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webberf1
26th September 2013, 03:57
What are some slang names used for US troops?

E.g. like how WWI british troops were called 'Tommys', Germans 'Jerrys' or the vietcong 'Charlie'.

airshifter
26th September 2013, 05:09
Depends on the era and service branch usually. I'm sure the Viet Cong had names we never use, as did probably everyone else we were in combat with.

US Navy - Swabbies, Squids

Army - Army Dogs, Grunts

Air Force - Fly Boys

Coast Guard (though never officially Department of Defense) - Coasties

US Marines = Jarheads, Leatherneck, Devil Dog


Some are based on uniform appearances or legend, others just stuck. :D

555-04Q2
26th September 2013, 10:52
"Septic Tanks" is another used for the US forces in general over here

webberf1
26th September 2013, 12:11
Ohhk thanks for the help but it looks like I won't need those names anymore. I was looking for a slang word to use in the title of my upcoming honours thesis but I ended up going down a different line of naming it.

555-04Q2
26th September 2013, 12:19
Good luck with it :)

webberf1
27th September 2013, 15:00
Thanks mate

D-Type
30th September 2013, 01:08
In case you change your mind there's always the old ones: Doughboy (WW1), Dogface (WW2), GI

webberf1
30th September 2013, 06:19
In case you change your mind there's always the old ones: Doughboy (WW1), Dogface (WW2), GI
I appreciate the help but in the end I really went down a different line of naming convention. It's going to be about drone warfare btw.

Starter
30th September 2013, 06:50
I appreciate the help but in the end I really went down a different line of naming convention. It's going to be about drone warfare btw.
Hmmmmmmmm...

webberf1
30th September 2013, 10:10
I appreciate the help but in the end I really went down a different line of naming convention. It's going to be about drone warfare btw.
Hmmmmmmmm...
Hmmm hmmm

airshifter
30th September 2013, 11:40
In case you change your mind there's always the old ones: Doughboy (WW1), Dogface (WW2), GI
I appreciate the help but in the end I really went down a different line of naming convention. It's going to be about drone warfare btw.


I already knew what it was about. It was hard to zoom that close with these remote controls as it was windy that day and.... err... I mean I thought you might do it about drones! :D

webberf1
30th September 2013, 14:40
In case you change your mind there's always the old ones: Doughboy (WW1), Dogface (WW2), GI
I appreciate the help but in the end I really went down a different line of naming convention. It's going to be about drone warfare btw.


I already knew what it was about. It was hard to zoom that close with these remote controls as it was windy that day and.... err... I mean I thought you might do it about drones! :D
Ahahhh! I knew they were onto me already! ;)

anfield5
4th October 2013, 04:15
"Septic Tanks" is another used for the US forces in general over here

i'm a bit surprised that is used in South Africa :)

It is a generic term for Americans in the UK, it is based on Cockney Rhyming Slang, i.e. Yank = Septic Tank, so in general Americans are called Septic Tanks or just 'septics' or 'seppo's' in some parts of England

555-04Q2
4th October 2013, 10:30
The world is a small place, plus there are probably more South Africans in the UK then British these days :p: ;)

Mark
4th October 2013, 14:26
The world is a small place, plus there are probably more South Africans in the UK then British these days :p: ;)

Nah, it's mostly Australians ;)

555-04Q2
4th October 2013, 14:34
The world is a small place, plus there are probably more South Africans in the UK then British these days :p: ;)

Nah, it's mostly Australians ;)

:rotflmao: ya ya ya ;)

Gregor-y
4th October 2013, 17:57
The world is a small place, plus there are probably more South Africans in the UK then British these days :p: ;)

Nah, it's mostly Australians ;)
According to the few South Africans I've met in the US, everyone thinks they're Australian, anyway.

555-04Q2
9th October 2013, 08:10
[quote="555-04Q2":17uwbpaw]The world is a small place, plus there are probably more South Africans in the UK then British these days :p: ;)

Nah, it's mostly Australians ;)
According to the few South Africans I've met in the US, everyone thinks they're Australian, anyway.[/quote:17uwbpaw]

Well what do you expect. When I was in the US people thought I was from New Zealand mostly and when I revealed I was actually from South Africa they were like, where is that? I replied, at the bottom (South) of the African continent. Gotta love the "smart" Americans :p: :laugh: