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This Dictionary was maintained by my brother Nick
Royal Navy Dictionary
Have you ever overheard a group of sailors talking amongst themselves and wondered what the hell they were on about? Here is a glossary of
terms in common use in the Royal Navy today.
Term |
Definition |
| Able Rate | The lowest rating in the Royal Navy (with the exception of Ordinary Rate qv.) |
| Able Seaman | An Able Rate qv.who is a member of the Seaman Branch. (The term "Able Bodied Seaman" is NEVER used in the Royal Navy). |
| Advancement | Advancement is used in place of 'promotion' when referring to ratings qv. (The term promotion is used for Chief Petty Officers and above). |
| Aft | Towards the back (blunt end) of the ship. (See also Astern qv.) |
| Afternoon | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 1200-1600. |
| All Night In (1) | If a watchkeeper qv. is given a stand-off qv. he gets all night in his pit qv. |
| All Night In (2) | Spending the whole night with a woman, returning to the ship for work next morning. |
| Astern (1) | Behind a ship. (eg. "Can you see that tanker 2 miles astern?") |
| Astern (2) | A ship travelling in reverse is "moving astern". (But a sailor walking towards the stern is walking aft qv.) |
| Barrel Fever | A hangover. |
| Baby's Head | Steak and kidney pudding. |
| Barrel Rash | A hangover. |
| Bight | A loop in a rope. |
| Blob | A part of the game of Uckers qv. |
| Blow Back | A move in WAFU Rules qv. Uckers qv. |
| Blue Liners | Royal Navy [own brand] Cigarettes. (Each man is entitled to a monthly duty-free tobacco ration) |
| Boat | A submarine or a very small vessel, NEVER a ship. |
| Bones | An affectionate name for the dice when playing Uckers qv. (eg. "Six me bones") |
| Bootneck | A Royal Marine. |
| Booty | An abbreviated version of Bootneck qv. |
| Bosun's Call | A nautical whistle, used to convey orders. |
| Bows | The front of a ship (ie. the sharp end). |
| Bridge | The control 'room' of a ship from where the 'Officer of the Watch' qv. takes routine control of the ship. |
| Bulkhead | Wall |
| Bunting (1) | A line of flags used for signalling in ancient times but now only used for "Dress Ship" qv. |
| Bunting (2) | Radio Operator (Short distance communications)(See Sparker qv.) |
| Bunting Tosser | An old term for a Bunting (2) qv. |
| Burma Road | The nickname for the main passageway down the centre of a large ship. |
| Call The Hands | A broadcast to wake the crew. (Usually at 0700 daily, it comprises a short "tune" on a bosun's call qv. followed by a spoken call "Call the hands, call the hands, call the hands." |
| Cap Tally | The ribbon, bearing the ship's name, worn on the cap of a junior rate qv. |
| Chef | The grandiose title by which Naval slop-jockeys (cooks) insist upon being addressed. (WARNING - Failure to observe this could lead to you eating god knows what!) |
| Civvies | Plain clothes (ie. not uniform). |
| Civvy | Civilian |
| Crab (1) | A dirty or smelly person. |
| Crab (2) | Abbreviated version of Crabfat qv. |
| Crabfat | A member of the Royal Air Force. |
| Crappers | Very drunk. |
| Dabtoe | A member of the Seaman qv. Branch. |
| Deck | Floor. |
| Deck Head | Ceiling. |
| Dhobi | (Pronounced "Doe Bee") Laundry (washing). |
| Dhobi Dust | Washing powder. |
| Dhobi Shack | The ship's Chinese laundry room. |
| Dhobi Wallah | A laundryman. Royal Navy ships carry a Chinese laundry, manned by Hong Kong Chinese men. (They learn English from Sailors, so their vocabulary tends to be 'colourful'). |
| Dhobi Shack | The ship's Chinese laundry room. |
| Dhobi Number One | The ship's senior Chinese laundryman. They are usually given nicknames like "Tiger" or "Wishy-Washy". |
| Dip-in | To gain a windfall, of some description, through good luck. |
| Dip-out | To miss out through bad luck. |
| Dog Watch | A short time. (The First & Last Dog watches are only 2 hours each). (eg. "He was only on this ship for a dog watch"). |
| Dress Ship | A ship is ceremonially draped with bunting qv. on days of national importance (eg. Queen's Birthday, Commonwealth day etc.) |
| First Dog | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 1600-1800. (See Dog Watch qv.) |
| First Watch | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 2000-2359. |
| For'ard | Towards the front (sharp end) of the ship. |
| Fore and Aft Rig | The style of uniform worn primarily by Senior Rates and Commissioned Officers. It is characterised by a peaked cap. |
| Forenoon | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 0800-1200. |
| Gangway | A walkway between the ship and the dockside. (NEVER called a Gangplank). |
| Gash | Rubbish. |
| Gash Hand (1) | A useless or ineffective sailor. |
| Gash Hand (2) | A spare worker. (eg. "I need a couple of gash hands to carry some stores aft qv.") |
| Greenie | A member of the electronics branch. |
| Green Rub | To lose out through someone else's decision. (Similar to dipping out, but not by luck) |
| Goffers | Waves (eg. "Have you seen the goffers outside the harbour?"). Also, non-alcoholic drinks (eg. "I feel fine, I was only drinking goffers last night.") |
| Gronk | A girl or woman. (Usually used to describe an ugly one). |
| Gronkit | A thing. (See Schnarlie Gronkit & Schnurglie Gronkit. qv.) |
| Grot | A subdivision of a messdeck. Usually containing 3 or 4 pits qv. and separated from the mess square qv. by a curtain. |
| Guzz | Plymouth. |
| Hands | A generic term for crew members. |
| Hooky | Nickname for a Leading Hand. qv. |
| Killick | A small anchor. More commonly used to describe a leading hand who wears a killick on his left arm. |
| Ickies | Generic term for any foreign currency. Used in the same way as 'Klebbies' qv. |
| Jack | A sailor. (from "Jolly Jack Tarr") |
| Jack Dusty | A Naval Storeman. |
| Jenny | A wren. (Women's Royal Navy) |
| Jimmy the One | An old term for 'The Jimmy' qv. |
| Jossman | Master at Arms. (The Naval equivalent of a Warrant Officer Military Policeman). |
| Jossman's Dog | A Killick qv.Regulator qv.. |
| Junior Rate | An Ordinary Rate qv.; Able Rate qv or Leading Hand qv. |
| Killick | A small anchor. More commonly used to describe a leading hand who wears a killick on his left arm. |
| Klebbies | Generic term for the unit of any foreign currency. (eg. "It's 40 Klebbies to the pound, but a beer only costs 15 Klebbies.") |
| Lanyard | A short length of rope used for a multitude of purposes. |
| Last Dog | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 1800-2000. (See Dog Watch qv.) |
| Leading Hand | A rating qv. equivalent to the Army's Corporal. Also known as a Killick qv. or Hooky qv. |
| Liberty Boat | A boat to take sailors ashore. (Land bases allow 'shore leave' to trainees at set times only, so they have to muster at the main gate and be marched ashore - this is also known as a liberty boat). |
| Lip Lock | A kiss. (eg. "I bet you a pint you don't slap a lip lock on that gronk qv. at the bar".) |
| Lower Deck | Collective term for crew of a ship, excepting commissioned officers. |
| Matelot | Another word for sailor. (pronounced mat-low) |
| Maily | A letter. |
| Messdeck | The living and sleeping quarters. Often abbreviated to the Mess (eg. "Go to the Senior Rates' Mess") |
| Mess Square | The communal part of a Messdeck qv. used for socialising and relaxing when not on watch. |
| Middle Watch | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 0000-0400. |
| Mixy Blob | A part of the game of Uckers qv. |
| Morning Watch | One of the watches that each day is divided into. 0400-0800. |
| Muster | An assembly of hands qv. |
| NAAFI | Navy, Army, Air Force Institute. (This organisation runs shops and tea rooms for the armed forces). |
| Nozzer | A young and inexperienced sailor. . Reputed to derive from a corruption of "No Sir", or an acronym for 'No Sea Service'. |
| Number Eight Rig | Working uniform, comprises dark blue trousers, light blue shirt with blue rank/rate and branch badges. Dark blue jumper with elbow patches and epaulettes and beret are also worn when appropriate. (Usually abbreviated to "Number Eights" or just "Eights"). |
| Number One Rig | Best dress uniform, characterised by gold rank/rate and branch badges. (Usually abbreviated to "Number Ones"). |
| Number Six Rig | Best dress tropical uniform. It is white cotton with blue rank/rate and branch badges. (Usually abbreviated to "Number sixes" but is sometimes known as an "Ice Cream Suit"). |
| Number Two Rig | Dress uniform, characterised by red rank/rate and branch badges. (Usually abbreviated to "Number Twos"). |
| Nutty | A generic term for sweets or chocolate. (Not necessarily connected with nuts). |
| Nutty Fiend | Someone who eats a lot of sweets or chocolate. |
| OD | The abbreviation O.D. refers to an Ordinary rate and is used as an insult to anyone else in the Navy. (eg. "You bloody stupid OD!") |
| Officer of the Watch | Although the Captain retains overall command of the ship, a list of designated Officers each take routine control of the ship on a Watchkeeping qv. basis. |
| Ordinary Rate | The lowest rating in the Royal Navy. This is the level at which most ratings join the Navy and it is considered a training grade. The prefix 'junior' (eg. Junior Seaman) indicates an Ordinary Rate is under the age of 17 and a half years). |
| Percy | The generic name for a Pongo qv. |
| Piggery | The Wardroom. qv. |
| Pigs | Officers. |
| Pit | A bunk. (Hammocks went out of service in the 1960's). |
| Pompey | Portsmouth. |
| Pongo | A Soldier. (eg. "A pongo can buy lots and lots of smarties for £40 a week"). |
| Port | The left hand side of a ship, when facing the bows qv.. It is denoted by a red mast light. |
| Pot Mess | A stew made from leftovers. |
| Pressure Head | The surface sailors name for a submariner. |
| Procedure Alpha | A ceremonial event where a ships crew line the upper deck of the ship, in No. 1 dress rig qv., to enter or leave harbour. |
| Pusser | The Royal Navy. (eg. Pusser's Rum = Naval issue Rum; Pusser's shirt = Naval issue shirt) |
| Rabbits | Presents, usually brought back from a foreign deployment. |
| Rabbit Run | An overseas run ashore qv. to buy Rabbits qv. |
| RAS | (Pronounced Raz). Acronym for Replenishment At Sea which involves the transfer of stores or fuel from an RFA qv. to the warship. |
| Rating | Any member of the Royal Navy who is not a commissioned officer. (See Senior Rate & Junior Rate). |
| Red Lead | Tinned tomatoes. |
| RFA | Royal Fleet Auxiliary. A Merchan Navy organisation which supplies Royal Navy Warships at sea. |
| Regulator | A member of the Regulating Branch - Equivalent to the military police. |
| Rig | Uniform. (eg. "I'm getting out of my rig and going ashore in 5 minutes.") |
| Run Ashore | An outing, away from the ship. (Can be a night out at the pub or a day's sightseeing when abroad). |
| Scab Lifter | Naval Medic. |
| Schnarlie Gronkit | A nasty thing. |
| Schnurglie Gronkit | A nice thing. |
| Scran | Food. (eg. "What's for scran chef qv.?) |
| Scran Bag (1) | A "lost property" bag for clothing. |
| Scran Bag (2) | A messy and unkempt person. |
| Scribe | A ship's Writer (Deals with Pay and general Administration). |
| Seaman | A crew member whose job entails seamanship. (Unlike a cook or Radio Operator). |
| Seen Off | Ripped off. (eg. "Always ask the price before getting into the taxi if you don't want to be seen off". |
| Shiters | Very drunk. (Pronounced "shyters") |
| Sick Bay Ranger | A hypochondriac. |
| Sick Bay Tiffy | An old term for a "Scab Lifter" qv. |
| Skimmer | The submariner's name for a surface vessel, or the crew on it. |
| Sky Pilot | A Naval Chaplain. |
| Slops | Naval Stores. |
| Sparker | Radio Operator (Long distance communications)(See Bunting qv.) |
| Spit Kidd | An aluminium gash qv. bucket. |
| Splice the Mainbrace | An issue of naval rum for a special occasion. (eg. Royal Wedding; Queen Mother's 100th Birthday). |
| Split Arsed Matelot | A derogatory term for a Wren qv. (often abbreviated to 'split'). |
| Sprog | A young and inexperienced sailor. Also used to refer to a child. |
| Square Rig | The style of uniform worn primarily by Junior Rates. It is the typical sailor's uniform with a 'pill box' cap. |
| Standeasy | A tea break. Same as the Merchant Navy's "Smoko". (eg. "I'm going to the NAAFI at forenoon standeasy"). |
| Stand-Off | An unscheduled shift off; usually following a long period without a full night's sleep. |
| Starboard | (Pronounced "Starbud") The right hand side of a ship, when facing the bows qv. It is denoted by a green mast light. |
| Sticky Green | A 'fake' coctail bought for a girl in a whore bar. (They are just coloured water in a fancy glass, but cost a lot - the money then goes to the girl). |
| Suck Back | A move in WAFU Rules qv. Uckers qv. |
| Target | The submariner's name for a surface vessel, or the crew on it. |
| The Andrew | The Royal Navy. (after Andrew Mills, a famous press ganger). |
| The Commander | The second in command of a large ship. |
| The Jimmy | The 'First Lieutenant' of a ship. He is the second in command of a small or medium sized ship. |
| The Mob | The Royal Navy. (eg. "How long have you been in the mob?") |
| Tickler | Royal Navy [own brand] Rolling tobacco. (See Blue Liners qv.) |
| Tiff or Tiffy | Artificer. It is possible for a Rating to join the Navy as an artificer if he has the requisite academic qualifications. Artificers have an accelerated advancement qv. structure so will become Senior Rates very quickly, consequently they are issued with 'Fore and Aft Rig' on joining. (It is customary to spit immediately after uttering the word 'Tiff'). |
| Tilly | A Naval minibus. |
| Tinnies | Cans of beer. (Each man has a daily ration of 3 small tinnies a day - they are supplied duty-free) . |
| Tot | The daily rum ration which was sadly withdrawn in 1970. The measure was approximately a quarter of a pint. |
| Train Smash | Bacon and tinned tomatoes. |
| Uckers | A board game, based on Ludo but with additional rules. |
| WAFU | A Naval airman. (Acronym from 'Wet and F...ing Useless) |
| WAFU Rules | A variation on the standard rules for Uckers qv. |
| Wardroom | The official name for a Royal Navy Officer's Mess. |
| Watchkeeper | A shift worker. |
| Wets | Alcoholic drinks. |
| White Front | A white cotton T-shirt with a blue-lined square collar, worn as part of 'square rig' qv. |
| Wren | A female member of the Royal Navy. |
Page last updated: April 29, 2000.