Young Marine Terms and Jargon
~A~
Adrift -Loose from towline or mooring; scattered about; not in proper stowage.
As You Were -Resume former activity.
Aye, Aye, Sir! - I have received, understood and will obey.
Aft -At, in, or toward the stern (rear).
All Hands -All members of a command.
Ashore -Any place outside of a Naval or Marine Corps reservation.
AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave
~B~
Batten The Hatch -Make it tight or secure, as against a storm.
Belay - Cancel previous command.
Below - Downstairs; lower deck.
Boot - Recruit.
Bow - The front portion of a ship.
Breakout- Take out of stock or storage; to prepare for use.
Brig - A place of confinement; a prison.
Bulkhead - A wall.
~C~
Captain's Mast - Office Hours, time for discipline, complaints.
Carry On- Continue previous activity.
Cathole - Field head usually dug 1-foot wide and 1-foot deep.
CHIT - Request for time off (liberty), paper given by medical to be excused from certain types of work or exercise; A receipt or authorization; a piece of paper.
Chop-Chop- Very quickly.
Chow- Food.
Chow Hall - Place to Eat Meals
Chow Hound- One who much enjoys eating.
Civys - Civilian clothing.
Clear The Deck- Clear the activity by rearranging furniture, etc., to make way for a different activity.
Cover - Replace headgear.
C.P. - Command Post in the field.
~D~
Deck - Floor
Doc - Name for any enlisted medic or corpsman
~E~
Esprit de Corps - Readiness for action and courage.
Evening Colors - Ceremony of lowering the flag at sundown.
~F~
Fantail - The main deck of a ship at the stern.
Field day - General Housecleaning or barracks cleanup, usually held once a week often on Friday. On these days all hands get busy. Every nook and corner is cleaned. All glass and bright work polished (blitzed).
Fourragieie - Military decoration, a double-loop of green and red braid worn on the shoulder given for distinguished service in France in WW1 to the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments.
~G~
Galley - Shipboard kitchen; kitchen of a mess hall;mobile field mess.
Gangway - An opening in the rail giving access to the ship. A command announcement stands aside to let some one through.
Gear - Personal belongings, also equipment or tools.
Ghost Turd - A ball of fuzz, dust, etc. found under your bunk in the barracks if you haven't swept in a few days.
G.I - Government Issue, To clean thoroughly, sharp appearance, real neat. Also, a "G.I. Can" is a container to hold trash.
G.I. Party - Clean up the barracks and polish the floors every Friday night.
Good Duty - A popular duty station, a popular work assignment.
Grinder - Drill field.
Gung Ho - "Can Do!" (or, we can do it together!)
~H~
Hatch - Door or doorway.
Head - Bathroom or washroom.
Heavy Weather - A stormy time. Used as "heavy weather ahead," to warn someone of danger or trouble coming.
Hitch - Enlistment period.
~I~
Irish Pennant - String or thread hanging from a garment.
~J~
~K~
KISS - Keep It Simply Silly
~L~
Ladder - Stairway.
Leave - Absence from duty on written authority or period longer than on a pass and permitting one to go to distant points.
Liberty - Off-duty; absence of enlisted from command for less than 96 hours for purposes of rest and recreation which is not charged as leave.
Line Officer - One in command of regularly organized troops or a government base, post or station.
Lucky Bag - Lost-and-found bag.
~M~
Marine Bible - Marine Guidebook
Mess Hall - Dinning Hall or Dining Room
Morning Colors - Ceremony of raising the flag at sunrise.
~N~
Navy Regs - Articles approved by Act of Congress and thus made the regulations governing the Navy.
~O~
Overhead - Ceiling.
~P~
P-38 - Small can opener for C-Rations
Pass - Written authority from proper official or NCO permitting one to leave his duty post or station between certain hours or for a weekend.
Passageway - Corridor or hallway.
Pipedown - Quiet!
Pogey Bait - Candy, cookies.
Police - To straighten up or to tighty up.
Port - Left side (as you face the front).
P.T. - Physical Training.
~Q~
Quarterdeck - The ceremonial location on board ship when the ship is moored or at anchor (It is located close to the brow or accommodation ladder and is the watch station for the Officer of the Deck).
~R~
Rack - A bed
~S~
Seabag - Used to stow personal gear.
Scosh - In short supply - small.
Scuttlebutt - Gossip or unfounded rumor; also a drinking fountain.
Secure - Stop; finish; end; make fast; knock it off; put away in storage.
Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful.
Ship out - To change duty stations. Recruits are "shipped out" as soon they are processed.
Ship Over - Reenlist
Ship's Services - Commissary, theater, beauty shop, etc., on ship or at post station where service personnel can obtain goods or services at low prices.
Shove Off - A command to a boat crew; used generally for "get lost" (as in, "get away from here").
Sick bay - Hospital or dispensary.
Sick Call - A set time when one is permitted to go to the sick bay or dispensary for medical attention.
Skivvies - Underwear.
Skipper - Commanding Officer.
Skylark - Goof-off; to loiter
Smoking Lamp - Term Carried over from days of sailing ships when use on shipboard. Smoking lamps were available to light pipes, when they were put out, that was the end of smoking.
SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
Squared Away - To straighten, to make ship-shape, or to get settled. To inform or admonish someone in an abrupt manner.
Stand By - A prepartory command-means prepare to execute. As in "Stand by to repel boarders" or "Stand by to receive vistors." All hands stay in immediate area ready for the second part of command.
Starboard - Right Side.
Station - Place of assigned work or your general duty area.
Stern - The blunt end (rear) of a ship.
Stow - To place in receptacle for storage; to pack.
Stowage Room - or place of place of storage; storeroom
Swab - A mop.
~T~
Topside - Upstairs; upper deck.
Turn To - Begin work; get started.
~U~
Uncover - Remove headgear.
~W~
Watch - The lookout or sentry,also the period of duty time, generally hours on shipboard, when one portion of a ships crew is taking turns with another.
~Z~
Zero-Dark-Thirty - Very early in the morning.
Adrift -Loose from towline or mooring; scattered about; not in proper stowage.
As You Were -Resume former activity.
Aye, Aye, Sir! - I have received, understood and will obey.
Aft -At, in, or toward the stern (rear).
All Hands -All members of a command.
Ashore -Any place outside of a Naval or Marine Corps reservation.
AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave
~B~
Batten The Hatch -Make it tight or secure, as against a storm.
Belay - Cancel previous command.
Below - Downstairs; lower deck.
Boot - Recruit.
Bow - The front portion of a ship.
Breakout- Take out of stock or storage; to prepare for use.
Brig - A place of confinement; a prison.
Bulkhead - A wall.
~C~
Captain's Mast - Office Hours, time for discipline, complaints.
Carry On- Continue previous activity.
Cathole - Field head usually dug 1-foot wide and 1-foot deep.
CHIT - Request for time off (liberty), paper given by medical to be excused from certain types of work or exercise; A receipt or authorization; a piece of paper.
Chop-Chop- Very quickly.
Chow- Food.
Chow Hall - Place to Eat Meals
Chow Hound- One who much enjoys eating.
Civys - Civilian clothing.
Clear The Deck- Clear the activity by rearranging furniture, etc., to make way for a different activity.
Cover - Replace headgear.
C.P. - Command Post in the field.
~D~
Deck - Floor
Doc - Name for any enlisted medic or corpsman
~E~
Esprit de Corps - Readiness for action and courage.
Evening Colors - Ceremony of lowering the flag at sundown.
~F~
Fantail - The main deck of a ship at the stern.
Field day - General Housecleaning or barracks cleanup, usually held once a week often on Friday. On these days all hands get busy. Every nook and corner is cleaned. All glass and bright work polished (blitzed).
Fourragieie - Military decoration, a double-loop of green and red braid worn on the shoulder given for distinguished service in France in WW1 to the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments.
~G~
Galley - Shipboard kitchen; kitchen of a mess hall;mobile field mess.
Gangway - An opening in the rail giving access to the ship. A command announcement stands aside to let some one through.
Gear - Personal belongings, also equipment or tools.
Ghost Turd - A ball of fuzz, dust, etc. found under your bunk in the barracks if you haven't swept in a few days.
G.I - Government Issue, To clean thoroughly, sharp appearance, real neat. Also, a "G.I. Can" is a container to hold trash.
G.I. Party - Clean up the barracks and polish the floors every Friday night.
Good Duty - A popular duty station, a popular work assignment.
Grinder - Drill field.
Gung Ho - "Can Do!" (or, we can do it together!)
~H~
Hatch - Door or doorway.
Head - Bathroom or washroom.
Heavy Weather - A stormy time. Used as "heavy weather ahead," to warn someone of danger or trouble coming.
Hitch - Enlistment period.
~I~
Irish Pennant - String or thread hanging from a garment.
~J~
~K~
KISS - Keep It Simply Silly
~L~
Ladder - Stairway.
Leave - Absence from duty on written authority or period longer than on a pass and permitting one to go to distant points.
Liberty - Off-duty; absence of enlisted from command for less than 96 hours for purposes of rest and recreation which is not charged as leave.
Line Officer - One in command of regularly organized troops or a government base, post or station.
Lucky Bag - Lost-and-found bag.
~M~
Marine Bible - Marine Guidebook
Mess Hall - Dinning Hall or Dining Room
Morning Colors - Ceremony of raising the flag at sunrise.
~N~
Navy Regs - Articles approved by Act of Congress and thus made the regulations governing the Navy.
~O~
Overhead - Ceiling.
~P~
P-38 - Small can opener for C-Rations
Pass - Written authority from proper official or NCO permitting one to leave his duty post or station between certain hours or for a weekend.
Passageway - Corridor or hallway.
Pipedown - Quiet!
Pogey Bait - Candy, cookies.
Police - To straighten up or to tighty up.
Port - Left side (as you face the front).
P.T. - Physical Training.
~Q~
Quarterdeck - The ceremonial location on board ship when the ship is moored or at anchor (It is located close to the brow or accommodation ladder and is the watch station for the Officer of the Deck).
~R~
Rack - A bed
~S~
Seabag - Used to stow personal gear.
Scosh - In short supply - small.
Scuttlebutt - Gossip or unfounded rumor; also a drinking fountain.
Secure - Stop; finish; end; make fast; knock it off; put away in storage.
Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful.
Ship out - To change duty stations. Recruits are "shipped out" as soon they are processed.
Ship Over - Reenlist
Ship's Services - Commissary, theater, beauty shop, etc., on ship or at post station where service personnel can obtain goods or services at low prices.
Shove Off - A command to a boat crew; used generally for "get lost" (as in, "get away from here").
Sick bay - Hospital or dispensary.
Sick Call - A set time when one is permitted to go to the sick bay or dispensary for medical attention.
Skivvies - Underwear.
Skipper - Commanding Officer.
Skylark - Goof-off; to loiter
Smoking Lamp - Term Carried over from days of sailing ships when use on shipboard. Smoking lamps were available to light pipes, when they were put out, that was the end of smoking.
SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
Squared Away - To straighten, to make ship-shape, or to get settled. To inform or admonish someone in an abrupt manner.
Stand By - A prepartory command-means prepare to execute. As in "Stand by to repel boarders" or "Stand by to receive vistors." All hands stay in immediate area ready for the second part of command.
Starboard - Right Side.
Station - Place of assigned work or your general duty area.
Stern - The blunt end (rear) of a ship.
Stow - To place in receptacle for storage; to pack.
Stowage Room - or place of place of storage; storeroom
Swab - A mop.
~T~
Topside - Upstairs; upper deck.
Turn To - Begin work; get started.
~U~
Uncover - Remove headgear.
~W~
Watch - The lookout or sentry,also the period of duty time, generally hours on shipboard, when one portion of a ships crew is taking turns with another.
~Z~
Zero-Dark-Thirty - Very early in the morning.
