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

M

Macnoon Mad. (See ‘Andy Mc Noon’.)

General World War I. Australian. From 1917 (AND),

‘Maghnoon’, derived from colloquial Egyptian Arabic, was picked up from the late 19th century by British troops in Egypt, but was primarily used, especially in the form ‘magnoon’, by the Australian troops stationed there in World War I. The Australians also used a variant Andy Macnoon.

*Maconochie (1) The meat and vegetable ration, so highly esteemed by the troops the bulk of which was prepared by the Aberdeen firm Messrs. Maconchie. (2) Stomach (e.g. ‘Knocked in the Maconochie’).

(1) General. From 1901 (OED).

This tinned stew was especially relevant to soldiers who were served this when on active service. Hargrave adds that the name came ‘[f]rom name on one maker’s tins, but applied to any make.’

(2) General World War I. From 1919 (OED).

The first recorded evidence of this sense is recorded in Digger Dialects. It is transferred from sense (1) as the stomach is the place where these rations end up.

*Maconochie Cross A Military Cross.

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

The Military Cross was often abbreviated to ‘M.C.’, and was then probably jocularly referred to as ‘Maconochie Cross’.

*Maconochie Medal A Military Medal.

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

As with Maconochie Cross, the Military Medal was the ‘M.M.’ and probably jocularly known as the ‘Maconochie Medal’.

Mademoiselle from Armentieres The beginning of a ribald song much sung in France.

World War I. The song is well attested (B&P).

Partridge writes that the ‘Mademoiselle from Armentiers’ has, from 1919, and especially among Cockneys, been the female counterpart, and occasionally the companion, of ‘Ballocky Bill the Sailor’, a mythical person commemorated in a late 19th–20th century song and often mentioned by way of evasion (for someone who was ‘a bit of a lad’) by soldiers in World War I; ‘he is reputed to have been most generously testicled.’

Mag Chatter.

General Australian. Verb from 1918; noun from 1895 (AND). Attested in numerous sources.

This is originally a British dialect term, but has since the late 19th century been primarily Australian.

Maggotty Angry.

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

This is originally a British dialect term, mostly from the Midlands and Southwest area of England, meaning ‘queer-tempered, fractious, cross, ill-tempered, irritable’ (EDD).

Maleesh Arabic term much used by the Light Horse and troops in Egypt, in the same way as the troops in France adopted ‘San-Fairy-An’.

General. From 1913 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

This term, Arabic for ‘no matter, never mind’, was current from 1913, probably first picked up by the British troops in Egypt. It was used a lot by the Australian troops stationed there in World War I. It continued to be used in Australian English (AND).

*Margarine Merchant A supply or A.S.C. [Army Service Corps] Officer.

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

Material to Administer See ‘Stuff to give ’em’.

Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

‘Material to Administer’ apparently equates with the popular phrase Stuff to give ‘em.

*M & D Medicine and duty. A familiar sick parade slogan.

General World War I. From 1917 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

F&G explain this as ‘The letters marked in the Medical Officer’s report opposite the name of a man reporting sick, but with really little the matter with him in the Medical Officer’s opinion. As the notation consequently often implied a suspicion of malingering, in the ranks at the Front ‘M and D’ was used as an expression applicable to men suspected of malingering, or shamming sickness.’

Meat Hook The arm.

General. From 1919 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

Digger Dialects is the first recorded evidence of this term. It continued to be used in Australia and the US in particular (Green).

Meat Ticket Identity discs worn by all troops to enable identification by burial parties in the event of their death.

General World War I. Attested in Digger Dialects, F&G, and Partridge.

See Dead Meat Ticket for further explanation.

Meat Trap The mouth.

Originally US. From 1851 (Lighter).

This term is not well attested, the more common expression for ‘mouth’ being simply ‘trap’. Green and Lighter indicate that ‘meat trap’ was predominantly a US term.

*Menin Road Meat Extract Bully beef, beef tea, beef extract. So called from the number of dead horses and mules on the Menin Road (Ypres Sector).

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

Mercy Blow Through Thank You. (From the French ‘merci beaucoup’).

World War I. Corruption of the French. Attested in Dickson and Partridge.

A short-lived World War I play on a standard French expression. Dickson records ‘messy bucket’ also being current.

*Merry Anzacs Casual Australians (used ironically).

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

*Methusilier A member of the Australian Remount Unit. So called because its personnel consisted of men over [military] age.

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

‘Methusilier’ was a play on ‘Methuselah’, grandfather of Noah, said to have lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27) and used of ‘any old person’, and ‘fusilier’, a member of any of several British regiments formerly armed with fusils (a light musket) (NODE).

Micks The tails of the pennies used in a game of ‘two-up’.

General Australian. From 1918 (AND).

*Middlesex Officer A foppish officer, i.e., a member of the ‘middle sex’.

Attested here and in Digger Dialects but not otherwise recorded.

*Mills’ Spud Mills’ grenade.

‘Mills’ (used attributively) general World War I. From 1916 (OED).

‘Mills’ spud’ for the ‘Mills’ grenade’ is attested in Digger Dialects and Partridge. It was a hand grenade invented by Sir William Mills (1856-1932), serrated on the outside to form shrapnel on explosion. The name was a jocular reference to the grenade’s resemblance to a potato.

Minnies A popular abbreviation of ‘Minenwerfer’ used chiefly in reference to the minenwerfer bomb. (A heavy German trench mortar bomb.)

General World War I. From 1917 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

Mitt The hand.

General. Originally US. From 1893 (Lighter).

Moke A mule or horse.

‘Donkey’, general. From 1848 (OED). ‘Horse’, general Australian. From 1863 (AND). Both attested in numerous sources.

The Australian usage of ‘moke’ for ‘a horse’ generally implied ‘an inferior horse’.

*Mole-Hole A dug-out.

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

Moniker A name, signature.

General. From 1851 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

Arthur and Ramson speculate that this possibly came from Shelta, ‘a cryptic jargon used by tinkers and composed in part of Irish and Gaelic words.’

Mooch To saunter more or less aimlessly or absent-mindedly.

General. From 1851 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

This probably comes from the standard English sense from 1851, ‘to loaf, skulk, sneak, loiter, or hang about’ (OED), but is perhaps also influenced by the US sense, ‘to go, amble’, recorded from 1894 (Lighter).

*Mopper-up (1) A drunkard. (2) One of [a] party of men who follow the leading waves of attack in order to clear the enemy from the ground behind the assaulting troops.

(1) ‘To mop up’, general. From ca. 1810 (Partridge).

The verb ‘to mop’ meaning ‘to empty a glass’ or ‘drinking in quantity’ is attested. ‘Mopper-up’ as ‘drunkard’ presumably derives from this.

(2) ‘To mop up’, general military. From 1900 (OED).

The verb ‘to mop up’ in a military sense meaning ‘To clear ground of remaining enemy combatants after an attack’ is attested in numerous sources. ‘Mopper-up’ derives from the verb.

Mother’s-Pet An abbreviation of the initials M.P. denoting ‘Military Policeman’, and a common nickname for members of the Provost Corps.

World War I. Attested here but not otherwise recorded.

Mousee Cheese.

This term attested here but not otherwise recorded.

Partridge notes ‘mouse-trap’ for ‘cheese’ being current in the Services but does not record this variant.

*Mouth-Organ A Stokes shell. So called from the peculiar note caused by the air passing through the holes around the base of the shell as it rises.

General World War I. From 1916 (Partridge). Attested in F&G and Partridge.

*Movies Searchlights.

World War I. Attested in Digger Dialects, F&G, and Partridge.

Dickson records that the person working the searchlights was said to be ‘on the pictures’ or ‘on the movies’.

*Mud-Hook (1) An anchor (2) The anchor in the game of ‘Crown & Anchor’.

(1) General. From 1827 (OED). Attested in numerous sources.

(2) General. Attested in Digger Dialects and Partridge.

Mug A fool, one who is easily defeated or defrauded.

General. Originally US. From 1859 (Lighter and OED). Attested in numerous sources.

Lighter notes this as being originally an underworld and carnival term.

*Mug-Gunner Lewis machine gunner.

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