Salty Language: U.S. Navy Slang

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. You are visiting Mayport, Florida when you walk into a bar and see your old friend, John Smith, in a Navy dress uniform. After exchanging greetings, you say you surprised to see that he has become a seaman. John indignantly replies that he is not a seaman, he is a "snipe." What is a snipe? A Navy seal An officer An engineer An aviator

2. After a few words of conversation, John mentions that he is currently assigned to a "tin can." What is a tin can? An aircraft carrier A destroyer A repair ship A submarine

3. John is quite proud of being a snipe. He tells you, "They were going to make me a titless Wave, but I refused to strike for it." What is a "titless Wave?" A Yeoman A Navy midshipman A Boatswain's Mate A Signalman

4. You order a round of beer for yourself and your friend. As he takes a drink, John says: "Boy this really hits the spot. We just got back from a Med cruise, and for the last three weeks, all we had to drink was bug juice." Which of the following is most similar to "bug juice?" Water Canned soda Powdered milk Kool-Aid

5. As you are enjoying your beer, John spots a friend of his on the other side of the bar and points him out to you. "That's Jack Jones," he says, "he's a bubblehead." What is a bubblehead? A submariner A Seabee A civilian A welder

6. Jack comes over to your table to join you. You notice he is favoring his left arm. When you ask him about it he replies, "Oh, I just got my crow tacked on yesterday." What does this tell you? He has injured himself He has had a vaccination He has a hangover He has been promoted

7. You also notice Jack is sporting a black eye. When you ask him how he came by it, he replies: "Oh, some friends of mine were out celebrating last night, and we got into a fight with a pack of jarheads." What is a jarhead? A marine A homosexual A civilian A member of the Coast Guard

8. You and your friends decide to leave the bar and take a tour of John's ship, the USS Monica Lewinsky. While you are walking to your car, you pass a shop and John says, "Wait here for a minute. I want to go inside and get some 'geedunk.'" What is/are geedunk? Candy Hair tonic Contraceptives Shoe polish

9. The three of you arrive at John's ship, and he begins your tour. Taking you to the engineering spaces, he tells you that when the ship was returning from its last cruise, she was going "balls to the wall." What does this mean? The ship was leaking The ship was steering erratically The ship was cruising at maximum speed The ship was experiencing mechanical problems

10. You are walking down a passageway when you come to a door. You start to open it, but John stops you. "Don't open that door," he exclaims, "It's the Goat Locker!" What would you expect to find in a Goat Locker? Female sailors Prisoners Chief Petty Officers Classified material

11. John invites you to tour his berthing area, so you can see how sailors live aboard ship. As you are walking down the passageway, you pass another sailor. John greets him with, "Hi, Sparky." What is Sparky's most likely occupation? Hospital Corpsman Radioman Signalman Hull Technician

12. When you get to the berthing area, the first thing you notice is how crowded it is. When you ask about this, John says: "Yeah, space is at a premium here; some the guys are actually hot-racking." What is "hot-racking?" Sleeping on the floor Sharing a bunk with another sailor Sleeping in the engine room Living ashore

13. Suddenly Chief Petty Officer Bohatch comes in, walks over to John, and says, "I see you're back from liberty, Smith. Get into your work clothes, I've got a job for you." Smith protests that he has the day off, but Chief Bohatch smiles and says, "Relax, we'll make it up to you later. Besides, it's a really cushy detail. Meet me on the fantail in ten minutes. And bring your tool belt." As Chief Bohatch leaves, you hear John mutter, "Bohica." What does "Bohica" stand for? Bend over, here it comes again A Tagalog word for horse dung Bravo, our hour is come at last Blind obedience, honest initiative, cheerful attitude

14. While we are at it, what is a "fantail?" The boiler room The extreme aft part of the main deck The highest mast on a ship The ship's galley

15. You and Jack wait around while John changes into his dungarees. He gets dressed and is about to leave when he remembers something. "Darn it," he says, "where did I put my Dixie Cup?" What is a "Dixie Cup?" A wad of chewing tobacco An athletic supporter A type of wrench A sailor's white hat

16. Finally John is ready to go. "I'll walk you guys back to the quarterdeck," he says. When you get outside, you meet Lieutenant Kieffer, the Engineer Officer. John salutes him, and he returns the salute. "Smith," he says, "your uniform is a disgrace! Get rid of that Irish pennant on your dungarees." What is a "Irish pennant?" A stain A wrinkle An unauthorized patch A loose thread

17. As the officer leaves, John mutters a few comments about his ancestry and personal habits. "I wonder what's got into him?" John asks. "He should know better than to ride me like that; he's a mustang." What type of officer is a "mustang?" A combat veteran A former enlisted man A Naval Academy graduate An officer nearing retirement

18. Finally you arrive at the quarterdeck and prepare to leave the ship. "I'd better get going, or Bohatch will have my hide," says John. "He probably wants me to rig Med lights or something." What purpose do "Med lights" serve? None, they are purely decorative To warn low-flying aircraft To indicate the commanding officer's rank To illuminate the ship's hull number

19. "The gangway's right over there," says John, pointing to a flight of steps leading down to the pier. "When you leave, say hi to Chief Brown for me. He's the OOD." Who or what is the "OOD?" Officer of the Deck Onboard Officer Designee Officer of the Dock Officer of the Detail

20. Back on dry land, you tell Jack that it was nice to meet him, but now you have to go. "What's your hurry?" he asks. "Come with me to the Acey-Deucy Club and we'll have a drink." What is an "Acey-Deucy" club? A strip joint A club for submarine sailors only A bar that serves only 3.2 beer A club for first and second class petty officers