What does G.I. mean, and are British soldiers called anything similar?

mibmob

G.I. is general infantryman. In Britain we now call them squaddies. But again I expect to be shot down in flames - see q above. Jul 20 02, 5:27 PM

Fosse4

Always thought GI to mean General (or Government) Issue referring to the kit and equipment given to soldiers in the US. The UK equivalent I would have said was Tommy (from Tommy Atkins the fictitious name used to show how to fill in the enrolment forms in WW1) Like Mibmob am prepared to be shot down if wrong. Jul 20 02, 10:09 PM

dOUG	Thanks F4, is that how we get the word Tommy Gun? Jul 21 02, 12:09 AM

sundayboy

Doug, I think the 'Tommy Gun'is actually the Thompson SubMachine Gun invented by General John T Thompson, hence the nickname of it, taken from his surname. Jul 21 02, 2:22 AM

Linus

According to the site below,: 'GI is an old World War II term that means General Issue and Government issue. It was used to describe regulation equipment, but was applied to the common soldiers in WWII. So GI Joe sort of means 'Average Joe'. (For more info, see entry at Dictionary.com)' http://www.joeheadquarters.com/faq.shtml I guess they would know! Also see: http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question13171.html http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question14954.html http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question33363.html Jan 01 03, 7:37 PM

Create a Free FunTrivia ID to add to, request more/new answers, or edit this entry

In Turkish, does umrumda diill mean anything? Does anything similar to the drug taken by Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" exist in real life? Does the number 378 mean anything significant in any sport? What did British soldiers mean by "Gertie Wears Velvet" during World War One?

1 What Does That Unusual Word Mean? 10 somewhat obscure words. What is their real meaning? Unusual and Obscure Words Difficult 10 Q awkins Apr 19 00 1959 plays 2 What Does That Saying Really Mean? The following phrases are self explanatory, but you need to fill in the blank! All of the questions are multiple choice - so just have fun! Idioms and Proverbs Average 10 Q Engadine Jun 02 03 3156 plays 3 What Does This Girl's Name Mean? Do you know what names mean? Find out if you know these ten. Look at the hints and try to figure out the meaning. Female Names Average 10 Q baby2002 Mar 13 03 2646 plays