Rather ACE "RAF" slang language...! (PART II)

[PADDY]

HERE'S a nice balance to my earlier piece on USAAF slanguage from WWII..!

I recently picked up a small book called 'ABC of the
RAF'. It is undated but was obviously published during the war (the
Spitfire III is listed as the current front-line fighter), and was aimed
at those in the service and those thinking of joining. It was intended to
be a manual of the RAF, and alongside a brief history, the basics of
flight and rank recognition charts, has all kinds of useful information,
including salary scales, conversion charts and the following invaluable
item.

Some of this is straightforward and very familiar (though non-aviators
might be unaware of terms like 'Balbo'. Some of it I found exceedingly
funny, especially when said out loud with an appropriately pompous,
up-tight, air chief marshal-type, waxed handle-bar moustache kind of voice. Maybe newcomers to the Royal Air Force (RAF) really did find this sort of thing useful and rather WIZARD.
My favourites are 'Blonde job' (Remember this is from WWII guys!! so no giggling in the ranks please!), 'Wizard' (not Harry Potter! behave yourself BT please!! or you'll be on latrine/toilet duty!)and 'Pukka gen', though 'People who obstruct one' and 'Aerial scrap' are high on the list.

Also, 'Organize' (sic) might prove useful for journos as an alternative
to 'blag'. Enjoy this chaps. Red Leader OUT!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHORT GLOSSARY OF R.A.F. SLANG
Balbo, A .................... A large formation of aircraft.
Bale out .................... To take to one's parachute.
Bind, A .................... People who obstruct one.
Black, A .................... Something badly done, a "bad show".
Blitz, A solid lump of ...... Large formation of enemy aircraft.
Blonde job, A ............... Young woman with fair hair.
Bogus ....................... Sham, spurious.
Bomphleteers ................ Airmen engaged on the early pamphlet raids.
Brassed off ................. Diminutive of "browned off".
Brolly ...................... Parachute.
Browned off, To be .......... "Fed up".
Bumps and Circuits .......... Circuits and landings.
Bus driver .................. A bomber pilot.
Buttoned up ................. A job properly completed, "mastered".
Completely Cheesed .......... No hope at all.
Cope ........................ To accomplish, to deal with.
Crabbing along .............. Flying near the ground or water.
Deck, Crack down on ......... To "pancake" an aircraft.
Dog fight ................... Aerial scrap.
Drill, The right ............ Correct method of doing anything.
Drink, In the ............... To come down into the sea.
Dud ......................... Applied to weather when unfit to fly.
Duff gen. ................... Dud information.
Dust bin .................... Rear gunner's lower position in aircraft.
Erk, An ..................... A beginner in any job.
Fan ......................... The propeller.
Flak ........................ Anti-aircraft fire.
Flap ........................ A disturbance, general excitement.
Fox, To ..................... To do something clever or rather cunning.
Gen. (pron. jen) ............ General information of any kind whatever.
George ...................... The automatic pilot.
Get Cracking ................ Get going.
Gong, To collect a .......... To get a medal.
Greenhouse .................. Cockpit cover.
Hedge-hopping ............... Flying so low that the aircraft appears to
hop over the hedges.
Hurryback ................... A Hurricane fighter.
Jink away ................... Sharp manoeuvre. Sudden evasive action of
aircraft.
Kipper Kite ................. Coastal Command Aircraft which convoy
fishing fleets in the North and Irish Seas.
Kite ........................ An aeroplane.
Laid on, To have ............ To produce anything, such as supplies.
Mae West .................... Life-saving stole, or waistcoat, inflated if
wearer falls into sea.
Mickey Mouse ................ Bomb-dropping mechanism.
Muscle in ................... To take advantage of a good thing.
Office ...................... Cockpit of aircraft.
Organize .................... To "win" a wanted article.
Pack up ..................... Cease to function.
Peel off, To ................ Break formation to engage enemy.
Play pussy .................. Hide in the clouds.
Pleep ....................... A squeak, rather like a high note klaxon.
Plug away ................... Continue to fire. Keep after target.
Pukka gen. .................. Accurate information.
Pulpit ...................... Cockpit of aircraft.
Quick squirt ................ Short sharp burst of machine-gun fire.
Quickie ..................... Short for above.
Rang the bell ............... Got good results.
Rings ....................... Rank designation on officer's cuffs.
Ropey ....................... Uncomplimentary adjective. "A ropey
landing", "A ropey type", "A ropey
evening", etc.
Screamed downhill ........... Executed a power dive.
Shooting a line ............. Exaggerated talk, generally about one's
own prowess.
Shot Down in Flames ......... Crossed in love. Severe reprimand.
Snake about ................. Operational aerobatics.
Spun in ..................... A bad mistake. Analogy from an aircraft
spinning out of control into the ground.
Stationmaster ............... Commanding Officer of Station.
Stooge ...................... Deputy, i.e. second pilot or any assistant.
Stooging about .............. Delayed landing for various reasons. Flying
slowly over an area. Patrolling.
Synthetic ................... Not the real thing. Also applied to ground
training.
Tail End Charlie ............ Rear gunner in large bombing aircraft or
rear aircraft of a formation.
Tear off a strip ............ To reprimand, take down a peg.
Tee up ...................... To prepare a job, to get ready.
Touch bottom ................ Crash.
Toys ........................ A great deal of training equipment is
termed toys.
Train, Driving the .......... Leading more than one squadron into battle.
Type ........................ Classification - usually referring to
people. Good, Bad, Ropey, Poor type.
View ........................ R.A.F. personnel always take a "view" of
things. Good view, Poor view, Dim view, Long
distance view, Lean view, Outside
view, "Ropey" view.
Wizard ...................... Really first class, superlative, attractive,
ingenious.

As always, if you can ADD to this list, then please do, as the contributions to the AAF slanguage thread were WIZARD. "Watch your tail chaps and GOOD HUNTING..!"

 

[jake431]

I believe Prang (ie Prang your kite) is RAF slang, although it was adopted by the 4th FG (ex Eagle squadron boys).

-Jake

 

[PADDY]

PRANG!! well done me old matey!!

NICE one Jake! they missed that.

Also, "A DIP IN THE GRIMEY" was to bale out over water, or to crash land in water!

Of course "CHOCS AWAY" to get going! To get a GONG was to get a medal (looks like an old dinner gong!)

And TALLY HO, was an old hunting cry when out on horseback chasing foxes!

 

[BellyTank]

Paddy- Remember...

... 'Piece of Cake'?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157239/

'Our name is Hornet Squadron, no bloody good are we. We cannot shoot, we can not fight, nor march like infantry. But when it comes to pay parade, we shout with all our might: Per Ardua ad Astra, Up yours Jack we're alright.'

B
T

 

[MikeyB17]

One of many such ditties published in 'Tee Emm', the RAF's 'handy hints' magazine during the war- a humourous view of a serious subject:-

Ten little pilot boys, one shot a fancy line,
Fifth columnists were listening, then there were nine.
Nine little pilot boys, one had a heavy date,
The girl was paid by Germany and then there were eight.
Eight little pilot boys, one used a 'phone to Devon,
The line was an open one and then there were seven.
Seven little pilot boys, one thought his drinks he'd mix,
He talked too much when he was tight, then there were six.
Six little pilot boys, in a West End 'dive',
One showed off to a new-found friend, then there were five.
Five little pilot boys, discussing fighter lore,
One discussed it much too loud, then there were four.
Four little pilot boys, one posted overseas,
Sent a p.c. to his home, then there were three.
Three little pilot boys, one talked about a 'do',
The news was passed across to France, then there were two.
Two little pilot boys, eager for some fun,
One spoke about his next day job, then there was one.
One little pilot boy, his mother's favourite son,
She showed his letters to her friends, then there were none.
Ten little pilot boys have gone into obscurity,
For paying no attention to that vital word 'SECURITY'
All the little pilot boys are wiped clean off the map,
Because some people will not learn to shut their bl***y trap.

MB17