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Jack's Speak

I thought I'd a add a small glossary of Naval language (Jack's Speak) to this site. Some of the words and sayings I haven't used in yonks. Others have quite literally stuck in the mind and my vocabulary since 1977! I make no apology for nicking some of these from the official RN site and I have left off some of the bootneck sayings as they still haven't accepted that they are actually in the RN!. However in this PC world a lot of the language we used in the Andrew is supposedly now unsayable and unprintable. But not on this site! So if you are easily offended by simple words please click off this page now. As the language we used, apart from the obligatory 'bad' language was an integral part of being a Matelot in the late years of the last century and I for one miss the humour and colour that it bought into everyday life.

 

I have also added a short summary of some of the more common nicknames given to Matelots across the Andrew. They certainly added to the spice of life in the RN.

 

Please feel free to contact me if I have missed anything important off either of the lists and I will add it.

A

Adrift

Aimer

All clips

Anchor faced

Ankle biters

Andrew, The

To be late reporting for duty

A military driver

Swear a dit/story is true

To be totally intoxicated by the Navy

Children

The Royal Navy

B

Babies heads

Bang box

Bag-rat

Banjo

Banyan

Belay

Bezzy

Bite

Bimble

Bin liner job


Bone (1)

Bone (2)

Bootneck/Booty

Brag rags

Brown hatter

Brown job

Buffer

Bulkhead

Bundy

Burma Way

Buzz

Tinned steak & kidney pudding

Gun turret

Packed lunch

A sandwich

An impromptu beach party

To cease doing something

Best as in 'bezzy oppo' - best mate

To fool or make someone believe something stupid

To walk slowly

An bird who's so ugly she who requires a bin liner to cover her entire body

A stupid person or thing to do

To have sex

A Royal Marine

Medal ribbons

A homosexual

The Army

Senior Seaman on board ship

A wall on boards ship

A curry/curry house

The main corridor on a ship running for'ard to aft

A rumour - usually untrue!

C

Chad valley

Chad as your dad

Chateau crappers

Chicken on a raft

Chins

Chippy

Chit

Civvy

Clap

Club swinger

Cockie

Crabby

Crabfat

Crash out

A piece of equipment prone to breaking down

See above!

Cheap and nasty wine

Egg on toast

Hard luck

Carpenter

A request form

Civilian

Veneral disease

PT instructor

Cockroach

Dirty

A member of the RAF

Get your head down,Go to sleep

D

Deck (1)

Deck (2)

Deck head

Dhobi

Dhobi dust

Dhobi waller

Dig out

Dipped out/dipped in

Dit

Divvers

Divisions

Doc

Dog

Doofer

Dose

Double bagger


Drip

Dropping a sprog

Duff

The floor

To deck - to knock someone to the floor

The ceiling

Wash

Washing powder

Someone who does the laundry - usually Chinese

To make an effort

To miss out on something/ make an unexpectedly gain

A story

Gorgeous woman (divine)

A naval parade

Any medical personnel

A really ugly woman

A bit that goes on something

Veneral disease - a dose of the clap

Someone so ugly that you put a bin liner over your own head in case theirs falls off!

To moan

Giving birth

Pudding

E

Essence

A gorgeous woman (very occasionally a man)

F

Fastback

Fat knacker

Fez

Flannel

Fish head

Flapping

Flat

FLASA

Foo-foo

Taxi

Unfit person

Far East Station

Waffle/bullshit

Fleet Air Arm's name for a sailor

Panicking (flapping around like a headless chicken

Open space between mess decks on board ships

Face Like A Slapped Arse

Talcum powder

G

Galley (1)

Galley (2)

Gannet

Gash

Gen

Gizzit

Gobshite

Goffers (1)

Goffers (2)

Green

Greenie

Grippo

Grippo book

Gronk

Gulpers

Gultch


Guz

A ships kitchen

Junior rates dining hall

Someone who eats a lot

Rubbish

True/genuine

A free gift/something unwanted that might prove useable

Someone with a big mouth who usually talks rubbish

A big wave

Cold fizzy drinks

Someone who is naive or gullible

Electricial branch of the RN

Someone who latches on to a free run ashore

Book filled with female contact details who you can meet up with ashore

An ugly woman

A quantity of drink somewhere between 'sippers' and 'sandy bottoms'

A small, more private area of a mess deck. Eg. Granny gultch - usually taken by the longest serving AB's/Leading hands

Plymouth

H

Heads

The ships's toilets

I

Icers

Ickies

In the rattle/shit

Really cold

Foreign Currency

In serious trouble

J

Jack

Jack's Taxi

Jack Dusty

Jenny

Jimmy (the 1)

Joss Man

A sailor of the RN

A Matelots ship

RN supply rating

A Wren (WRNS)

The First Lieutenant

The Master At Arms

K

Klebbies

Kit muster

Foreign money, usually coins

A personal kit inspection

L

Lash up (1)

Lash up (2)

Limers

Loafing

To treat someone

A cock up

Lime cordial or other non fizzy cordial drink

Hanging about aimlessly/leave something loafing about

M

Make and mend

Mankey

Minging (1)

Minging (2)

Mortal

Early finish to a days work

Dirty

Drunk

A really ugly woman

To be extremely drunk

N

Neaters

Nelson's eye

Nines

Nosser/Nozzer

Nutty

To drink Pusser's rum neat

A jammy dodger biscuit

A Navy punishment (There are loads of others, all numbered)

A fresh, raw recruit

Sweets/chocolate

O

Old Man - The

Oggies

Oggin

One-eye

Oppo

The Skipper/captain of the ship

Cornish pasties

The sea

An idiot

Friend/mate

P

Party

Percy

Pig

Piglet

Pigsty

Pinged

Pipe

Pit

Pompey

Pongo

Proffed

Pusser

Girlfriend

Someone from the Army

Officer

Midshipman

The Wardroom

To be spotted

Whistle used to send orders. Also ships broadcast system

Bed space, bed or bunk

Portsmouth

Army - From 'where the army goes, the pong goes too!'

Goods aquired from dubious methods, usually from the Establishment!

The Royal Navy/Marines as a whole

Q

Quaff

To drink/consume usually quickly

R

Rabbits

Rat arsed

RDP

Presents or souvenirs

To be very drunk

Running Down Period - referring to the last few months of being in the mob

R

Rabbits

Rat arsed

RDP


Regie (also known as a Crusher)

ROMFT


Roughers

Rounds

Run ashor

Presents or souvenirs

To be very drunk

Running Down Period - referring to the last few months of being in the mob


A Regulator - Naval policeman

Roll On My Fucking Time - Used by a hacked off Matelot usually after they have put in their notice to quit the RN

Rough sea/stormy weather

Ship's inspection carried out daily, usually by the Officer of the Day

A night out

S

S&S


Sad on

Scab lifter

Scran bag (1)

Scran bag (2)

Secure

Shipper

Shitehawk

Sick bay

Sick bay ranger

Sick dick queue


Sick on a raft

Singers

Sippers

Skimmer

Soap Dodger

Sods opera

Spin

Splice The Mainbrace

Split-arse

Spondoolies

Sprog

Stoker

Stand easy

Swamp

Sweat neaters

The supply and secretariat branch of the RN - Cooks, stewards, stores etc.

To be depressed

RN medic

An untidy rating - see below

A bag where loose bits of kit are kept

To finish for the day or end of watch

A fellow seaman or shipmate

A large seagull

RN medical centre

Someone who spends a lot of time off sick

The queue formed the morning after a ship leaves port by ratings who have possibly caught VD

Scrambled eggs on toast

Singapore

A sip of a drink

Submariners name for a sailor serving on a surface ship

A sailors name for a submariner

A show put on at sea by the ships company

To tell or explain

An issue of a tot of rum (I got two in 5 years!)

A Wren

Money

A child/juinior rating with no sea time

Mechanical branch of the RN

A tea break

To wet something, to swamp your pit - wet your bed

To be really worried

T

Three badger/badge man


Tilly

Tot

An old sea dog with 12 years good conduct but who has usually not gone beyond Able seaman

Dockyard transport usually driven by a civvie

A measure of Pussers rum - sadly gone but given out as a treat on special occasions.

U

Uckers

A mess game losely based on Ludo

V

 

 

W

WAFU

Wardroom

Wet

Wren

Winger

Wing it

Wooly pulley

Sailors name for a member of the Fleet Air arm

The officers mess

A drink

A female sailor

A close friend

Make it up as you go along

Service issue wooly jumper

X

 

 

Y

Yomp

Yonks

To force march with a heavy load

A long time

Z

Zeds

To get some sleep

Jack's Names

Another thing that made life so rich in the RN was the rich diversity of nicknames, usually 'allocated' during the first draft after basic training, they stuck with the owner until the day they left the Andrew. Woe be tide anyone with a physical 'defect' as this would be picked up in seconds by your oppo's and as they say - "A nickname's for life, not just for Christmas!"


This list is by no means exhaustive, and obviously a 'deformity' or 'memorable act' nickname would 'trump' a 'place of origin' nickname! Therefor A Jones or Davies from Wales would for example forgo 'Taff' for a more fitting nickname! In my time in the RN I can still remember 'One Bollock' B*****n, A Gunnery Officer called 'No legs', a 'Two bits' L*******t, and a black Cook who insisted his name was 'Chip' but was instantly christened 'Kissy!" There are literally thousands more!


Below are some of the more common and printable nicknames used.

Surname/Connection

Taylor

Rogers

Williams

Edwards

Matelots from Scotland

Matelots from Wales

Matelots from Ireland

Murphey

Matelots from South West

Matelots from the North East

Matelots from the Midlands

Matelots from Liverpool

Roberts

Anyone a bit weird looking

A Glaswegian

Matelots from Yorkshire

Ward

White/Winter

Parker

Nickname

Buck

Buck

Bungy

Bungy

Jock

Taff/Taffy

Paddy

Spud

Jan/Janner

Goeoge/Geordy

Brum

Scouse

Harry

Plug

Jimmy

Yorkie

Sharkey

Snowy/Snowie

Fess

Surname/Connection

Steer

Withers

Mills

Smith

Clark/Clarke

White

Brown

Miller/Rhodes

Bell

Gray

Thompson

Pearce

Wood

Holliday

Macintosh

Mac or Mc + name

Webb

Wilson

Paine

Nickname

Bum

Googie

Bomber

Smudge

Nobby

Chalkie

Buster

Dusty

Dinger

Dolly

Thommo

Jimmy

Woody/Knock on

Doc

Tosh

Mac

Spider

Tug

Wacker

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