: Proceed at max possible speed.
• "Bust Me on The Surface" (Submarine Service): An expression voiced when a subordinate strongly disagrees with a superior's order (who may be under heavy situational pressure), and the subordinate takes actions he knows to be the correct procedure, counter to the order. "Bust Me On The Surface" refers to disciplinary action that could result, which would take place in the fresh air of safety that would not be reached if the original order was carried out. Rarely invoked, and the subordinate better be goddamned right. More often used as slang in less life-threatening situations.
• Butt Kit: Ash tray. Aboard ship it is a can with a hole in the lid, usually hung from the bulkhead near watch stations.
• Butter Bar: Slang for an Ensign, or new officer fresh from OCS/Naval Academy or ROTC. The single gold bar on the khaki uniform of an Ensign, being the 'butter bar.'

[edit] C

• CASREP: CASulty REPort. Inoperative, casualty reported; casually, OOC (out of commission). Often jocularly applied to broken minor items not requiring any report, or to personnel on the binnacle list.
• CAVU: Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited - perfect flying weather.
• CF: (pronounced Charlie Foxtrot) Cluster fuck,
• C-GU11: Seagull. Pronounced "See-Gee-Yuu-Eleven." Similar to "bulkhead remover," an inexpensive way to derive enjoyment from inexperienced personnel on watch. "Forward lookout, keep an eye out for signs of C-GU11s in the area, over." Also sometimes spelled C-6U11, Z-6UL1 or various L33T-like combinations.
• CAG: Title used when addressing the airwing commander. It is a holdover from the days when airwings were called air groups, and stands for Commander Air Group. Can also refer to the airwing itself, as in CAG-14. See "airwing."
• Cake Eater: A Sailor who reenlists. This is derived from the fact that upon reenlistment, most commands present you with a cake at your ceremony.
• Canoe Club: The w:United States Navy
• Canoe U: U.S. Naval Academy
• w:Captain's Mast: Navy term for w:Nonjudicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Depending on the rank or position involved, the name of the procedure may change, i.e. Admiral's Mast, OIC's Mast.
• Cannon balls: Baked, candied apples served to midshipmen at the Naval Academy on special occasions. Twelve are served per table. If one person at the table is willing to eat all 12 apples and succeeds, then he is given the honor of "carry on" (lack of harassment by upper classmen) for the remainder of the semester.
• Carrier Strike Group (CSG): See "Battle Group"
• Carry on: An officers reply to a junior person's call to "attention on deck", meaning all present rise and come to attention as a sign of respect. "Carry on" allows personnel to continue whatever they were doing. Also see "cannon ball" above.
• Channel Fever: Said if a sailor is anxious when approaching port to get leave. Sometimes cured by the "Channel Fever Shot", a slap or kick to the backside.
• Check Valve – Used to describe a person, it refers to one who does for himself, but not others. None of the goodies get past him. Similar to a real check valve which only allows fluid to go one way.
• CHENG: Chief Engineer
• Chicken Switches: Switches in the overhead above the Dive Officer's station that release 4500 lb air into the main ballast tank, initiating the Emergency Main Ballast Tank blow (EMBT blow) causing the tanks to fill with air and the submarine to rise to the surface in a real hurry. Sometimes, engineering drills may cause the sub to go near test depth (depth the submarine has been tested to) if there is a delay in recovering the reactor (or many other reasons). So if the Dive Officer blows the tanks (actually, whoever has the Con will issue the order) they were afraid of sinking. Hence, Chicken Switches.
• Chief: Title given to enlisted personnel who have acheived the rank of E-7 and who have completed their transitional training and indoc.
• Chit: Name given to the document a sailor fills out to make various types of special request (i.e. emergency leave, move off base to civilian housing, etc.)
  • My Wife Chit: A special request that uses the wife as the excuse/justification for needing to be absent.
• Chit Chipper: Paper Shredder. So named because you can't do anything with a chit, especially one that is "lost in routing"
• CHT Tank/Shit Tank/Chit Tank: Collection and Holding Tank, which collects all ship's shower and toilet runoff/sewage until such time as it can be pumped or dumped.
• Chop, The: Supply Officer. Taken from the Supply Corps' porkchop-shaped insignia.
• Chow: Food.
  • Chow Boss: Food Service Officer.
  • Chow down: Eat.
  • Chow Hall: Dining room.
• Chowdale: Airwing personnel that spend all their time in line for chow, holding up those that actually have things to do.
• Chub Club: Sailors assigned mandatory physical training due to being overweight.
• Cinderella Liberty: Liberty that expires at a particular time (e.g., midnight).
• Civie cut: Civilian haircut worn by males who live around military towns to distinguish themselves from military personnel. Usually just an inch or two longer than military allows, but enough to let the females know who's who.
• Cleaning Stations: Hour-long field day evolution where everyone drops what they're doing and cleans their spaces. See "XO's Happy Hour"
• Clobbered: When the landing pattern or the comms frequency at a field or ship is filled to capacity and you can't get an aircraft or a word in.
• COB: (Submarine Service) The senior chief aboard: Chief of the Boat
• COD: Carrier Onboard Delivery - the mighty C-2 Greyhound, which ferries people and supplies to and from the carrier on a regular basis.
• Coffin Locker: A personal storage area located underneath a sailor's rack (see below).
• Cold Shot or Cold Cat: A catapult launch from a carrier in which insufficient speed is attained to generate lift. Often fatal for the aircrew if they do not eject in time.
• Commodore: Back in the day, this was the designation given to a one-star admiral (presently called Rear Admiral Lower Half for some reason). Presently, it is the unofficial title of the captain (O-6) in charge of a squadron of ships or submarines or a wing of the same type of aircraft.
• Comp Time: Compensation Time, time/days off during week for shore-based sailors who had weekend assignments, above and beyond mere watch-standing.
• Coner: Pronounced "Cone-er"(Submarine Service) A submarine crewman who is not part of the engineering department (see Nuke below), especially Torpedomen, because they are stationed in the forward cone of the Sub, and pretty much prohibited from wandering into the rear engineering spaces. Also known as "Forward Pukes" (as opposed to "Fuckin' Nukes").
• Corpsman Candy: Sore-throat lozenges handed out at sick bay in lieu of any substantive treatment. Sometimes accompanied by two aspirin.
• Cover: hat
• Countersunk Sailor: female sailor.
• CPO: Chief Petty Officer. Often refers to all chiefs, E-7 through E-9.
• CPO Spread: (Submarine Service) The worlds most useless and uncomfortable rack sheet. Once thought to be solely for the elite khaki club, it is in fact a very cleverly disguised spy tool for a chief or officer to see if you have been sleeping due to the large stitches that are etched into it. See "Rack Burn".
• Cracker Jacks: Slang for the dress blue uniforms worn by sailors below the rank of E-7
• Crack House: Designated smoking area aboard ship that is not a weatherdeck space. Quickly fills with a haze of smoke. Also called "Crack shack".
• Crank: Mess deck worker, typically a new transferee to a submarine assigned to mess deck duties while qualifying for a regular watch.
• Crash & Smash: Permanently assigned flight deck firefighting personnel. Also, a game played by aviation personnel involving several long tables and a great deal of beer, wherein the aviators attempt to replicate with their bodies the arrested landings their aircraft make.
• Crazy Ivan: (Submarine Service), demonstrated in the movie The Hunt for Red October. Russian submarines would quickly turn 180 degrees while underway to see whether any American submarines were following. Collisions occasionally resulted during the Cold War.
• Creamed foreskins: creamed chipped beef. (see also "SOS" Shit on a Shingle)
• Crow: Slang term for the eagle adorning the Petty Officer rank insignia.
• C.R.U.D.: Apocryphally, "Chalk River Unidentified Deposits", corrosion products found in reactor coolant.
• Cruise: Ship deployment from its home port usually lasting between 5 and 8 months.
• Cruise Boo: A Sailor's underway spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend. Usually, either one or both of the sailors is currently in a relationship/marriage with a person not stationed on the ship.
• Cruise sock: A sock that is sacrificed early in a deployment and used to clean up after masturbating. It is usually kept under the mattress and can stand up on its own by the end of cruise.
• Cryppy/Cryppy Critter: Cryptographer, also seen on a highway near the Cryptography School in San Angelo, Texas without vowels, as CRYPPY CRTTR.
• Cum Dumpster: Ultra, shameless sycophant. Kiss ass to ultimate, pathetic extreme or military base whore.

[edit] D

• Damnit: Proper way to read an exclamation point quietly. "You are a shitbag!" becomes "You are a shitbag, damnit."
• Danger Nut: A "fun" game in which one or more sailors place a washer or nut around a rod or similar metal device and then hold it to a steam vent. The washer or nut spins wildly due to the high pressure of the steam. Once it reaches a high enough speed, the rod is turned so that the steam blows the object completely off the rod and (hopefully) at another sailor, who then has to dodge the "danger nut."
• D.B.F.: (Diesel Boats Forever) unauthorized pin showing a non-nuclear submarine
• Dear John Letter: A letter (or nowadays, e-mail) that a sailor receives in which his significant other breaks up with/leaves him while he is underway.
• Deck: Floor.
• Deck Ape: Non-designated enlisted person serving on the deck force, often as result of washing out of "A" school or being stripped of another rating.
• Deep Six: Obsolete term for throwing something overboard; refers to the "deep six", the lowest fathom (six feet) before the ocean floor. Has been mostly replaced by Float Checking (see below).
• Department: Highest organizational level in most naval commands. Common departments are admin, deck, engineering, operations, and maintenance. Broken up into divisions.
• Dickbag: Used in place of "Douche bag", but also can be used in place of "dirt bag"
• Dick Skinners: hands i.e. "get your dick skinners off my white hat"
• Dicking the dog: putting "half-assed" effort into a task (refers to improperly securing the "dogs" on a watertight hatch when passing through. Such a lax procedure could spell doom for a sinking ship if hatches were not absolutely watertight). Also said as "poking the poodle". Not to be confused with "screwing the pooch" which refers to royally messing up a task.
• Dicksmith: Yet another derogatory term for hospital corpsmen.
• Diggit: A term used (typically by the disgruntled Nukes) to refer to the "A.J. Squared Away" sailors in the division/department. Usually accompanied by the McDonald's tune followed by "I'm Diggin' it" instead of "I'm lovin' it."
• Dilbert: Fictional and cluess cartoon character used in WWII era training material to demonstrate what NOT to do in naval aviation. Dilbert often paid dearly for his ignorance, lack of attention to detail, or carelessness.
• Dilbert Dunker: Device used in water survival training ("swims") to teach aviators how to get out of the cockpit of a fixed-wing aircraft that has crashed or ditched at sea. Much easier than the dreaded "helo dunker."
• D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F: (Do I Look Like I Give A Fuck?), A term indicating supreme indifference; "Gaffer".
• Dining-in/Dining-out: Social functions, usually for officers and chiefs, where dinner dress is worn and certain "rules of the mess" are followed. Generally presided over by the Executive Officer (XO) and run by a Chief of Junior Officer (JO) called "Mr. Vice," these events can become quite rowdy and raucous. The difference between the two is that significant others may attend dining-outs. Dining- ins are for the servicemembers only.
• Dinq: Delinquent In Qualifications.
• Dipper: An anti-submarine helo with a variable depth dipping SONAR. See "Dome."
• Dirtbag: a term often used by an annoying lifer who has no life outside the navy to insult a sailor for having a few wrinkles in his uniform, having missed a spot while shaving, having a small spot on his uniform, having hair barely touching his ears, etc. compare to "A.J. squared away" above.
• Dirty-dick: To rub genitalia on someone’s cup or soda can as an act of retribution or to be funny.
• Dirty-shirt wardroom: (Aircraft Carrier): Forward wardroom for pilots wearing (sweaty) flight gear. As opposed to formal ship's wardroom.
• Ditch: To intentionally crash land an aircraft as "gently" as possible - usually into the water. This is generally done when fuel is almost all used up with no hope of making it to a safe landing area, or when a slowly developing but potentially fatal emergency is going on.
• Division: Middle organizational level in most naval commands, below department and above branch. Usually headed by a junior officer (JO). Common divisions are powerplants, airframes, 1st Lieutenant, etc... Divisions are sometimes divided into branches.
• DIVO: DIVision Officer
• Ditty bag: Any mesh bag, but so named because usually used to contain soiled laundry.
• Dixie Cup: The canvas white hat Sailors wear with their dress uniforms.
• Dock jumpers: The unfortunates who would have to leap ashore to tie up when no "line handlers" are available.
• Dog: (1)A Soft Serve Ice Cream machine. Named from the appearance of the Chocolate flavor in relation to a product of man's best friend. Also referred to as auto dog. (2) a pivoting latch, usually one of several, for locking down a water tight hatch.
• Dolphins: (Submarine Service) Submarine Qualification Device, called dolphins because of the dolphin fish used in the design.
• Dome: A SONAR transmitter/receiver. It may be fixed, as in those mounted on the bow of a ship below the waterline, or mobile like those "dipped" by anti-submarine helos.
• Donkey-Dick: Term used for many nozzle shaped implements
• Douche Kit: Container (usually zipper closed) for toilet articles such as shaving cream, deodorant, after shave lotion, etc.
• Double Digit Midget: A short timer. Someone who is less than 100 days from retirement, EAOS or being discharged to civilian life.
• Down: Not working, out of commission, broken, "broke-dick." In aviation, non-flyable, usually for maintenance reasons. When applied to an aviator, it means not allowed to fly. This can be for a variety of reasons: medical, personal, disciplinary, etc... In flight training, a down is a failed flight.
• Drift Count: Monitoring the movement of the ship while at anchor.
• Drifty: Sailor lacking the ability to stay focused while attempting to perform a given task. (Petty Officer to sailor, is there something the matter with you ? you are acting drifty today!)
  • Drifter: Sailor who at all times lacks the ability to stay focused. Also called drift-pack, or in the very extreme case "COMNAVDRIFTPAC", a parody of COMNAVSURFPAC.
• Drop a Chit: The act of filling out a chit.
• Drop your cocks and grab your socks: A saying that the petty officer of the watch yells in the sleeping quarters when it's time for everyone to get up. Often done in boot camp.
• Durka: Anything related to the Middle East, often derrogatory.
• Dynamited Chicken: Chicken a la King or Chicken Cacciatore.

[edit] E

• EAOS: End of Active Obligated Service
• EAWS: Enlisted Air Warfare Specialist. Often pronounced "A-wis".
• EB Green: Green Duct tape acquired from Electric Boat in Groton CT. Can be used to fix almost anything. temporarily...
• Ed's Motel: Navy Filmmakers' acronym for Editorials, Motion Picture, and Television Department.
• Emerald Shellback. Crossed the Equator at the Prime Meridian.
• Emergency Blow: When a sub rapidly blows all of the ballast out of its tanks, resulting in a rapid ascent and an impressive display as the sub breaks the surface.
• ESWS: Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. Often pronounced "E-swas".
• Evil Planet Notorg: Groton CT. Notorg is Groton spelled backwards.

[edit] F

• FAG: Fighter Attack Guy - an F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet pilot or naval flight officer ("NFO").
• F.A.W.C.U. (pronounced Fuck you) (Submarine Service): Focused After Watch Clean Up: usually between 1 to 2 hours of "Field Day" after every watch rotation.
• Fart sack: Canvas mattress cover. (In cold conditions sailors would sleep inside them for extra warmth.)
• Fart Suit: Dry suit worn by aviators when flying over extremely cold water. So called because of the rubber seals at the neck and wrists which keep water out in the event of water entry. These seals also keep all flatulence inside the suit, where it remains hot and mixes with ball sweat, pitstink, and various other foulness. This foul air is released by removing the suit, or more amusingly by pulling one of the wrist seals open while squatting and pointing at an unsuspecting individual, thus forcing all the stench in his direction.
• Fashion Show: A series of individual personnel inspections conducted in each uniform the sailor owns. Usually this form of Extra Military Instruction is reserved for the most severe dirtbags who are either consistently failing uniform inspection or look like crap on a daily basis.
• FEP: Fitness Enhancement Program. Mandatory physical training regimen designed to return sailors to within physical readiness standards. Also refers to sailors who are enrolled in the program... Fat Enlisted People / Forced Exercise Program. See "Chub Club".
• FFG: Forever Fucking Gone. Acronym used for Guided Missle Frigates who spent more time underway than inport.
• Field Day: All hands clean-up. usually lasts on a good day about 3-4 hours. (30 min of cleaning and 2-4 hours of fucking off.)
• Field Survey: To discard a worn-out item ("in the field," often off the end of the pier) instead of sumbitting for formal "survey" to determine redistribution or disposal. Sometimes items handed down to a needier local unit.
• F.I.I.G.M.O.: (Fuck It, I Got My Orders); refusal of a long or tough assignment near the end of a duty rotation. Also seen as a name badge at this time, so officers/petty officers will forget your real name.
• Fighting gear: eating utensils.
• Five and Dimes: A watch rotation where the sailor or watch team stand five hours of watch, then have ten hours off (to clean, perform maintenance, train, get qualified, conduct drills, take care of divisional business or their collateral duty, eat, shower, and occasionally sleep). This follows from a three-section watch rotation, and results in the sailor standing watch at a different time every day and night, repeating every three days.
• Fish: (Submarine Service) See Dolphins, above. Also "torpedo".
• Fit Boss: Officer designated by the Commanding Officer to be responsible for the command Physical Readiness Program. Can be a collateral duty for a commissioned officer or more frequently, a civilian contractor's primary duty.
• Flag Deck: command level on large ships for Admirals (flag rank, because they are entitled to show a flag with appropriate number of stars on a car, ship, etc. if they are present)
• Flattop: Aircraft carrier. Also the haircut worn by truly motivated sailors.
• Flavor Extractor: standard equipment in all Navy galleys.
• Fleet Up: When a second in command takes his senior's place upon that senior's transfer, retirement, or other re-assignment.
• Flight Deck Buzzard: chicken (food).
• Flight Line: The area on a ship or station where aircraft are made ready for flight. Also used as a prank on gullible new sailors, as in "Go get me 100 feet of flight line from the crash shack."
• Float Check (also Flotation Testing): Throwing something overboard.
• Floating Bellhop: Derisive Army term for sailor.
• Flying Bravo: Menstruating; from the signal flag.
• Foc's'le Follies: A gathering of all the aviators in the airwing in the carrier's foc's'le (forecastle). The CAG, ship's CO, and battle group admiral are also usually invited and present. The "official" reason for this event is to hand out awards to the top aviators. The most enjoyable parts are the "roll calls" from each squadron, and the skits that two or three of the squadrons perform. If the roll call or the skit fails to amuse the rest of the airwing, the offending squadron is booed and belittled mercilessly. Follies are held about every 6 to 8 weeks while on deployment.
• FNG: Fuckin' New Guy - self-explanatory
• FOD: Foreign Object Damage. Caused by Foreign Object Debris, such as nuts, bolts, or anything that could be sucked into a jet engine, damaging it. At aviation commands, FOD can also describe a worthless invidual, i.e. "If Airman Smith isn't in this shop in 5 minutes, write that piece of FOD up."
• FOD Walk Down: A periodic, organized search on an aircraft carrier flight deck or hangar deck looking for debris that a jet engine might ingest.
• Four (4) by Eight (8) Watch: The worst watch section to be in because your first watch is 0400 to 0800, then you work your duty station until 1600, followed by your second watch 1600 to 2000, every day.
• Fourballs: Midnight, entered as 0000 when writing logs; The "Fourballs watch" is midnight to 0600 when underway on a submarine, using a 3 person x 6 hour shift, 18 hour rotation "day" for each watchstation. Most engineering daily chores are performed on the 0000 watch, you'll be relieved at 0530 for chow, followed by drills at 0700, chow at 1200, followed by drill review at 1300, collateral duties at 1500, chow at 1700, followed by your 1800 watch; a very long "day" underwater, 24+ hours. The Sub equivalent to the Four by Eight watch mentioned above. Fortunately, you'll only get it every 4th calender day when underwater.
• Freeboard: On a ship or boat, this is the vertical distance between the waterline and the "gunwale" (see below).
• Fried Horsecock: Fried baloney
• FTN: Fuck the Navy (common ephitet used when complaining about naval policies or regulations). Often scrawled on the walls of toilet stalls by sailors who have been assigned to clean it for a reason. Also can refer to "Free The Nukes," referring to sailors in the nuclear power field. Also refers to a mythical rate or ship type an "FTN Striker" says he/she is trying to get in (i.e. Fleet Tug-Nuclear, Fire Technician-Nuclear). Also stands for "Fun Time Navy" around higher chain of command to save face in front of said chain of command, yet "secretly" means "Fuck the Navy".
  • FTN Striker: Sailor whose stated goal/desire is get discharged
• F.U.B.A.R.: Fouled up beyond all repair, Fucked up beyond all recognition. (Foobar)
• F.U.B.I.J.A.R.: Fuck You Buddy, I'm Just A Reservist
• Fulmer: A sailor that desperately tries to win various games (ping pong, pool, etc.), but does not have the skills to compete successfully.
• F.U.P.A.: Fat Upper Pussy Area, pronounced foopa. A perjorative term referring to an overweight female sailor and the bulge that protrudes from ill fitting pants. In the case of obese male sailors, it means "Fat Upper Penis Area"
• Fuck the mission, clean the position: Break out the swabs.
• Fuck You, strong message follows: Seen on a numerical list of epithet substitutions (the unauthorized "Falcon Code," derived from the "Charlie Echo" code), especially transmitted over radio, which has to stay clean
• Fun Boss: Morale, Welfare and Recreation Officer

[edit] G

• Gaff Off: When a junior person ignores or purposely fails to show proper respect to a senior person. Examples may include blowing off an assigned task, not saluting, or using improper forms of address.
• Gator-Freighter: Ship used in amphibious warfare, or generally the transportation of Marines and their equipment. Especially, a carrier-like vessel (amphibious assault ship) whose primary purpose is to put ass in the grass.
• Gator Navy: The part of the Navy that works supporting Marines. Includes all people in aviation and amphibious operations. Used to differentiate between the Submarine, Aircraft Carrier and other fine Navy groups.
• Galley: Crews' mess, or dining area. Place where food is prepared for consumption.
• GCE: Gross Conceptual Error, an instructor's comment on student work wherein the student has clearly misunderstood a concept.
• Gear adrift: Loose or unsecured gear or equipment. Also a less-than-flattering assessment of a sailor "Seaman Jones is gear adrift!"
• Gedunk: Candy, or a place that sells candy in a short form of Gedunk bar. Also "ice cream".
• General Quarters: (GQ) Every sailor has an assigned duty station to be manned during an emergency.
• George: The juniormost officer onboard a surface ship. Also spelled "JORG", meaning Junior Officer Requiring Guidance.
• Gerbil Alley: Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. The only guaranteed port visit during any deployment.
• Gerbil Gym: Exercise space on board ship with treadmills, stationary bikes, and elliptical trainers - all pieces of equipment on which you perform motions that should move you to another place, but you remain in the same position like a gerbil on its wheel.
• Ghetto: Open-bay barracks, usually reserved for single sailors who are in transit or otherwise temporarily assigned there.
• Gig line: The visual line formed by uniform zipper, belt buckle, and buttoned shirt seam. Also used as another in-joke to send new sailors on a wild goose chase. See bulkhead remover.
• Girl Scout: Sailor with inordinate amount of decorative patches on spotless poopysuit. Usually also wears cologne although thousands of miles from closest port/females.
• GITMO: Guantanamo Bay Naval Station on Cuba.
• Goat locker: Lounge or galley for the exclusive use of Chiefs.
• Goatrope or goatfuck: Any situation that is "FUBAR."
• God Junior-Grade: Derisive term for superior.
• Golden Dragon: A sailor who has crossed the Prime Meridian or the International Date Line into the Eastern Hemisphere.
• Golden rivet: Folklore that every ship is built containing a single, commemorative "golden rivet"
• Golden Shellback: A sailor who has crossed the equator at the 180th Meridian
• The Goo: Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). When an aviator flies an aircraft into the clouds, can no longer see the earth or the horizon, and is dependent on instruments for navigation, he is said to be "in the goo." This is usually done intentionally when flying with an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan, but can lead to high "pucker factor" when it is done accidentally.
• Good Humor Man: Reference to the Summer White uniform. This is an all-white short sleeve uniform that makes the wearer look suspiciously like the ice cream man.
• Gouge: The inside scoop, the skinny, the low-down. Only the information you need to know in a given situation, with nothing else to waste your time. Some black shoes say "Live by the gouge, die by the gouge." Aviators correctly say "Live by the gouge, EXCEL by the gouge."
• Grape: (Submarine Service) Easy as pie, man. Examples: "This is fuckin' grape duty" or "That was a fuckin' grape sig, you cocksuckin' asshole piece of shit." Latter example can be translated as "Bravo Zulu, shipmate!!" (See Bravo Zulu, above). (Also see "sig" below).
  • Grape: (Aviation Service) A sailor in an aviation fuels rating. So named because of the purple flight deck jersy.
• Great Mistakes: common ephitet used when complaining about RTC/NTC Great Lakes Illinois
• Green Scrubby: Mildly abrasive scouring pad. Also called a "Greeny Weeny". It's green, of course.
• Grog: Initially, this referred to the watered down rum ration given daily to sailors in the Royal Navy. Presently in the USN, it refers to the alcoholic brew offered at social events like "dining-ins" and "dining-outs." Depending on the wardroom and in particular on the person preparing the grog, it may be pleasant and delicious or one of the most foul and disgusting beverages ever conceived.
• Grok: (Nuke Field Geek) To understand compleatly. From R.A.H. "Stranger In A Strangeland." Closest English word would be imbibe.
• Gronk: (Submarine Service) when a bolt or nut has been or is in process of being tightened so much that the operator of the wrench or ratchet sees stars when applying. "Who the fuck gronked this nut on so tight?" See "Star tight"
• Grotopotamus: The rather large ladies that graze around the Groton, CT area. Similar to a Bremerloe.
• Ground-Pounder: Navy term for Marines, specifically infantry. Generally pejorative.
• G.U.A.M.: "Giving Up and Masturbating"--common sailor's complaint about being stationed on the remote island of Guam.
  • G.U.A.M.: "Gooks Under American Management"--racist sailors' acronym for the island of Guam.
  • G.U.A.M.: Give Us American Money
• Gundeck: to juryrig something; falsifying or misrepresenting records and reports.
• Gun Boss: Weapons Department head.
• Guns: a sailor in the Gunner's Mate rating.
• Gunwale: (pronounced "gunnel") The top of the hull portion of a ship that runs down the port and starboard sides.
• Gyrene: derogatory Navy term for a U.S. Marine. Also called "Jarheads"

[edit] H

• HAC: (pronounced "hack") Helicopter Aircraft Commander - the pilot in command of a helo.
• Hack: Unofficial punishment where an officer is confined to his stateroom, usually during a port call.
• Halfway-Night: (Submarine Service) Party night on pre-determined 1/2 length of boat's patrol. Tenderloin and lobster, frozen, but good.
• Haole: Pronounced "How-Lee" Hawaiian term for non-native. A dangerous thing for a sailor to be around Pearl Harbor as some of the natives see them as easy targets for crime, especially when local law-enforcement doesn't seem to care.
• Hatch: Not a door, but an opening in a horizontal deck. A door is an opening in a vertical bulkhead.
• HCO: Helo Control Officer, talks to each pilot as he makes his approach to a small boy (See LSO)
• Head: Bathroom (The term comes from the days of sail, because wind would blow from the rear of the ship foreward the bathroom would be located at the front "Head" of the ship to carry the foul smell of excrement away from the crew).
• Helmet Fire: When a pilot becomes so task saturated in the cockpit that he loses the big picture and situational awareness (SA). Often leads to mistakes that can produce lethal results.
• Helo (pron. hee-low): term applied to all naval helicopters (from the standard message abbreviation HELO). Calling a naval helicopter anything other than a helo, and especially a "chopper," is grounds for a serious beat-down.
• Helo Dunker: Dreaded training device that all naval aircrew and pilots must endure every few years when they complete water survival training, or "swims." Designed to simulate crashing a helo at sea, it is basically a huge metal drum with seats and windows that is lowered into a pool and then flipped upside down with the "passengers" strapped into it. There are generally four runs that must be successfully completed. Two of these are blindfolded. It is not fun.
• Here today, GUAM tomorrow: received orders from one island to another island, as in ADAK to GUAM.
• Hinge: slang for an O-4, or Lieutenant Commander (LCDR). So called because of the lobotomy that is supposedly mandated as soon as a naval officer is promoted to this rank, in which half of his brain is removed. A hinge is then inserted that allows for reattachment of the removed gray matter later. The hinge also limits the LCDR's head movement to the fore-aft axis. This is clearly demonstrated as the O-4 is constantly nodding in the affirmative and saying "Yes sir, yes sir..." when in the presence of the CO.
• H.M.F.I.C. : Head Mother Fucker In Charge. Refering to the senior ranking person for an assigned duty or task.
• Hockey pucks: Swedish meatballs (also, trail markers, porcupines, road apples).
• Hollywood Shower: to take a long shower that wastes water (See Navy Shower).
• Holy stone: The stone or the act of using one. A pumice stone for cleaning a wooden deck.
• Hooligan Navy: WWII Navy pejorative for the Coast Guard, from its flexibility in enlisting men discharged from other services to rapidly expand for Prohibition. (Term endures within CG.)
• Hoover: slang for the S-3B Viking, mostly due to its unique engine noises
• Horse Cock: Large log of baloney or overcooked kielbasa usually put out for lunch or mid rats. Horse Cock sandwich is one of the least favorite boxed lunches served to helo crews when visiting other ships.
• Hot Dog: A sexually active male sailor.
• Hot Racking or Hot Bunking: Submariners share racks. When one goes off, the other takes his place. (Three men share two racks). In the aviation community, 'hot racking' refers to an individual who has not taken a shower before retiring to his bunk, usually after working a 12-hour shift on the flight deck.
• HR Puff and Stuff: A nickname given to sailors who regularly appear for duty in a disheveled manner with their uniform in disarray. It is a combination of a rank (Hospital Recruit, the most junior Hospital Corpsman rank) and a name that connotates the obesity and stresses placed on the uniform of just such an overweight and careless sailor. Also used as an admonishment to junior corpsmen and dental techs in order to motivate them to perform regular uniform maintenance.
• Hummer: slang for the E-2C Hawkeye, mostly for the sound of its props

[edit] I

• Ice Cream Social: Ice cream that is typically served at 2100 on the mess decks on Sundays when underway.
• IFBM: Instant Fucking Boatswains Mate. "A" school washout assigned to deck force.
• ID10T: Idiot, pronounced "Eye-Dee-Ten-Tango." Similar to "bulkhead remover," an inexpensive way to derive enjoyment from inexperienced personnel. "Recruit, go get me an ID10T form, and step on it!"
• Irish Pennant: Loose thread on uniform.
• INT WTF: Letters Pronounced Individually. INTerrogative What The Fuck. See WTFO. Usually used in a text/teletype medium where WTFO is over voice communications.
• IYAOYAS: Unofficial acronym commonly found on the uniforms of airedales who specialize in ordnance handling. Read as "If you ain't ordnance, you ain't shit" Pronounced "eye-OH-yahs" and yelled out during ceremonies.

[edit] J

• Jack-o'-the-Dust: a ship cook in charge of keeping track of the ship's food stores.
• Jack Off Curtain: The small privacy curtain hanging on the outside of a rack. Usually the only small bit of privacy found on a ship.
• Jarhead: U. S. Marine.
• JARTGO: Just Another Reason To Get Out. "A grain of sand on the beach of reasons to get out of the Navy."
• Jody: The generic name for the guy who is making time with your girl while you are underway.
• Joe: or Cup of Joe Refers toa cup of coffee! Josephus Daniels (18 May 1862-15 January 1948) Secretary of the Navy Under President Woodrow Wilson Among his reforms of the Navy, abolished the officers wine mess, Which from that time on, the strongest drink aboard Navy ships could only be coffee and over the years, a cup of coffee became known as "a cup of Joe" and Later reduced to just "Joe".
• Joe Navy: Another term for a lifer with no life outside the Navy.
• Johnny Cash's: Winter Working Blue uniform due to the fact that they are all black, called navy blue, and Johnny Cash was the man in black.
• John Sore Pennis - nickname given to the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis after making a port call in Australia and closing down all of the local brothels.
• JOPA: Junior Officer Protection Association. An ad-hoc organization of young division officers onboard some surface ships and in most aviation squadrons, assembled to provide a means of guidance and escape from overly-demanding Department Heads. When JOPA is unified it can control some wardroom social functions, but little else.
• JORG: Junior Officer Requiring Guidance (see "George")
• Junior Chief: Pejorative term to describe junior enlisted person who is kissing ass for a promotion or on a power trip, or both.

[edit] K

• Khakis: Term used to describe senior enlisted members (E-7 and above) or officers, due to the khaki-colored working uniform typically worn by them.
• Khaki Sacker: See Brown bagger
• Kiss the Camel: To fall between ship and pier onto the camel, a floating log chained to the pilings as a fender. Such a mishap is frequently fatal.
• Knee-deep navy: Epithet (usually friendly) for the Coast Guard or coastal patrol vessels . Also knee-deep sailor, or just knee-deep(s).
• Knee-knockers: A passageway opening through a bulkhead. The lower lip of the opening sits at shin height.
• Knuckle Box: A medium sized, usually red, rectangular metal box widely used in the navy to move supplies to/from the ship. These boxes seem to have been designed by some sadist for maximum difficulty when carrying them aboard ship. They have small, useless metal handles on the side, and are perfectly sized so that you have to turn them at an angle to get through a knee knocker without grazing your knuckles.
• Knuckle Buster: A pneumatic tool for removing perfectly good paint from steel.
• Knuckle Dragger: A member of the engineering department.

[edit] L

• Ladderwell: Stairs. (This is a holdover from when all climbing was done by ladders.)
• LBFM: Little Brown Fuck Machine. Derogatory term for a foreign woman, usually Asian.
• LBFMPBR: Little Brown Fuck Machine Powered By Rice. See above.
• LBGB: Little bitty gook boat - the small indigenous fishing boats occasionally run over by the craft of the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club.
• LDO: Limited Duty Officer - generally a senior and highly qualified enlisted person who is given a commission and continues to work in his or her field.
• LDO Security Blanket - Good conduct ribbon. Even though an LDO can choose to wear only his/her top three ribbons, they never do; because they always have at least three higher than Good Conduct and they need to have that one on display lest they be mistaken for a real junior officer. LDOs need their Good Conduct ribbons every bit as much as Linus needs his security blanket.
• Leave: Vacation time
• LHO: Large Heavy Object. Useless piece of machinery.
• Liberty: Free time away from work or the ship, usually after working hours or in port. Differs from leave (see above) in that you must stay close to your home station and it is generally much shorter.
• Liberty Boat: Boat assigned to transfer sailors to and from their ship when in a port that requires the ship to drop anchor instead of pulling pierside. Trips to the beach are generally low key. Trips back to the ship in the wee hours of the night are usually very entertaining.
• Liberty Hound: A sailor who loves liberty more than anything else
• Liberty Risk: A sailor who loves liberty a little too much. So much so that he puts himself in danger by drinking too much, getting into fights, or pissing off the locals. May be effectively restricted to the ship at the next liberty by being assigned an insane amount of tasks to be completed before he can go to shore. Something like strip and wax ALL decks.
• Lieu-fucking-tenant: illustrates Navy practice of including a swear word INSIDE another word
• Lifer: a name given to both officers and enlisted men who love the navy and make it clear they want to be in for 20 or more years lifers will try to convince others to re-enlist. Also lifers say things like "there is nothing a sailor needs that is not in his sea-bag" this usually is a comment implying a sailor does not need to see his spouse or children.
• "Lifer" acronym associated with people coasting through their Navy career, stands for "Lazy, Incompetent, F***, Expecting Retirement", or "Lowly Indignant Fuck Evading Reality".
• Lifer Dog: (See "Lifer," above) "Call me an asshole, call me a cocksucker, call me a son-of-a-bitch; just don't call me a Lifer Dog."
• Living the Dream: A sarcastic term used when someone is asked how they are, they reply with this which sounds upbeat and a positive term, and they are actually miserable. "How are you doing today PO Jones" "Living the dream Captain"
• Lobster: An early designation of a female sailor; this was chosen due to most of the meat of the fish is in the tail, applicable to women's body curves.
• Loop: An officer, usually a LT or LCDR, who is an admiral's aide. So called because of the gold braided loop that they wear around their arm.
• LOST: Line Of Sight Tasking - when a senior officer, usually the XO, tasks the first poor bastard JO who walks across his path with some time-consuming, inane project that he knows absolutely nothing about.
• Love Boat: (see also Tuna Boat) Term referring to a Subtender comprised primarily of female sailors. Also, a nickname for CVN-69.
• LSO: Landing Safety Officer or Landing Signals Officer. On a carrier, this officer stands just to the port side of the landing area and talks to each pilot as he makes his approach for an arrested landing. On a "small boy," the LSO sits under a bubble on the flight deck and talks to helo pilots as they attempt to land in the Rapid Securing Device, or "trap." Both types of LSO are referred to as "Paddles."
• LST: Tank landing ship, or "Large Slow Target," a now removed type of amphibious warfare ship.
• L.T.D.B: "Living the Dream Baby." Often used sarcastically in reference to Naval lifestyle.
• Lucky Bag: Collected unclaimed personal items, or such things confiscated as gear adrift, which were auctioned to the crew on paydays.
• Lucky Charms: Nickname for Tripler Army Medical Center, which due to its coral pink color and location in the Moanalua hills of Honolulu, is used as a navigational aid for ships sailing into Pearl Harbor.

[edit] M

• Mail Buoy: A fictitious bouy that mail for a ship is left on. Usually new Sailors are given a mail buoy watch for the entertainment of the more seasoned Sailors.
• Magic Smoke: Substance that makes naval electronics work. Equipment failure is usually caused by letting the smoke out.
• Manatee: A dependent wife, usually in Pensacola or Jacksonville that is Manatee fat even though her husband has maintained the same basic size during their marriage. Related to the Whidbey Whale
• Mando Commando: Sailor assigned mandatory physical training (Mando PT) for being overweight or failing the Physical Readiness Test.
• MARF: acronym used by a superior to a roving watchstander means Make Another Round, Fucker.
• MARINE: acronym for Marines Always Ride in Navy Equipment...or Muscles are Required Intelligence Not Essential... or My Ass Really Is Navy Equipment..or My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment...or Muscles are Required Intelligence Not Expected.
• Mast: Preceded by Captain's or Admiral's, but these are generally not spoken. A form of non-judicial punishment in which a sailor finds himself standing tall in front of the old man when he really screws the pooch. Green felt is usually abundant.
• Mast Crank: Fictitious crank usually impersonated by a Bull Gear crank from engineering, which is to be collected by a junior enlisted to crank down the mast while passing under a short bridge. But it amazingly disappears 30 seconds before it is needed, sending junior enlisted into a panic that the mast will hit the bridge under which the ship is about to pass.
• Mat Man: Electronics Maintenance Man
• Meat Gazer: Unlucky individual designated to make sure the urine in a "Whiz Quiz" actually comes from the urinator's body. This is accomplished by spending all day meat gazing, or looking at dicks while guys are pissing. Also a man who stares at or is perceived to stare at another man's genitals in a communal shower.
• Meat Identifier: A side dish during chow that helps in identifying usually nondescriptive looking main dishes. i.e. Applesauce: indicative of pork chops, Horseradish: Prime Rib Beef...etc.
• Meatball: Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System, a visual landing aid used by naval aviators landing on a carrier.
• Mess Crank or Mess Bitch: A sailor who works on the mess deck, not rated as a cook.
• Mess Decks: Chow Hall or Eating Establishment on board ship.
• Mess Deck Intelligence: Rumors (mostly false) that spread throughout the ship like wildfire. Often concern radical changes to the ships schedule. See "Rumor Control" or "Scuttlebutt".
• Midnight Requisition: To "borrow" (with varying degress of consent) a needed item from another unit. Often condoned when essential to get underway.
• MidShitHead: Enlisted common term for a Naval Academy or ROTC Midshipman on their summer cruise on a ship or a command, gaining real Navy experience between academic class years.
• Mid-Rats: Short for midnight rations. Leftover lunch and dinner plus PB and J.
• Mid-Watch: Watch from 0000-0400 (2345-0345), usually results in no sleep before or after this watch.
• Missile Sponge: Usually a frigate or destroyer with limited air defense capability stationed on the outer ring of a battlegroup, as they are the ships most likely to be hit in a convoy.
• Motrin: A magical pill dispensed by hospital corpsmen capable, in their minds, of curing every ailment known to man including severed limbs and sucking chest wounds. Also called Vitamin M.
• Mouse House (Submarine Service): Ballistic Missile Submarine slang description of areas usually occupied by Missile Technicians. Also used to describe MCC (Missile Control Center).
• Mung (Submarine Service): Any dark green/brown plant residue with snot-like consistency found in/on scuppers. (mostly in engineering spaces).
• Mustang: An Officer who came from the Enlisted ranks.

[edit] N

• NAMI Whammy: Slang for the incredibly in-depth two-day flight physical given to all prospective aviators at the Naval Aeromedical Institute at NAS Pensacola. Called the Whammy b/c many aspiring naval flight careers are ended before they even begin due to some unknown ailment.
• Nasty City: Slang for National City, California, just outside the gate of Naval Station San Diego. Its cheap dive bars were a noted hangout of "West-Pac Widows." Also answers to the name "National Shitty."
• NAVCIVLANT/NAVCIVPAC: described as where a soon to be departing sailor from active duty's next station will be.
• NFO: Naval Flight Officer - flies alongside the pilot as weapons officer.
• NAVY: acronym used by disgruntled sailors for "Never Again Volunteer Yourself".
• Naval Infantry: Derogatory term for the U.S. Marines.
• Navy Shower: not a form of punishment. While underway, fresh water must be manufactured. A common-sense way of saving it is to wet down while taking a shower and then TURN OFF THE WATER. Lather up and wash. Finally, TURN ON THE WATER to rinse off. Continual disregard WILL attract a punishment shower with scrub brushes.
• Night-Ops: The throwing of trash or other uneeded items overboard at night to avoid the longer process of properly getting rid of it.
• NMOP: (common on Boommer Subs) No More Patrols Ever. Some times worn on T-Shirts by sailors who are on the last patrol and getting out or going to shore duty. (see EAOS above and Short timer below.)
• NQP: "Non-Qual-Puke": A non-qualified crewman who is not yet able to stand watch. Also applies in the Submarine Service to a crewman who is not yet qualified in submarines.
• No Balls-Term used to suggest that a person does not have the testicular fortitude to perform the action that he claims he can/will do. Often spoken to female sailors out of sheer habit.
• No-Fuck, Vagina: Pejorative term for Norfolk, Virginia; often refers to the city itself instead of the base. For the base, see "Black Hole", above.
• No Load: A useless sailor. One who does not pull his share of the load. Named for the maintenance catapult shots where only the shuttle is moved down the track with no aircraft attached.
• Non-skid: A rough epoxy coating used for grip on weather decks.
  • Nonskid Wax: A fictitious substance used for waxing non-skid decks. Usually something junior Sailors are sent looking for.
• Non-Qual: (Submarine Service) A sailor who has not yet earned his Submarine Warfare Qualification (Dolphins).
• Noodle-winger: Helicopter pilot.
• Noted: Usually passed down from an officer to a blue shirt, when the blue shirt tells the officer of something that will have little or no positive effect on the officer, but may have a great effect on the blue shirt. "Sir, if we do this thing now I can go home as soon as it's done." Officer: "Noted". Can also be said to an officer, but beware of over-usage.
• No-Shitter: A sea story which is mostly (never completely) fictional, and unverifiable as well. Examples: "Hey, this is no shit, but I once blah blah blah..." or "Hey this is a no-shitter, I got a buddy who once blah blah blah..."
• NUB: New Useless Body, Non-Usable Body or Nuclear Unqualified Body. Term referred to newly reported sailors with no qualifications or experience. Usually tasked with dirty and nasty jobs often referred to as "Shit Work".
• Nuclear Waste: A pejorative term for sailors who exit the Nuclear Power training program without successful completion.
• Nuke: (alternate spelling "Nuc") (Submarine Service and CVNs) Engineering Department crewmember responsible for turning main shaft via atom-splitting. Also refers to ordnance type that is neither confirmed nor denied, which may or may not be handled by a different Department (See "Weaponettes," below). Also describes nerds (generally anyone who is/was a candidate for Naval Nuclear Power Training Command).
• Nuke it out (or simply "nuke it"): To overthink an easy task. Alternately, often used by nukes to suggest someone ought to put forth at least a little thought before giving up on a problem. 2. The act of solving a problem by applying numbers and units and various known and assumed quantities to calculate an approximate answer.
• Nuke Striker: Perjorative term used by nukes to describe a coner that asks endless questions about the operations of the nuclear power plant. Strikers are sailors that enlist without a guaranteed rate (job), with the intention of floating around until they find a department where they fit in. However, you can't strike for Nuclear Field.
• Nut to butt: Standing in line, close quarters, body to body, each man's chest pressed to the back of the man ahead, or "nut to butt".

[edit] O

• OBNOB: Only Black Nuke Onboard. Self-explanatory. Usually only found on submarines due to a significantly smaller number of nukes stationed onboard a submarine vice a carrier.
• Occifer: Pronounced "ossifur", it is a derogatory reference towards officers in general, particularly junior officers.
• Officer's Candy: Urinal cakes.
• O I (wish I was asleep): Derogatory remark made by any non-OS rate whenever a OS complains about how bad they have it, while underway, because OS's are almost always "Port & Starboard" when underway. OS's constitute "OI Division".
• Old Man: The Commanding Officer on Admiral in command, referred as such regardless of gender. Term is usually used when CO has gained respect of subordinates. RADM Grace Hopper is one such example of a female "old man".
• Old Salt: Naval veteran. See "Salty", below.
• On my six: Naval aviation expression referring to having someone or thing at my back, on my tail, directely behind me, relative to the hours of a clock; 12-dead ahead, 3-starboard or to the right, 6 aft or behind and 9-port or to the left.
• O-N-O-F-F switch: The on/off button or switch on any device, usually used in the context of a subordinate not grasping how to power a device up or down.
• One-eyed Jack - See "Barney Clark" A tasty treat served at midrats consisting of a slider topped with a fried egg.
• Operation GOLDENFLOW: A command-wide urinalysis test.
• OS trainer: derogatory term for a large popsicle. Apparently, Operations Specialists are expected to "brown-nose" with officers more than other ratings.
• Oscar: the buoyant dummy used during man-overboard drills. Named for the Oscar flag that is flown during a man overboard evolution. Being "Nominated for an Oscar" can refer to a sailor being thrown overboard.
• Ouija Board/Wee-Gee Board: Flat board with small airplanes, bolts, etc. that can be moved around to indicate aircraft position and status on an aircraft carrier
• Overhead: Ceiling.

[edit] P

• P-way: Short for passageway or a hall.
• Package Check: (Submarine Service) A common form of greeting where one man shakes another man's ... crotch. This is done not only to test the 'mettle' of the one receiving the greeting but also as a sign of comraderie. However, ever since hazing became increasingly unpopular over the last few years this greeting has occurred less often. Much more common in the submarine service due to the impossiblity of discharge while underway.
• Paddles: code word for the LSO (see above)
• Paper Assholes: Gummed Reinforcements (office supplies)
• P.A.P.E.R.C.L.I.P.: People Against People Ever Reenlisting Civilian Life Is Preferable. Term used to show dissatisfaction with enlistment or unity amongst a brotherhood of bitter and disaffected sailors, specifically submariners. Often symbolized by the wearing of a paperclip on the uniform in varying levels of prominence to indicate the sailors level of disgruntlement. May also be burned into the skin. C.L.I.P. also used as Civilian Life Incentive Program.
• Patrol Sock: Sock used as a receptical for beating off during patrol. Usally thrown in the outboards of submarines and fished out by (N.U.B's). Can be identified by the color yellow or brown and are also usally stiff.
• P.B.: short for Pacific Beach, California, suburb of San Diego
• P.C.O.D.: "Pussy Cut Off Day", Slang for the last day of a long deployment that sailors could get laid and still obtain Venereal Disease cures from the Hospital Corpsman, and have it be effective in time to return to a wife or girlfriend waiting at home.
• PD-8: Fictitious valve requested to be found by junior sailor in order for an engineering qualification to be signed off. Valves are named with the initials of the system they belong to, ie Seawater valve 1 is SW-1. PD-8 is actually a chemical additive used in the evaporator to aid distillation of fresh water. As opposed to other in-joke shipboard goose chases, this one can go one for weeks while the nub spends his freetime poking around the distillation plant.
• Pecker-Checker: Derisive term for Hospital Corpsman
• Permanent Help: Slang for a PH (Photographer's Mate) in a fighter squadron.
• PFM: "Pure Fucking Magic", term applied to when things work, but you don't know how, but they work. Often used as "The PFM circuit" for electronics in non-serviceable equipment whose inner workings are not required to be known.
• Phrog: CH-46 Sea Knight helo. Also referred to as the "Whistling Shitcan of Death."
• Piece: rifle, as used in manual-of-arms (rifle drill)
• Pier-Queer: Air Force term for Sailor (as opposed to the Navy term for Air Force personnel which is simply "queer".)
• Pit: A sailor's rack or bunk. Usually used among those who aren't particularly pleased with shipboard life.
• Pineapple Fleet: The Pacific Fleet, usually refers to the Seventh Fleet (in the western Pacific) and specifically to ships stationed in Pearl Harbor. Somewhat confusing term, as Pearl Harbor is considered part of the Third Fleet's area, and not the Seventh.
• Ping: To emit a pulse of sound energy from a SONAR transmitter.
• POD (Plan of the Day): An official document issued by a command that states all activities going on that day, from 0000 to 2359. Also contains the Uniform of the Day. Also called the Possabilities of the Day due to the plan can change without notice.
• POG (Person other than a Grunt): A term often used by Marine Infantry (Grunts) to refer to anyone who is not them. Specifically anyone in an Admin Field.
• Pogey Bait: candy, sweets, ice cream, etc., so called because such items are used as "bribes" for POGs
• Polish a Turd: Make the most of a bad situation e.g. Karlene Golding wearing make-up.
• Pollywog: An individual who has not crossed the Equator, who must go through rituals, that sometimes cross the line to be hazing, to become a shellback. This practice can be traced back hundreds of years and is conducted in many countries Navies across the globe. See crossing the line.
• Poopsick: Anything undesirable, specifically feeling seasick
• Poopysuit: Blue overalls worn when deployed out to sea.
• The Pond: The Deep Blue Sea. Where deep-water sailors ply their craft, "The Pond" may be Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, or Other. Used in slang expressions such as "Talk to me when you've got some Time On The Pond."
• PQS: Personnel Qualification Standards, a card carrying various qualifications for a warfare badge or similar. Must be signed off by a superior or expert.
• Port: Left side of the boat or ship (when facing the bow). Left side of an aircraft when facing the nose from inside. Place of arrival for ships.
• Port and Starboard: A rotation of two duty sections or watch teams, one designated port, and the other starboard. Generally not considered to be a good situation.
  • Port and Report: A watch stood without relief. One designated Port, and the other... wait, there is no other... only Port once again, hence the term re-Port.
• Portable Air Sample (Submarine Service): A snipe hunt gag inflicted on "newbies." Normally, portable air samples are regularly collected by a hand-held device operated by a highly qualified crewmember. In this snipe hunt gag, however, a plastic garbage bag is inflated like a balloon and sealed, sometimes with "official" forms taped to the exterior; the newbie is then dispatched to take this important atmospheric sample to the Executive Officer (NEVER the Skipper). Depending on that particular XO's sense of humor, the newbie could possibly come back with interesting counter-orders.
• Powder Monkey: Term referring to a sailor sent back and forth for an item, usually tasked to retrive something from below-decks; Derives from young boys who served on wooden ships that retrieved powder for broadside firing.
• PRT: Physical Readiness Test. A sailor is required to perform a certain number of situps, pushups, and a 1.5-mile run in a given time (which varies based on age and gender).
• PT: Physical Training. A required exercise regimen.
• Pucker Factor: Tension caused by high stress during a difficult or dangerous evolution. So named because your sphincter tends to tighten up or "pucker" involuntarily during such times. Example: Pucker factor was high when he landed that Turkey single engine with complete AC power failure at night.
• Puddle Pirate: A derogatory term for members of the US Coast Guard.
• Pushbutton: term applied to a 6 year enlistee with advanced schooling. The Enlistee is immediately granted E-3 rank upon completion of basic training, and E-4 rank upon completion of "A" school. Frequently the Enlistee also has an opportunity to extend to 8 years, and immediately gain E-5 rank within 2-3 years total service, like "pushing a magic button to gain rank".

[edit] Q

• Q: Unaccompanied military personnel housing.
• Quarters: A gathering of all the people in the organization. Quarters can be for the entire command, or just the department, division, or branch. Quarters is used to present awards, pass information, and make every sailor squeeze into their ill-fitting, rarely-worn uniforms at least once a year.
• Queer: nickname for the EA-6B Prowler. Also Air Force Personnel.

[edit] R

• Rack: Bed.
• Rack Burns: Reddish marks seen on the face of a sailor who has just emerged from sleeping in his/her rack. Scorned upon if he/she was not supposed to be there.
• Rack Hound: (Derogatory but usually with a hint of envy) Sailor that spends more than his/her fair share of time in the "Rack". Usually spoken when seeing somebody with Rack Burns; "You are such a Rack Hound!".
• Radioing the logs: (Submarine Service, surface ships sometimes use the term "Blazing the logs," or simply gundecking) Recording engineering log data via mental telepathy (see "Xoxing Logs" below).
• Rain Locker: Shower
• Raisin: Recruit or junior sailor, predominantly heard at Naval Training Commands. Usually used by seasoned A-School students to refer to sailors with one or more weeks less time in service. Fleet equivalent is "Nub," "Newbie," or "Hey Shitbird."
• Ramp Strike: When an aircraft gets drastically low while attempting to land on a carrier and strikes the "round down," or stern of the ship, with devastating results.
• Rate Grabber: enlisted member with the goal of (and succeeding in) making rate (promotion)quickly.
• 'Rats: Short for "mid-rats"
• Ready Room: large space aboard a carrier that is the focal point for each of the squadrons in the airwing. Each squadron has one on the O-3 level, and each pilot has his own seat. Used for a variety of reasons such as training, "AOM's," "Roll-ems," etc...
• Red-Roper: Slang for a Recruit Division Commander (RDC), in reference to the red rope worn around the left shoulder. Used to be called "Company Commander."
• Reefer: Refrigeration ship carrying frozen foods.
• Rent-A-Crow: Term for a sailor advanced to E-4 because they graduated top of their "A" school class. The Navy 'rents' them for an extra year in return for being promoted.
• Rick or Ricky: A "recruit" or Sailor-to-be still in boot camp.
  • Ricky Boxing: A boot camp term for sailors masturbating.
  • Ricky Fishing: A boot camp term for female sailors masturbating.
  • Ricky Girlfriend: Your right hand.
  • Ricky Crud: One-night sickness in bootcamp after receiving Smallpox vaccination. More correctly the constant cold that one has from spending 8 weeks confined with 80 people from all walks of life.
  • Ricky Dive: Fast, effective method of cleaning in boot camp, consisting of wearing smurf suits inside-out and sliding, or being dragged, on the floor to pick up dust.
  • Ricky Heaven: A number of restaurants and entertainment venues found in a single building at boot camp, so called because only graduates of boot camp may go there.
  • Ricky Lawnmower: Nailclippers, used to trim stray threads from uniforms. See "Irish Pennant".
  • Ricky Ninja: A boot camp Urban legend that involves several Rickies dressing up in all black and stealing around in the middle of the night, tying Recruit Division Commanders to their racks and causing all sorts of mischief. Also being woken at 0'dark thirty to PT. The lights are not allowed to be turned on until 0500 so you PT in the dark.
  • Ricky Sweep: Using a bare hand to gather dustbunnies and other dirt from a deck.
  • Ricky Rocket: A boot camp "energy drink" made from an assorted mix of sodas, sports drinks, coffee, sugar and artificial sweetners used to help keep the recruit awake. Also known as "Go-Go Juice". Or half a glass of coffee, half chocolate milk and a shit ton of suger.
• Ring Knocker: A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Used pejoratively if the officer in question is overly proud of this fact.
• River Rat: Crew member of a brown water boat or patrol craft.
• R.O.A.D. Program: Retired On Active Duty, refers to someone who is approaching retirement so they don't care about getting any real work accomplished.
• Roast Beast: Roast Beef, or any meat served aboard the ship that even the cooks who prepared it don't know what it is.
• Roger That: A term of understanding and acceptance when given an order or other information. Can be used with varying inflection and tone without consequence to signify enthusiasm or disgruntledness without stepping outside the bounds of professionalism.
• Roll-em's: Movie night, usually shown in the ready room or the wardroom
• Rollers: Hot dogs.
• Ropeyarn: Original-Taking an afternoon off, usually a Wednesday, to take care of personal matters, such as repairing your uniforms. Today- taking an afternoon off to take care of 'personal matters'.
• Rot-Cee: Slang for ROTC, Reserve Officer Training Corp.
• Rotor Head: Sailor who flies or maintains rotary-winged aircraft (helicopters).
• Rubber Hooeys: condoms
• Rumor Control: The often wildly inaccurate rumors that concern fictitious changes to the ship's schedule. Usually takes the form of "Hey, did you hear <insert ship name here> had a fire in their main machinery room and can't get underway so our cruise got extended by a month?" See also "Mess Deck Intelligence".

[edit] S

• Saltpeter: Chemical supposedly added to "bug juice" aboard ship to stifle libido.
• Salty: Old and experienced (or simply old and sea-worn, as in "my salty hat"). Can also refer to the traditionally profanity-laced language patterns of sailors.
• Sandbox, The: The pier liberty facilities at Jebel Ali. Sandbox Liberty means travel outside the port of Jebel Ali is not authorized. All you get is a "beer on the pier". See "Gerbil Alley".
• Screaming Alpha: A sailor who is on fire and is running around screaming. Alpha fires leave ash. Bravo fires burn flammable liquids. Charlies are electrical fires, and Deltas burn exotic materials, often metals like magnesium. Derived from the A, B, C, and D-classes used for fire extinguishers (even civilian ones).
• Scrambled Eggs: Gold embroidered decoration on a Commander's/Captain's cover. Admirals have Double Eggs. The similar silver clouds and lightning bolts addition to an Air Force Major's hat is called Farts and Darts.
• Screw: Propeller
• Scullery: Washroom for eating implements such as knives, forks, trays, and cups.
• Scupper (Submarine Service): A funnel like device used to collect rogue liquids usually from overflowing tanks in engineering spaces.
• Scupper Trout: Sewage solids or turds being washed overboard, or floating turds in the ocean which have been pumped overboard.
• Scuttlebutt: Drinking fountain or rumor (originated from the rumors that would be spread on board ship while gathered about the water barrel).
• SCWS: Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist (ESCWS for enlisted sailors)
• Sea and Anchor Detail: Every sailor has an assigned duty station to be manned when the ship is either pulling into or out of port. On submarines it's called the Maneuvering Watch. (Coast Guard: Special Sea Detail.)
• Sea chest: n. A trunk or storage container used for a sailors personal property.
• Seachest: Ballast intake/discharge portals below the waterline of a ship.
• Sea Daddy: Senior, more experienced sailor who unofficially takes a new member of the crew under his wing and mentors him.
• Sea Lawyer: An argumentative, cantankerous or know-it-all sailor. A sea lawyer is adept at using technicalities, half truths, and administrative crap to get out of doing work or anything else he doesn't want to do, and/or to justify his laziness.
• Sea Otter: Seaopdetter; a member of a Sea Operational Detachment (SEAOPDET).
• Sea Pussy: a yeoman or personnelman - akin to a secretary - does clerical work. See "titless wave".
• Sea Stories: Often exaggerated or embellished tales from previous deployments or commands told by seniors to juniors. Sea Stories almost always involve alcohol. Good sea stories should involve creative embellishment, in as much as you should tell it better than the guy you heard it from, with yourself (or an un-named "buddy") as the new star. Add some contemporary details and those youngsters are mesmerized, as they should be.
• Seaman Schmuckatelli: Generic name for a sailor, used in a similar manner as "Joe Blow" or "John Q. Public". Example: "You're working on an electrical system without tagging it out, when along comes Seaman Schmuckatelli, who energizes the circuit and ZAP, you're fried calamari."
• Secure: In general, to prepare something for stormy travel -- to secure a window is to shut it. However, it's often used as a stronger form of "cut it out," as in "talking is secured" or "I'm going to secure your mouth if you don't shut the hell up" or "your fruity ways are secured, Fireman Radomski."
• Senile Chief: Slang for Senior Chief
• SERP: Senior Enlisted Rest Period. The Chief is going to his rack for an hour or so after chow.
• Shark shit: A sailor who has fallen overboard and is lost forever.
• Shark bait: A package of bright green dye, attached to a life vest. Used to attract the attention of a rescue helicopter in the event of a man overboard by the victim in the water.
• Shellback: An individual who has crossed the Equator.
• Sherwood Forest: (Submarine Service) missile area, on a boomer
• Shinbuster: Same as knee-knocker.
• Ship over: re-enlisting
• Shipmate: Any fellow Sailor. Also, used as a derogatory term against all junior enlisted personnel i.e. E-5 and below. An Officer, Chief or First Class will use this to show they think so little of you, they haven't bothered to take the time out of their day to learn your name. Used in the Junior Enlisted Community to parody this.
• Shipwreck: Any fellow sailor. Used as a derogatory term.
• Shit in a Seabag: Stuffed green peppers.
• Shit bag (also Shitweed, shitstick, shithead, shit stain, or shitbrick): Any fellow Sailor. Used as a derogatory term and a term of endearment.
• Shitbag (2): A derogatory term for a sailor who has been awarded punishment at mast, or any less-than-par sailor. Also known as "Shitbird".
• Shitbomb: Extremely unpopular topic brought up at the end of a (usually long and boring) meeting that requires a lot of work from everyone present. The worst ones are "drive-by shitbombs," where someone pokes their head in, "throws the shitbomb," and leaves.
• Shit Can: Either the name for a trash can, or the act of throwing something into the trash. As in "Shit can that chit, your not getting any liberty."
• Shit-on-a-shingle: Creamed chipped beef on toast.
• Shit Storm: Severely unpleasant aftermath. As in, "They just found a dead rat in the deep fat fryer and now the cooks have a shit storm on their hands."
• Short Seabag or Without a Full Seabag: Reporting aboard without a full uniform; deficient in aptitude or intelligence.
• Short Timer: A sailor with less than 90 days until discharge or transfer and an attitude to match.
  • Short Timer's Chain: A chain that hangs from the belt of a "short timer" for all to see, with one link representing a day, (signifying too short to care) and usually starts with 30 links. Any more than 30 links will give an attitude to their superiors. Verbal equivalent is "__ days and a wake-up".
• Shutterbug: A Photographer's Mate (PH).
• Sick in Quarters (SIQ): When a sailor is too ill or incapacitated to perform his duties, he is thus required to report to his rack (quarters), where he will remain until healthy again. For personnel aboard ship, this means to remain in bed, while onshore this may simply mean to stay home for the day. Only qualified medical personnel can recommend SIQ, and only the command can authorize it.
• Sierra Hotel: Phonetic letters for SH, which stands for "Shit Hot." Refers to anything impressive or greatly exceeding what is required.
• Sig: (Navy Nukes) A signature on a qualification card. There are many, many "qual cards" in the Sub Service, especially if you're a Nuke. (see "Nuke" above).
• Sig: NAS Sigonella, Sicily
• Sims: Simulators
• Skate: Sailor who avoids work in general while not being detected; for example the ability to "skate" out of work undetected while being assigned to a 14 man working party.
  • Skate Golden: the ability to "skate" out of work while being assigned to a 7 man working party undetected.
  • Skater: Sailor who gets away with doing no work.
• Skeds-O: Schedules Officer
• Skimmer, Skimmer Puke: Surface sailor
• Skipper: Term used in reference to the Commanding officer of any Ship, Unit, Platoon, or Detachment regardless of rank. Generally only applied to someone who has earned the speaker's respect.
• Skittles: Sailors who work on the flight deck of a carrier. So named due to the different colored jerseys they wear. For the same reason, they are sometimes referred to as "Wiggles".
• Skivvies: underwear.
  • Skivvy waver: Signalman (because of signal flags)
• Skylarking: Messing around or not doing assigned work. Skating. Derives from the physical activities done by sailors to dislodge an aground sailing ship from the bottom. 'All hands lay aft (forward) for dancing and skylarking.'
• Skosh: Perilously close to minimum acceptable levels. Example: The F-5 usually lands skosh on fuel.
• Slick Sleeve: A sailor in the E-1 paygrade who does not have a rating, and who has not yet graduated from Apprentice training. Therefore, his left sleeve is "slick", or has no rate or rating insignia at all.
• Sliders: hamburgers/cheeseburgers.
• SMAG: Engineering Laboratory Technician (ELT). Stands for either "Simple Minded Ass Grabbers" or "Sometimes Mechanic, Always Gay". To ELTs, it's "Superior Mechanic, Almost God".
• Small Boy: Term referring to smaller class ships, such as destroyers and frigates.
• Smoke Pit: Designated smoking area. This is almost always used when ashore.
• Smoking Lamp: is out or lit in specified spaces or throughout the ship; 1MC announcement specifying where smoking is permitted or prohibited during certain hours or operations.
• Smoking Sponson: designated smoking area aboard aircraft carriers, usually right below the flight deck on the exterior of the ship's hull. A great place to catch up on scuttlebutt and unwind after a long day.
• Smurf: A recruit who is in his first few days of boot camp who hasn't been issued uniforms yet, and thus wears a "Smurf Suit" (see below).
• Smurf Suit: Set of blue sweatpants and sweatshirt issued on arrival at boot camp; worn for the first several days and thereafter used mostly for PT.
• S.N.A.F.U. Situation Normal All Fucked Up
• Snake Eaters: Special Forces personnel such as Navy SEAL's, Green Berets, etc...
• Snipes: Sailors assigned to the Engineering rates, i.e. Machinists Mates, Boilermen, Enginemen, Pipefitters.
• Snivel: To request time off or to not be scheduled, usually for personal reasons. Most schedule writers will have a "snivel log" for such requests, which may or may not be granted based on the needs of the unit and the sniveler's standing with the schedules officer (Skeds-O).
• SPLIB: Special Liberty, Comp-Time.
• S.N.O.B.: Shortest Nuke on Board. Term used to refer to the lucky nuke who gets out of the Navy next. This term usually only applies to nukes who have not re-enlisted (i.e. "first-termers"). In rare cases, the S.N.O.B. voluntarily relinquishes his/her title to a "second-termer" that gets out of the Navy earlier who exhibits extreme disgruntlement and is generally accepted by the "first-termers" as one of their own. This person would be given the title of "Honorary S.N.O.B."
• Socked-in: When the ceiling and visibility at an airfield or over an air-capable ship are below minimums for takeoff and landing.
• S.O.S.: Same as Shit-on-a-shingle.
• Sonar Girls: Derogatory term used for the Sonar Technicians on a Submarine. They have the relatively least physical rate (sitting, watching a screen), no grease or machinery to deal with, and yet usually shower before and after each watch.
• Sougee: To scour; sougee powder = generic term for scouring powder, although in yachting refers to a chemical cleaner.
• Sparky: Radioman.
• Split Tails: Female sailors. Used more often in the early days of surface ship integration.
• Spook: Usually a CT, IS or some kind of intelligence type.
• Spudlocker: Area below the ramp of an aircraft carrier. Landing in the spudlocker results in a broken aircraft and is often fatal. Also used for a potato (spud) storage room.
• Spunk: Cool Whip or anything like it.
• Squid: A surface warfare sailor, as opposed to one of the other warfare communities. Increasingly becoming used to represent ALL sailors, however.
• Squidette: The feminine version of Squid.
• Stacking: The act of crapping on top of some one elses crap when the toilets are secured.
• Star tight: see "Gronk"
• Starboard: Right side of the boat or ship (when facing the bow). Right side of an aircraft when facing the nose.
• Steel Beach Picnic: Celebration on the weather decks of a ship. Usually involving near beer and barbecue.
• Striker: Sailor receiving on-the-job training for a designated field (or rate)
• Sticks: The levers in the Maneuvering Room of a diesel submarine that are used to change the settings for the main propuslion motors.
• Sucking Rubber: (Submarine Service) Extended periods wearing Emergency Air Breathing devices (EABs), A full-face air mask similar to that worn by firefighters, except fed from ship's emergency air system rather than a bottle on your back. Also refers to wearing a gas mask such as the MCU-2P for protection against chemical, biological or radiological attack.
• Surge: A ship deployment from it's home port usually lasting 3 to 6 months. Usually occurs outside of the normal cruise cycle due to operational commitments.
• Swab: Mop.
• Swims: Aviation water survival training. This 2-day class must be completed every few years by pilots and aircrew. Consists of classroom and pool instruction and culminates with the dreaded "Dilbert Dunker" and "Helo Dunker."

[edit] T

• TAD or TDY: Temporary Additional Duty or Temporary Duty
• Tape Zebra: Maddening condition aboard ship, especially aircraft carriers, where passageways are "taped off" so that they may be waxed, dried, and buffed in the middle of the night. It seems that the passageways are purposely chosen to maximize delay and frustration when a pilot has to do an oh-dark-thirty preflight or some other duty. Junior enlisted sailors take special delight in denying officers access to these passageways, and relish in their disgruntled detours. Likewise, junior officers thoroughly enjoy when a man overboard or general quarters is called in the middle of the night, and they rush to get to the head of the line so as to crash through tape zebra and trample through the wet wax.
• T.A.R.F.U.: Things Are Really Fucked Up.
• Target: submariner term to describe the surface fleet.
• TDU (Submarine Service): Trash Disposal Unit. Sophisticated AN-DEEP-6 weapons system.
• The Boat: Airdale term for the ship their airwing is attached to. "We're going to The Boat for a few weeks."
• Tin can: Destroyer.
• Titless wave: Clerical personnel as; yeoman, storekeeper, personnelman, desk jockey, pencil pusher, typest, etc. See "sea pussy".
• Tits Machine: Old-school term for a kick-ass aircraft, usually a fighter, that consisted of little more than an airframe, minimal avionics, and a huge engine or two. The F-8 Crusader was universally accepted as a tits machine. The F-14 Tomcat was also widely accepted. Today's modern electronic video game fighters like the F/A-18 will never be in the same ballpark.
• Tits Up: Broke-dick, inoperable (from some piece of equipment being "flat on it's back").
• TLD (Nuclear): Thermo Luminescent Dosimeter. More Affectionately "Tiny Little Dick". Navy belt adornment. Worn by nukes to measure radiation received in a period of time. Often a good source of humor for when the topsiders ask what they are for.
• Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: Those elements of the Pacific Fleet which operated in the referenced waters 1965-1975.
• Topsider: (Carrier) Anyone who is not a nuke.
• Torpedo Sponge: Similar to "Missile Sponge", this refers to the smaller ships in a convoy, whose duty it is to protect the carrier, to the point of taking the torpedo hit for the carrier if needed.
• Trap: A fixed-wing arrested landing on an aircraft carrier. In the helo world, the Rapid Securing Device (RSD) on the deck of a "small boy."
• Trice Up: Make your rack. (rack = bed) The old racks had a trice or hook to hook it to the bulkhead or wall. Hence the term "All hands heave out and trice up." Or jump out of your rack and make it. (Originally referred to hammocks, in days of yore before berthing spaces.). More correctly, the "trice" was the bottom (third) rack, being built to fold up against the bulkhead/stanchion (see above), so when the command "Trice-up" was given, the rack would be folded up, allowing compartment cleaners to sweep and swab under that bottom rack.
• Trice'd Up: Happens when your asshole shipmates open your rack with you sleeping in it after they discovered you forgot to secure it shut before you got in it, thus trapping you in a space more cramped then usual. Only works on a middle and bottom rack, as a top rack usual has no ceiling.
• Tronchaser: Those in the AT (primarily I Level) rate who work on Navy avionics.
• Tube steak: hot dogs (also, called "dangling sirloin").
• Turkey: slang for the F-14 Tomcat
• Turn-to: Get to work.
• Tweeker (Submarine Service): Electronics rating; any engineering rating not gronking a wrench. (See "gronk" above, see "wrench" OED)
• Tweener (Submarine Service): Affectionate term for Missile Technicians on Ballistic Missile Submarines. Usually called out during the "Coner" and "Nuke" throwbacks, since the Missile Compartment is "between" the Forward(Coner) and Engineering(Nuke) spaces.
• Twidget: Sailor in the Electronics or Electrical fields of job specialties.
• Twig: Medical Service Corps officer. So named for the slanting stem attached to their device.
• Two-block: To have all the work one can handle. Derived from when the blocks on a block and tackle are together and can not lift any higher. "My guys are two-blocked."
• Two-Digit Midget: Sailor with 99 or less days until his/her "End of Active Obligated Service", or EAOS.
• Tuna Boat: A submarine tender, or other non-combat ship that is comprised nearly completely by female sailors. Example: "We're going to have great liberty this port! A tuna boat just pulled in."
• Turn 'n Burn: Casual for "Get busy!" From formal daily announcement Turn to ship's work, often given as direct order Turn to!

[edit] U

• UA: Unauthorized absence; the Navy's term for AWOL
• Uncle Sam's Confused Group (USCG): the US Coast Guard - an organization that is the 5th armed service, yet falls under the Dept of Homeland Security).
• Underway Sock: A rolled up sock used for masturbation.
• UNODIR: UNless Otherwise DIRected; enables TRUST-based management by exception (MBE)
• UNREP: UNderway REPlenishment - Taking supplies from the supply ship by maneuvering alongside and passing lines between the two vessels. Differs from "VERTREP."
• USS Backyard: Term for the sailor's home of record, to which he or she happily returns upon discharge.
• USS LASTSHIP: Term for sailor's trying to tell a story, or give an example of how business was handled at their last command
• USS Neverdock: Ship that seems to stay out at sea for unusually long periods of time. For sailors, this is usually their own ship.
• USS Neversail: Mock-up ship found in boot camp, also called USS Recruit. Can also refer to real ships that seldom leave port, such as Sub-tenders.
• USS Loungechair: where you go when you retire.
• USS Nottagain (DD 214): Used by sailors separating from the Navy when asked which command they are going to. Also can be used by former sailors when visiting old friends and asked by new personnel which ship they are on. "DD 214" is the form that must be filled out for a military member to get discharged.DD was also the type deisgnation for pre-missile destroyers.
• USS Ustafish (Submarine Service): The boat a sailor was on previously, from the time when attack boats were named after fish. Pronounced "Used to Fish." Used as, "We don't want to hear about your Ustafish stories."

[edit] V

• Vampire Liberty: Getting day off, for donating a pint of Blood.
• VERTREP: VERTical REPlenishment - taking supplies from the supply ship via helo pick up and drop off. Back in the day this was most often accomplished by the mighty CH-46 Sea Knight (see "Phrog"), although any aircraft with a cargo hook installed can do it. Differs from UNREP (see above).
• Very well: Senior to subordinate acknowledgement.
• Vitamin M: Similar to Corpsman Candy above, but in this context relating to Motrin, which is occasionally used to combat the various aches/pains/headaches associated with military service.
• Vultures Row: Place where people can watch flight operations without being in the way, typically the O-7 to O-9 level on an aircraft carrier's island.

[edit] W

• Warrant: A warrant officer. In the navy warrants are generally older and more experienced in a particular area of expertise than a commissioned line officer, much like an "LDO." Warrants almost always come from the senior (E7 - E9) enlisted ranks.
• Watch: A period of duty, usually of four-hours duration, six-hours on submarines. The day at sea has long been divided into watches, which are called: midwatch (0000 to 0400); rev watch (reveille) (0400 to 0800); forenoon watch (0800 to 1200); afternoon watch (1200 to 1600); and the first watch (2000 to 2400).
• WAVES acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services.
• Wayspouse: Sailors spouses waiting on the pier that are so overweight the could be used as navigation waypoints.
• WEFT: Typically it stands for "Wings, Exhaust (or Engine, for prop aircraft), Fuselage, Tail" and is a method by which ship's lookout stations can visually identify aircraft within the vicinity. However, since training for this tends to be spotty at best, identification of aircraft is often incorrect, leading to the second definition: "Wrong Every Fucking Time".
• Welded to the Pier: A Ship being in an extended period of refit at a shipyard or naval base, which prevents it from making ready for sea for several months or longer.
• Wet Suit Camel Toe: A disturbing sight caused by a (usually older and) fatter rescue swimmer attempting to squeeze into his wet suit for SAR duty. Often seen entering and exiting helos that are providing SAR services.
• WESTPAC: While this usually refers to the western Pacific area of operations, it can also refer to a type of deployment in which a unit heads to multiple locations throughout said area. Often used in, "Damn, we just did a six-month WESTPAC, barely got home for a week, and now we're heading out again?"
• Whidbey Whale: A dependent wife that is Orca fat even though her husband has maintained the same basic size while during their marriage
• Whistling Shit Can of Death: CH-46 Seaknight Helicopter
• White Rats: Tampons that appear after a sewage leak in the female head.
• Whiz Quiz: "Piss Test," Urinalysis.
• Widow/Widower: Describes wives (and now husbands) with spouses on deployment. Single, for all intents and purposes, until the day their spouse returns from deployment. Prefaced by the type or theater of service the deployed spouse is in, e.g. "WESTPAC widow" or "Boomer Widow".
• Wings: Naval Aviator or Naval Flight Officer breast insignia. Also the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist breast insignia.
• Wolf Ticket: Highly suspect information. Can refer to malicious "scuttlebutt," exaggerated "no-shitters," or blatently phony sea stories.
• Workups: 1- to 6-week periods preceding a deployment during which the ship and/or its airwing practice and prepare. Widely known workups involving the carrier and the airwing are TSTA, COMPTUEX, and RIMPAC. Airwing only workups include trips to NAS Fallon and NAS Key West.
• WTF: "What the Fuck" (pronounced "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" using the phonetic alphabet): colorful way of asking what just happened, ie, "What the Fuck?"
• Wardroom: Officer's mess, or dining room. Also used to collectively refer to all the officers at a command.
• Weaponette: (pl: Weaponettes) (Submarine Service) Pejorative term for the members of a submarine's Weapons Department, used by members of the Navigation/Operations Department or Engineering Department, usually when they want their stolen tools back.
• Wog: short for "pollywog", as in "wog ceremony".
• Working Party: When there is loading of supplies, the Quarter Deck will call for a "working party" to be manned by each division of the ship, the number depending on the task.
• Would you like a kick to help you get airborne?: seen on a numerical list of epithet substitutions, especially transmitted over radio, which has to stay clean

[edit] X

• XOI: "Executive Officer's Inquiry" A step in the non-judicial punishment process in which the wayward sailor appears before the executive officer (XO). After hearing the details of the case, the XO may recommend dismissal or refer it to the Commanding Officer (CO) for "Mast."
• XO's Happy Hour: Daily hour-long mandatory cleaning evolution. Usually introduced by XO on the 1MC.
• Xoxing Logs: (Submarine Service) (Derived from the word "Xerox," pronounced "zoxing") Entering engineering log data suspiciously similar to the previous hour's log data.

[edit] Z

• Zoomie: Aviator. Usually applied to USAF pilots.
• zoomies (Nuclear Navy): Refers to the radiation present in a compartment containing or in proximity of nuclear weapons or a naval nuclear reactor. Example: "I wouldn't go back there unless you want to get some "zoomies"!". Also can refer to amount of radiation picked up on personnel's personal dosimetry (radiation measuring devices worn by weapons or nuclear trained personnel). Common use is "how many "zoomies" did you get today?".

• ZUT: CW (Morse radiotelegraphy) forever. Unoffocial procedure signal (obsolete). Retired RMs may have a ZUT certificate, or even tattoo.

[edit] External links

• Naval Terminology