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

Original Manuscript

1921-1924

This is a transcribed version of the second typescript of the Glossary, dated 1924. It retains all typographical errors and grammatical and other idiosyncrasies. It is occasionally misalphabetised. We hope to make available in the near future some scanned pages of both the first and second typescript versions of the Glossary.

This section contains a selection of AIF slangs Original Manuscript, 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

W

WAGGER.

A Signaller.

WANGLE.

To manipulate; to manage or employing a skillful, cunning or unscruplous [sic] way; to cook (accounts, reports etc.)

WAR BABY.

A very rough soldier; foals, pups etc., born of anim[?] on the strength of the units.

WAR LORD.

An officious officer.

WASHERS.

To "cut washers from one's ring" An expression denoting extreme weariness on the march.

WASHOUT.

A failure, an empty, useless or ineffectual thing; A miss in shooting at a target.

WAZZEH.

One of the native quarters of Cairo in which the majority of the houses were brothels.

WELTER.

"To make it a welter" - to exceed the limit.

WE'RE WINNING.

An ironical expression for bad luck. When used satirically applies to bad conditions. Otherwise applied to good.

WEST OF HELL.

Death; dead.

WHACKLE OUT.

Consider deadly.

WHEELS.

To have wheels (in the head) indicate lack of sense.

WHIPPET.

A light and fast tank.

WHIP THE CAT.

Experience chargin [sic].

WHITE HAIRED BOY.

A favorite.

WHIZ BANG.

The shell fire from a German 77 m.m. gun. So called on account of its extremely high velocity. The name was also applied to the Field Service Post Card issued to the troops, on account of the speed with which they could be completed and despatched.

WINDY.

See "wind-up."

WISE-HEAD.

A cunning or intelligent person.

WITH THE PIN OUT.

Quickly; headlong. (A metaphor from bombing. Before throwing the Mills bomb, a pin which holds down the lever is withdrawn. In the act of throwing the finger releases the lever which flies upwards, bringing the striker into contact with the detonator, and explding the bomb within 5 seconds.

WOODBINE.