Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 147, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1915 — NEW SLANG USED IN NAVY [ARTICLE]

NEW SLANG USED IN NAVY

(Some Expressions Hsve Been Retained, But a Lot of It Has Undergone Change. With the new nary has grown up a new line of slang, perhaps not so salt watery as was the old, but edged with as much point. “Shiver my timbers’* was a phrase That gave a yarn peculiar merit. Or added force to our Ideas, But now It's changed to "Swash my turret," No longer do the men in navy blue refer to the chaplain as the “Sky Pilot." To them he is known as “The Fire Escape.** There are no more main braces to “splice,” and, moreover, nothing nowadays to splice it with—that is, nothing on shipboard. So the phrase has fallen Into disuse. And as there are no more sails to “jam” their way Into the wind, the term “windjammer” has been transferred to the bugler. The medical corps is reverently referred to as “Pills.” The engineer's force is known f the “Black Gang” and sometimes as the “ijpderground

savages.” The cold storage plant is designated as the “morgue,” and the meal pennant, which is hoisted on all ships at meal hours, is jokingly referred to as “the deserter’s recall.” Beans are known as “Boston cherries,” and the Sacred God which makes its way Into man-of-war storerooms with vest unbuttoned, is hailed as the “Massachusetts Nightingale.” The bluejacket who asks his messmate to pass him the “sea dust,” expects the salt cellar. The wireless operator answers to the name of "Sparks,” ship fittere to the call of “Rivets,” the electricians to the name of “dynamo busters.” The navy regulations retains the old name of blue book, but because of the many recent changes the chapter which is read to the crew at muster and known as “Articles for the government of the Navy,” is now known as “The Rocks and Shoals.” The anchor is still known as the “mud hook.” the water cooler as the “scuttle butt.” and hammocks as “dream bags."—New York World.