RAF slang

The Royal Air Force developed a distinctive slang which has been documented in works such as Piece of Cake and the Dictionary of RAF slang.[1]

The following is a comprehensive selection of slang terms and common abbreviations used by British Armed Forces from before World War II until the present day; less common abbreviations are not included.

Often common colloquial terms are used as well by airmen, as well as less savoury ones. In addition some terms have come into common parlance such as "I pranged the car last night".

Other slang was used by British and Empire air forces. There were a number of codes used within the RAF, not now under the official secrets act, some of which are included.

It is followed by a list of nicknames of aircraft used by, or familiar to, the RAF.

A

B
  • Bale out (or Bail out) - to jump out of a stricken aircraft and parachute down to earth.[3][5]
  • Banana Boat - an aircraft carrier.[6]
  • Best Blue - the number 1 uniform worn by RAF personnel.[7]
  • Bimble - a wander around; "We'll just bimble down to the mess."[8]
  • Blower - the telephone.[7]
  • Bogey - an aircraft suspected of being hostile.[9]
  • Bought it - to be killed, or shot down by enemy fire.[3]
  • Bumf - paperwork or boring reading. Originally used to describe leaflets dropped as a means of psychological operations over enemy territory. The term derives from bum-fodder.[3]
  • Brolly - a parachute, particularly when used to Bale out.[10]
  • Burton, gone for a - a widely used term, but in RAF Slang meaning someone who has gone missing, or more likely, had been killed on operations.[11]
  • Bus driver - a slang term used by fighter pilots to describe bomber pilots.[12]

C
  • (The) Chair force - desk-bound, ground personnel.[13]
  • Char - a drink of tea.[3]

D
  • Dhobi - laundry.[2]
  • Dhobi dust - washing powder.[14]
  • (the) Ditch - the English Channel.[15]
  • (to) Ditch (or Ditching) - to either bale out into, or land an aircraft, in the sea (also known as In the drink).[3][5]

E
  • Erk - An RAF nickname originating in the First World War. It started out as airk (short for aircraftman), and came to mean any low rank person or beginner.[16]

F
  • Fang farrier - a dentist.[4]
  • (Mr) Fireworks - an armaments officer.[12]
  • Flap - to panic, or a disturbance on station (ie- "What's the flap?")[17]
  • Fruit salad - a large array of medal ribbons on someones uniform.[13]

G
  • Gash - used by all three services to describe something that is rubbish, but additionally, in the RAF, is used as a meaning of anything free.[18]
  • Gen - information of any kind ("What's the gen?)[17] This could either be reliable information, (Pukka Gen) or unreliable, (Duff Gen).[19]
  • Glamour boys - derogatory term for fighter pilots.[17]
  • God botherer - a chaplain in the RAF (padre).[4]
  • Gravel crusher an NCO who was employed to drill the airmen.[20]
  • Gremlin - a mischievous Sprite that was blamed for anything that went wrong with an aircraft, ("The gremlins have been at it again!)[21]
  • Grow-bag - a flight suit that pilots wear, said to be so named because of the untidy appearance of both items. Grow-bag by extension also can used as a description of aircrew; "The grow-bags are heading out for lunch."[14]
  • Gunners - a term for the RAF Regiment ground fighting troops.[22]

H
  • Heat wagon - a fire engine.[23]

I
  • In a spot - in some difficulty, as in "..in a spot of bother.."[24]

J

K
  • Kite - a term used to describe any aircraft.[26]

L
  • Liney - an aircraft mechanic, or someone who works on the aircraft line.[4]

M
  • Mae West - a lifebelt worn around the upper body which was inflated if aircrew went into the sea. The name derives from the bust of the actress of the same name.[27]
  • Meat wagon - an ambulance.[23]
  • Milk run (or Milk round) - a sortie against an easy target, especially one which could be used to break in inexperienced bomber crews.[28]

N
  • Nickel - a sortie over enemy territory to drop leaflets (bumf).[29]

O
  • Oppo - a friend colleague or co-worker, from my opposite number.[30]

P
  • Pebble Monkey - a term used to describe very junior RAF Regiment officers (see Rock Ape).[31]
  • Prang - to achieve a direct hit, or to crash one's own aircraft. A term originating in the Second World War, it also gave rose to the term Wizard Prang, meaning wonderful or an extremely accurate hit on a target.[32]
  • Prune - someone who is foolish or not to be looked up to. Stems from a Second World War cartoon character, Pilot Officer Prune, who does everything wrong and risks his safety and that of others. A modern day equivalent in the RAF safety journal (Air Clues), is Wing Commander Spry.[31]

R
  • Rigger - an airframe mechanic.[33]
  • Rock ape - a slang term for a member of the RAF Regiment.[22][34]
  • Ropey - an adjective used to describe something bad; "That was a ropey landing".[2]

S
  • Scramble - a term that came into use during the Second World War, particularly during the Battle of Britain. Scramble was used to alert ground and aircrews of an incoming attack in their area of operation.[35]
  • Scuffer - a nickname for members of the Royal Air Force Police.[4]
  • Scrambled eggs - the gold braid on high-ranking officers' uniforms.[13]
  • Snowdrop - a nickname for personnel of the RAF Police (RAFP).[17] The name derives from the white hats that the RAFP wear.[36]
  • Sparks - a wireless operator.[37]

T
  • Tin fish - a torpedo.[17]
  • Trenchard Brats - an aircraft apprentice, so named after Lord Trenchard, who initiated the apprentice scheme in the RAF.[37]
  • Type - a person (usually male); as in "he's a ropey type.[38]

U
  • US (often U/S) - unserviceable.[38]

W

Aircraft Nicknames

References
  1. Coleman, Julie (28 October 2010). A History of Cant and Slang Dictionaries: Volume IV: 1937-1984. OUP Oxford. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-19-956725-6.
  2. Congdon 1985, p. 147.
  3. Halpenny 1982, p. 15.
  4. Dent 2017, p. 202.
  5. "Life And Death In Bomber Command". iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. Partridge 2016, p. 14.
  7. Ford 1992, p. 216.
  8. Dent 2017, p. 201.
  9. Partridge 2016, p. 17.
  10. Fussell, Paul (1989). Wartime : understanding and behavior in the Second World War. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 256. ISBN 0-19-503797-9.
  11. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 76.
  12. Congdon 1985, p. 146.
  13. Ellin 2015, p. 47.
  14. Dent 2017, p. 203.
  15. Partridge 2016, p. 23.
  16. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 180.
  17. Halpenny 1982, p. 16.
  18. Congdon 1985, p. 153.
  19. Fussell, Paul (1989). Wartime : understanding and behavior in the Second World War. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 255. ISBN 0-19-503797-9.
  20. Ellin 2015, p. 53.
  21. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 247.
  22. Mallinson, Allan (27 March 2010). "RAF's unsung heroes win their spurs in Afghanistan". The Times. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  23. Ellin 2015, p. 46.
  24. Partridge 2016, p. 33.
  25. Partridge 2016, p. 38.
  26. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 325.
  27. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 376.
  28. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 400.
  29. Halpenny 1982, p. 14.
  30. Partridge 2016, p. 42.
  31. Congdon 1985, p. 158.
  32. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 485.
  33. Partridge 2016, p. 48.
  34. "RAF aim to 'dominate the ground'". BBC News. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  35. Pickering, Isaacs & Martin 1991, p. 585.
  36. "Royal Air Force Police". iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  37. Monahan 2018, p. 283.
  38. Partridge 2016, p. 60.
  39. OPINION: Common abbreviation for the Air Force Wing Commander, 26 August 2020
  40. "Hercules". www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  41. Vickers VC10 jetliners fly last mission from RAF Brize Norton 20 September 2013
  42. OPINION: a nickname for any of the Handley-Paige Halifax bombers, 26 August 2020
  43. http://www.warbirdalley.com/spit.htm
  44. "TriStar retires after 30 years' service". GOV.UK. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  45. OPINION: Bidding a fond farewell to RAF's mighty Tonka, Flight International, 8 March 2019

Sources
  • Congdon, Philip (1985). Behind the Hangar Doors. Woodhall Spa: Sonik Books. ISBN 0-9510139-0-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Dent, Susie (2017). Dent's Modern Tribes: The Secret Languages of Britain. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-1-473-62387-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ellin, Dan (2015). The many behind the few : the lives and emotions of Erks and WAAFs of RAF Bomber Command 1939-1945 (Report). Warwick: University of Warwick. OCLC 1065131481.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ford, Keith S. (1992). Snaith days : life with 51 Squadron 1942/45. Warrington: Compaid Graphics. ISBN 0-9517965-1-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1982). Action Stations 4; Military Airfields of Yorkshire. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-532-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Monahan, Fin (2018). The origins of the organisational culture of the Royal Air Force (Report). Birmingham: University of Birmingham. OCLC 1064611289.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Partridge, Eric (2016). A Dictionary of RAF Slang. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-1-405-93059-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Pickering, David; Isaacs, Alan; Martin, Elizabeth, eds. (1991). Brewer's Twentieth Century Phrase & Fable. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34059-6.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.