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Quiz about Salty Language US Navy Slang
Quiz about Salty Language US Navy Slang

Salty Language: U.S. Navy Slang Quiz


Over hundreds of years, sailors have developed a vocabulary almost unintelligible to landlubbers. In preparing this quiz I have used my experience as a sailor, and have frequently refered to a great website, www.navyslang.com

A multiple-choice quiz by Daver852. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Daver852
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
136,994
Updated
Sep 16 23
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
14 / 20
Plays
7909
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 107 (16/20), Guest 73 (19/20), Guest 173 (18/20).
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Question 1 of 20
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? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. After a few words of conversation, John mentions that he is currently assigned to a "tin can." What is a tin can? Hint


Question 3 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 4 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 5 of 20
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? Hint


Question 6 of 20
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? Hint


Question 7 of 20
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? Hint


Question 8 of 20
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? Hint


Question 9 of 20
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?
Hint


Question 10 of 20
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? Hint


Question 11 of 20
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? Hint


Question 12 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 13 of 20
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? Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. While we are at it, what is a "fantail?" Hint


Question 15 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 16 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 17 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 18 of 20
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? Hint


Question 19 of 20
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?" Hint


Question 20 of 20
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? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
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?

Answer: An engineer

Engineering ratings (Machinist's Mates, Boiler Tech's, Electrician's Mates, etc.) are referred to as "snipes." Non-rated (i.e., E-3 and below) personnel who work in engineering are known as firemen, not seamen. They can be distinguished by the fact that they wear red stripes on their uniforms, whereas seamen wear white stripes.
2. After a few words of conversation, John mentions that he is currently assigned to a "tin can." What is a tin can?

Answer: A destroyer

Destroyers and other small combat ships are known as tin cans, presumably because their armor was as thin as the metal on a tin can. I served on one, and believe me, it is not the duty you want if you get seasick! In many ways, life on a tin can is exemplary of the very worst the Navy has to offer.
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?"

Answer: A Yeoman

Most naval ratings have nicknames; Yeomen perform clerical and secretarial duties, both onboard ships and ashore. As most people know, Waves are female sailors. Yeoman was one of the few ratings open to women, hence the rather disparaging appellation given to male Yeomen. Nowadays, of course, all ratings are open to women, a fact upon which I shall refrain from commenting.
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?"

Answer: Kool-Aid

Not real Kool-Aid, but a Kool-Aid type beverage ubiquitous on Navy ships. I found it vile. It is usually orange or red in color and is made from some unknown chemical compound. The differences in color are purely cosmetic; it all tastes the same. Med cruise is short for Mediterranean cruise. A Western Pacific deployment is called a West Pac.
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?

Answer: A submariner

Submariners are referred to by personnel on surface ships as bubbleheads (among other things). There are no female bubbleheads - yet. The term "bubblehead" was also once used to describe Navy divers.
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?

Answer: He has been promoted

When one is promoted to the paygrade of E-4, one becomes a "petty officer." Petty officers wear a badge denoting their rank on their left arm. It consists of an eagle (or crow) on top, with one or more inverted chevrons below it, denoting one's rank. On dress uniforms, there is a symbol embroidered between the eagle and the chevrons that denotes one's specialty, or rating (for Electrician Mates' it is a globe, which looks exactly like a basketball; for Botswain's Mates, two crossed anchors, etc.) All of one's shipmates of equal or higher rank celebrate your promotion by hitting you, as hard as they can, on your rating badge.

This is called "tacking on the crow." This is a lot of fun for the tackers, not so much fun for the tackee. When I was promoted to Electrician's Mate First Class, my left arm was a solid bruise from elbow to shoulder.
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?

Answer: A Marine

Perhaps best known from a phrase in one of Sir Walter Scott's novels: "Tell it to the Marines; the sailors will never believe it." Marines are also known as grunts, gyrenes, and (a personal favorite) "sea-going bellhops," the latter an allusion to their dress uniforms.
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?

Answer: Candy

Geedunk is a generic term for any kind of sweet, but usually it implies candy. The National Defense Service Medal, which was given to everyone who served during specific periods of time, is sometimes called the "Geedunk Medal."
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?

Answer: The ship was cruising at maximum speed

This term has nothing to do with the male anatomy. An early type of engine governor (speed control) consisted of two metal balls connected to a shaft. As speed increased, centrifugal force made the balls move outward. At maximum speed they would be horizontal, nearly touching the walls of the space that contained them.

Hence, when a ship is going "balls to the wall," she is cruising at high speed.
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?

Answer: Chief Petty Officers

The "Goat Locker" is the berthing space for Chief Petty Officers onboard a Navy ship. It may get its name from the fact that CPO's are older than most of the crew (i.e., are "old goats"), but another explanation I've read says that goats were once carried onboard Navy ships to provide milk for the sick, and the CPO' were in charge of the goats!
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?

Answer: Radioman

Radiomen are almost always called "Sparky" or "Sparks." Electrician's Mates are sometimes refered to by this same name. It comes, of course, from the early days of the Navy when radio equipment was likely to emit sparks.
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?"

Answer: Sharing a bunk with another sailor

Conditions on Navy ships are (or at least, used to be) pretty spartan. When there are more sailors than racks (bunks), it is a common practice to have to share a bed. It is arranged so that the two people sharing it have different watch schedules so both can get some sleep (at different times, they don't sleep in the same bed at the same time). Once when I was on a submarine, we brought on a bunch of civilian technicians for some reason or the other.

The enlisted personnel were, of course, evicted from their living space, and I spent several weeks sleeping on a 2 inch-thick mattress on the floor of the torpedo room, with a torpedo about an inch from my nose. And I had to share the mattress.

This practice is known as "hot-racking" because when you get into bed the mattress is still warm from the previous occupant.
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?

Answer: Bend over, here it comes again

Sailors are quite adept at creating acronyms. One famous one states that Navy stands for "Never Again Volunteer Yourself."
14. While we are at it, what is a "fantail?"

Answer: The extreme aft part of the main deck

All parts of a ship have names, some of which are in common use, some known only to sailors. The fantail on a destroyer is a common place for ceremonies, musters, etc.
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?"

Answer: A sailor's white hat

Nothing identifies a sailor like the white, round hat he wears with his dress uniform (baseball cap type hats are sometimes worn with work uniforms). It should be sparkling white, slightly curled at the rim, and worn at a jaunty angle.
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?"

Answer: A loose thread

An Irish pennant is loose thread or piece of fabric, usually on one's uniform. The Navy is very down on Irish pennants. Some officers expect one to work all day in the engineering spaces and emerge from them ready for inspection! One of the drawbacks to being a snipe is that you have to spend a lot of money on work uniforms, as they are constantly being torn, stained, eaten through by battery acid, etc.
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?"

Answer: A former enlisted man

I have never found out the origin of this term. As a general rule, it was better to work for a mustang than someone who started his career as an officer. At least they usually knew what they were doing. On the other hand, they tended to be quite a bit more intelligent than other officers, so it was harder to put something over on them.
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?

Answer: None, they are purely decorative

Med lights are lights that are strung from bow to stern, over the highest mast on a ship. They are used only in port. Stringing Med lights was one of the worst duties an Electrician's Mate could pull. It is hard work, because the cables are heavy, have to be spliced together, and all of the lights - hundreds of them - have to be kept lit.

They basically make the ship look pretty at night. Having nothing better to do, some commanding officers are gung-ho about Med lights. Once, on one of the ships I was assigned to, some scoundrel broke into the Med light locker, cut the plugs off all the Med lights, and threw them overboard. Our Captain was quite distraught, as he was a Med light enthusiast.
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?"

Answer: Officer of the Deck

While the Captain of a ship has absolute control of the vessel under his command, he can't be awake and in charge 24/7. When the Captain is not on duty, his functions are performed by the "Officer of the Deck." At sea, this is almost always a commissioned officer, but on smaller ships the function may be filled by an enlisted man while the ship is in port. I had to stand OOD watches on my destroyer, and hated it. For one thing, you had to wear your dress white uniform, and if anything could go wrong, it would invariably happen on your watch.
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?

Answer: A club for first and second class petty officers

Many large bases have not only an enlisted men's (EM) club, and an officers' club, but clubs for specific ranks and ratings as well. Acey-Deucy clubs are for sailors in paygrade E-5 and E-6. The name comes from a game popular with sailors that resembles backgammon.
Source: Author Daver852

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