Fightin’ Words

America’s Wartime Lingo

 

We called him GI Joe:  GI because he was government issued—just like every other gizmo ( a gadget) from is razor to his truck—and Joe because he was an everyman, an average Joe.  He fought the Jerries/Krauts (Germans) and Japs (Japanese) and sometimes the snafus (messed up) of his superiors—often 90 day wonders (officers with 90 days training).  He and the folks stateside (in the U.S.) developed a special vocabulary to describe the extraordinary experiences of wartime.  Review the “wartime lingo” below and identify as many of the items on the list you can.  Research the rest.

 

  1. “Remember Pearl Harbor”-

 

  1. allies-

 

  1. Axis-

 

  1. Big Three-

 

  1. Selectee-trainee-

 

  1. WACS, WAVES, WASPS-

 

  1. “Rosie the Riveter”-

 

  1. Army-Navy E-

 

  1. PX, Canteen-

 

  1. USO

 

  1. ‘IKE” Jacket-

 

  1. M-1 (Garand)

 

  1. BAR-

 

  1. Bazooka-

 

  1. C Ration, K Ration-

 

  1. Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, “Miss Lace”

 

  1. “B-Girl/V-Girl-

 

  1. “Dear John” (letter)

 

  1. Dovetails, Shavetails-

 

  1. Battlewagon

 

  1. Flattop

 

  1. Tincan

 

  1. Liberty ship

 

  1. Seabees (CB’s)

 

  1. B-17, B-24, B-25, B-29

 

  1. “Butt-end Charlie”

 

  1. Norden Bombsight

 

  1. “Around the Clock bombing”-

 

  1. Gremlins

 

  1. “Mae West”

 

  1. Zero

 

  1. “Radio Charlie, Axis Salley, Tokyo Rose”

 

  1. Quisling

 

  1. “Sad Sack”

 

  1. Willie “n” Joe

 

  1. Ernie Pyle

 

  1. Audie Murphy

 

  1. Victory Garden

 

  1. Point Rationing

 

  1. Black Market

 

  1. Scrap Drives

 

  1. War Bonds

 

  1. V-Mail

 

  1. “Kilroy was Here”

 

  1. D day, H-Hour

 

  1. D-Day (6 June 1944)

 

  1. Battle of the Bulge

 

  1. R and R

 

  1. “Fruit Salad”

 

Ruptured duck-