Glossary of Slang and Peculiar Terms in Use in the A.I.F.

Annotated edition

1921-1924

Edited by Amanda Laugesen

This is an annotated edition of the Glossary. There is the original entry (errors are corrected; the original manuscript retains all spelling and grammatical idiosyncrasies); a line providing information about the word (for example, if it was generally used, if it was Australian, and so on), the first date it was recorded, and a reference to other texts that attest to the word's usage. This is followed by some additional information explaining the word and its context. In some cases, a citation (a quote showing how it was used at the time) is also included. Links to webpages with further information about terms, equipment, events and other relevant aspects of the experience of the Great War have been provided where possible.

Entries with * are those that are identical to Downing's Digger Dialects. Others may be borrowed from Downing but are not specific enough to be marked. Some of those marked have been added to by Pretty. For an explanation of the relationship between the two texts, see the introduction. Those with the headword italicised are those added to the typescript of the glossary by hand by A.W. Bazley.

Abbreviations (for texts referred to in annotations).

This section contains a selection of AIF slangs annotated edition, their meanings, and their etymologies.

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All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

R

*Rabbit-trap Mouth.

This exact term is attested here and in Digger Dialects.

This is a variation of ‘trap’ for ‘mouth’ which was in use from the 18th century (OED). Partridge records the similar ‘rat-trap’ (1923). See also Meat Trap.

*Rag-time Disorderly; haphazard; irregular.

General World War I. From 1919 (OED).

This first came into use during World War I. B&P note that ‘the troops used ragtime as an adjective for any special form of inefficiency or absurdity.’ It was derived from the music sense of ragtime, ‘music characterized by a syncopated melodic line and regularly accented musical accompaniment’ (NODE).

*Rainbow A reinforcement, or member of non-combatant corps, who joined a fighting unit after the Armistice. [From the idea of] rainbow after the storm.

General World War I. Australian. From 1919 (AND).

This came to be broadly applied to any late reinforcement, and was used also in World War II (AND).

Ram A rake; one who leads an immoral life.

General. From 1919 (Digger Dialects).

The OED records this first in 1935, making Digger Dialects the first recorded evidence of this term. Stephens and O’Brien, however, record this (ca. 1910) for ‘a libertine or licentious man’ and mark it as an Australian bush term.

Rammies Breeches.

General Australian. From 1906 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

AND suggests that this is an altered form of ‘round me (or the) houses’, rhyming slang for ‘trousers’. It is also found in South African English (DSA).

*Rat, to To search a prisoner or a dead body; pick a pocket.

General Australian. From 1898 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

Rat, to have a To be crazy.

General Australian. From 1894 (AND).

This term was first recorded in the US in 1890, but was chiefly an Australian and New Zealand term (OED). Stephens and O’Brien suggest that this was an abbreviation of ‘(to have) rats in your garret’.

*Rat and Fowl An Australian shilling.

Australian. Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

Arthur and Ramson note that this was ‘presumably in reference to the emu and the kangaroo in the representation of the Australian coat of arms on the 1910 shilling’.

Ration Carriers Apart from its official meaning, a term used by orderly corporals and others in jocular vein when referring to (RCs) Roman Catholics on sick parade or their church parade.

World War I. Not otherwise recorded.

*Rations ‘Wet Rations’ cooked foods etc.; rain; mud; intoxicants; ‘Dry Rations’ uncooked food; a dust storm; sand or dust; a sermon.

World War I. ‘Wet’ and ‘dry rations’ as food, attested in Digger Dialects and in F&G. Other senses attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

The sense of ‘rations’ as military-issue food dates from the early 18th century (OED). The ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ senses pertaining to ‘cooked’ and ‘uncooked food’ appear to be a World War I meaning. The other senses are attested here and in Digger Dialects but are not otherwise recorded, but are probably also a World War I usage.

Rattled Embarrassed; grip of the situation lost.

General. Originally US. From 1869 (DAE, OED). Attested in numerous sources.

Red Cap A Military Policeman.

General World War I. Attested in B&P, F&G, Green, and Partridge.

B&P provide the following expanded definition of ‘red cap’ as used in World War I: ‘So called because they wore a sort of lid of red flannel over the top of their khaki caps. The most hated and despised men in France. Employed sometimes for the regulation of traffic, but chiefly to walk about the streets, examine passes, bully private soldiers, arrest absentees and generally exhibit truculence and self-satisfaction. They were also employed to staff military prisons and by all accounts revelled in the secret opportunities for cruelty which the job gave them. Red Caps were not voluntary and no decent man would undertake it if he realized what it implied.’

Red Light A brothel. The licensed brothels in French towns exhibit a red or green light to indicate their business.

‘Red light district’, general. From 1900 (OED).

B&P and Partridge both record this as ‘red lamp’.

Regimental ‘To come a regimental’, a regimental cadorna, crash, etc. See ‘Gutzer’.

General World War I. Attested in Digger Dialects and Partridge.

*Regimentally reduced To go and get seduced. A refusal accompanied by abuse.

Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

This may well be a rhyming slang euphemism for ‘go and get fucked’.

*Reinstouchments Reinforcements.

World War I Australian. From 1918 (AND). Attested in Baker, Digger Dialects, and Partridge.

This is a play on ‘reinforcement’ and ‘Stoush’.

*Respigrator Anti-gas box respirator.

World War I. Attested here and in Digger Dialects.

An unexplained variation on ‘respirator’.

Rest Camp (1) A cemetery. (2) In the official sense a camp where war wearied troops were sent for a rest.

(1) General World War I. Attested in B&P, Dickson, and Partridge.

This was an ironic use of (2).

(2) General World War I. Attested in B&P, Digger Dialects, and F&G.

B&P write of the rest camps: ‘camps behind the lines where troops returning weary from the line were harried with incessant parades and brass-polishing.’

*Revving Very busy. Adapted from the simile of the revolutions of an aeroplane propellor.

General. From 1919 (Digger Dialects).

Digger Dialects appears to be the earliest recorded evidence for this figurative use of ‘revved up’. Green and Partridge date this from the 1960s.

*Ride on Your Back Term of abuse signifying goat.

Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

Ringer (1) An expert. (2) A cheat. (3) A coward.

(1) General Australian. From 1848 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

(2) This sense attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

This derives from the verb ‘ring’, meaning to cheat (Partridge) and sometimes found in the form ‘ring it’ (F&G).

(3) This sense attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

This relates to ring it meaning ‘to show cowardice’.

*Ring In Surreptitiously introduce.

General. From ca. 1810 (Partridge). Attested in numerous sources.

While in general use from ca. 1810, this has acquired specific meanings in Australian English, especially in relation to horse-racing and two-up.

Ring It, Ring His Tail Play the coward.

General Australian. 20th century (Green). Attested in Baker, Digger Dialects, F&G, and Green.

Ringo See ‘Dope’.

Not otherwise recorded.

Rise and Shine Reveille.

General World War I. Attested in numerous sources.

*Rissole King Army cook.

World War I. Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

This is yet another combination with ‘king’, popular in army talk. See King o’ the nits.

*Roar-up Upbraid; abuse.

General Australian. From 1919 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

Digger Dialects is the first recorded evidence of this term.

Roll A sum of money; literally a roll of notes.

General. Originally US. From 1854 (DAE).

Rosella A Staff Officer, who with his gold lace, scarlet cap band, medal ribbon etc., was supposed to resemble the Rosella, an Australian parrot possessing a great variety of colors.

General World War I Australian. From 1919 (AND).

This term was also used in World War II to refer to an officer (Partridge).

*Rough as Bags See ‘Rough Stuff’.

General Australian. From 1919 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

This came ‘from the use of hessian sacks and sacking for a variety of purposes’(Arthur and Ramson in Digger Dialects).

Rough Carpenters See ‘Ration Carriers’.

Not otherwise recorded.

Like ‘ration carriers’ this was a jocular expansion of ‘R.C.’, meaning Roman Catholic.

Roughey A statement difficult to believe.

General Australian. From 1914 (AND).

*Rough House A fight; disorderly proceedings.

General. Originally US. From 1887 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

*Rough Stuff An undisciplined, reckless, indecent, disorderly person or thing.

General. From 1915 (OED).

*Rough Up (1) A brawl; horseplay. (2) An unmannerly, violent or irresponsible person.

(1) General Australian. From 1891 (AND). Attested in Green and OED.

(2) General Australian. From 1911 (AND).

*Round Feet Trench feet. A foot disease caused by cold and damp.

World War I. Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

Rouse Upbraid.

General Australian. From 1896 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

This derived from a Scots dialect word ‘roust’ meaning ‘to roar, to bellow’. It is often used with ‘at’ or ‘on’.

*Rubber-gutz (1) A clumsy person. (2) A pompous person.

(1) Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

(2) Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

*Rubber Heeled Jack A German high velocity field gun, whose shells travels so fast as not to be heard until after the burst.

General World War I. Attested in Dickson, Digger Dialects, and Partridge.

Rumble (1) To discover someone’s trickery. (2) To acquire by a trick, effect a swindle.

(1) General. From 1886 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

(2) This sense attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

Rum-Jar A heavy type of trench mortar (German).

General World War I. From 1916 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

This was a minenwerfer shell. The name was derived from its shape (F&G).

*Runner The 1914–15 war ribbon.

World War I. Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

The 1914–15 Star was given to around 85,000 Australian service personnel, including those who served at Gallipoli. It is unclear why it was called a ‘runner’.

Run the Rule Over Search the man for valuables, to estimate his capabilities.

General. From 1874 (Partridge). Attested in Digger Dialects, F&H, Green, and Partridge.

This was originally a criminal cant term.