– M –
MAFEESH
nothing
MICKS
head side of coin in Two-up
MACHONOCHIE MEDAL
Military Cross; Military Medal
MINNIE
trench mortar bomb, derived from the German minenwerfer, a mine thrower
MITT
hand
MOB
affectionate term for own battalion
MOLO
drunk
MOSES CARAVANS
buses
MUDHOOKS
feet
– N –
NAPOO
negative
– O –
OILED
drunk
OLD SWEAT
soldier
ONKS
francs
– P –
P.B.I.
Poor Bastards Infantry
PARAKEET
staff-officer (because of the red tabs on the uniform)
PIDGIN LIKE BULLAMAKAU
bully beef
PIG-STICKER
bayonet
POIKEY
hats
POINT BLANK
wine
PONGO
an infrantryman
P.O.Q.
pushed off quickly
PORK AND BEANS
Portuguese soldiers until an order was issued that they had to be referred to as “Our Gallant Allies!”
POSH
a demobilised soldier neatly dressed in civilian clothes
POTATO-MASHER
German hand grenade
PUNK
bad or distasteful
PUNKED MAN
one caught scrouging
– Q –
QUAS KATEER
very good
– R –
REINSTOUSHMENTS
reinforcements
RICKETY KATE
mate
ROSELLAS
officers with red tabs
RUM JAR
trench mortar bomb
– S –
SAEEDA
good day
SAUSAGE
observation balloon
SCROUGING
deliberately shirking any piece of work
SHAKES IT
acquire something
SHREWDY
cunning person
SIN-LIFTER
Army Chaplain
SQUAREHEAD
German solider
SQUARE-PUSHING
perambulations
S.R.D.
service rum diluted (In the jar there was not much dilution, but depending on the habits and likings of the Q.M’s and their offsiders whose hands it passed through on the way to the troops, it was not all rum at the point of issue. Nevertheless, it was always a welcome visitor to the front line, especially where things were willing.)
STACK THE DRAPERY
prepare for a fight
STITCHES
cobblers
STOUCH-UP
fight
STUNNED
drunk
STUNTS
describes any event, from an air raid to a days C.B.
SUGAR
money
– T –
TABBIES KNIT
socks
TIN
money
TIN FLASH
a torpedo
TINKLE-TINKLE
an effeminate man
TIRED THEADORE
long-distance heavy shell
TO TAKE TO THE TALL TIMBER
to abscond
TOMMY
English soldier
TREACLE-MINER
a man who boasts of wealth or position
TUCKER
food
– U –
UPTER
bad, useless – a corruption of “up to putty”
– V –
VIN BLONG
oil
– W –
WAACs
Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps
WEE WILLIE
the German Crown Prince
WHIZZ-BANG
small but deadly German shell
WINS
a thief’s gains
– W –
YANK
American soldier
Sources:
- “Anzac” Slang, Preston Leader (Vic.), 29 April 1916, p. 5.
- A Slang Word, Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), 1 May 1918, p. 3.
- Camp Slang, Dunolly and Betbetshire Express and County of Gladstone Advertiser, 19 November 1918, p. 4.
- War Slang, Kalgoorlie Miner (W.A.), 5 December 1919, p. 4.
- Slang and the Coining of Words, The Queenslander (Brisbane), 27 March 1920, p. 3.
- Army Slang, Western Mail (Perth), 9 March 1933, p. 2.
- Digger Slang, Daily Mercury (Mackay), 11 January 1940, p. 10.
- The Lingo Diggers Used, The World’s News (Sydney), 20 January 1940, p. 18.
- It is Changing Rapidly: Slang of Our Fighting Forces, The Australiasian (Melbourne), 29 August 1942, p. 23.
- The Lingo, The Northern Champion (Taree), 21 June 1944, p. 3.
