RAF slang

The Royal Air Force developed a distinctive slang which has been documented in works such as Piece of Cake and the Dictionary of R.A.F slang.

The following is a list of terms used by the RAF.

A

• Ablutions - Area in barrack-room airmen go to for washing and/or using toilet
• AC Plonk - Aircraftman second class (AC2), the lowest rank in the RAF (also known simply as Plonk)
• Air Commode - Air Commodore, lowest ranking of Their Airships (also known as Air Toilet)
• Air Toilet - Air Commodore (also known as Air Commode)
• Air Tragic - Air Traffic (also known as The Tower)
• Airships, Their - officers of Air Commodore rank and above. Float serenely at high altitude, buffeted by assorted winds and oblivious to the implications of, and confusion caused by, the edicts following their astral deliberations
• Angels - Altitude, given in thousands of feet (thus "Angels 13" is 13,000 feet)
• Anvil - the sound-proofed, darkened box that Scopies sit in, staring at a screen that looks like it’s playing a Sinclair ZX81 game, apparently to warn of any incoming Bogies
• Arse End Charlies - rear gunners (also known as Tail End Charlies)

B

Bimble - going For a walk

• Bag Up - to bag up or chuck up. From sick bags. E.g. “I bagged up, I tell you I was blowing chunks all over the place on the Timmy”
• Banana-boat - aircraft carrier
• Bandit - enemy aircraft
• Bang On - to be correct, or a direct hit
• Bang Out - the action taken by a jockey when his jet goes tits up and he has to eject
• Basher - man, chap, fellow in a particular trade e.g. "stores basher"
• Bay - component serving area e.g "Engine Bay"
• Belt - Electric shock
• Beer Lever - joystick
• Best blues - No 1 Uniform
• Bind - not a nice job
• Binder - someone complaining
• Binding - complaining
• Black-outs - knickers worn by the WAAF, navy-blue winter-weights
• Blanket Stacker - The Suppliers Trade (Storeman)
• Blats - Local currecny of any country your in
• Blighty - the United Kingdom
• Body Snatcher - stretcher bearer
• Bone Dome - Aircrew helmet
• Bomb Dump - Aircraft munitions storage area
• Bomb Head - Armourer
• Boomerang - aircraft returned early due to snag (RAF Bomber Command)
• Brassed Off - unhappy (in the extreme)
• Brass hats - commanding officers
• Brown Jobs - the Army (also "pongos" and "squaddies")
• Bull Night - night men have to clean/polish up their accommodation
• Bumper - implement with broomstick handle men must use in accommodation to make floor glisten prior to Inspection
• Bumph - useless paperwork
• Burton - "Gone for a Burton" - killed in action (from an old beer commercial for Burton Ale)
• Bus - an aircraft

C

Cord puller - Telephonist

• Cabbage - someone who loves the more military aspects of RAF life
• Canteen Cowboy - ladies' man
• CC - Confined to Camp (official title for Jankers; renamed "Restrictions" from 1955)
• Chiefie - a Chief Technician, a technical rank between Sergeant and FS)
• Circuits and bumps - a pilot training exercise in landing an aircraft and immediately taking off again (Equivalent to the American term "touch and go")
• Civvy street - what you did before or after you were in the RAF
• Clanger - embarrassing mistake
• Clobber - gear, equipment
• Clapped Out - nearing the end of useful life
• Clot - idiot or fool
• Cockup - a situation that has become extremely disorganized (from "cocked hat" or a typed text being in the wrong case)
• Colonel(Gaddafi),The - the NAAFI

D

• D.I - Drill Instructor. It's rumoured that D.I's have over 50 words that mean dirty.
• Deck - the ground
• Desert Lily - urinal made from a tin can
• Dim view, to take a - to view with skepticism or disapproval
• Ditch - to perform a landing in the "drink" - usually when one's aircraft was unable to fly any more
• Dobhi - one's laundry
• Dobhi Dust - Washing Powder
• "Donk" - Aircraft Engine
• Double Gen - 100% Definite factual information, usually said with both fists touching temples and alongside a punishment; which will be enforced if found out to be incorrect. See "Queens Eyebrows" and "Robocop"
• Drink - an ocean, sea, river or lake
• Drop a clanger - make a mistake
• Duff - bad or not accurate, as in "duff gen" (inaccurate intelligence or incorrect information)

D

Dope on a rope (dog handler)

• D.I - Drill Instructor. It's rumoured that D.I's have over 50 words that mean dirty.
• Deck - the ground
• Desert Lily - urinal made from a tin can
• Dim view, to take a - to view with skepticism or disapproval
• Ditch - to perform a landing in the "drink" - usually when one's aircraft was unable to fly any more
• Dobhi - one's laundry
• Dobhi Dust - Washing Powder
• "Donk" - Aircraft Engine
• Double Gen - 100% Definite factual information, usually said with both fists touching temples and alongside a punishment; which will be enforced if found out to be incorrect. See "Queens Eyebrows" and "Robocop"
• Drink - an ocean, sea, river or lake
• Drop a clanger - make a mistake
• Duff - bad or not accurate, as in "duff gen" (inaccurate intelligence or incorrect information)

F

• F&F - Fire and forget. Can also be file and forget.
• Fairies - Personnel in Signals Intelligence e.g. Wireless Operators(A)(Also Electricians and Instrument Techs etc. as opposed to Heavies - Engines and Airframe trades)
• Fatigues - tedious work airmen have to do, which not part of trade skills
• File 13 - the bin. "Place in Fire 13, please."
• Fella - An insult that comes from basic training where PTI's and Rock Apes would shout this at you for doing something "wrong".
• Finger (to remove one's) - to hurry up or pay attention
• Fish Heads - the Royal Navy
• Fizzer - disciplinary charge
• Flaming Onions - anti-aircraft tracer
• Flannel - to avoid the truth
• Flap - a chaotic event
• Fruit Salad - medal ribbons on a uniform

G

• Gardening - sowing mines in water from a low height
• Gash - scrap material and general derogatory term
• Gen - Factual information.
• Gippy Tummy - gastroenteritis
• Gizzit - item acquired by legal or illegal means as a souvenir.
• Goolie Chit - a scrap of cloth issued when flying over hostile territory, which a downed aircrew would offer as a reward to the natives to return them to the nearest Allied unit unharmed
• Gong - a service medal
• Gonk - sleep
• Gremlin - a mythical creature that lived on certain aircraft and caused mechanical failures at the most inconvenient times and then could not be located as the source of the problem
• Ground Wallah - an officer who did not fly
• Groupie - Group Captain
• Grow Bag - Aircrew flying suit
• Gubbins - equipment
• Good Man- welldone
• Golly it's a wizzard fire - Goodness it's an incredible fire
• "Gucci" - An impressive item - That new laptop you have looks well Gucci.

H

• Hang up - Bomb failed to release
• Heavies - Generally Engines and Airframe trades
• Hun' - Nickname given to German

I

• Irons - Knife, Fork and Spoon

J

• Jankers - punishment after being put on a charge for a service violation
• Jippo - a gravy or stew also called Jollop
• Jockey - Fast Jet pilot
• Jollop - Any sticky mess

K

• Kite - an aircraft
• KFS - Knife Fork and Spoon, also known as "irons" in Halton Aircraft Apprentice Speak pre-WWII
• KRS - King's Regulations, the rules and regulations governing the Royal Air Force. Eventually replaced by "QR's-Queens Regulations"

L

• LMF - Lack Of Moral fibre
• Liney - Tradesman employed on 1st line serving (flight line)
• Liz - Affectionate nickname given to Her Majesty, The Queen, Elizabeth II. Used when staying in a hotel or eating in a restaurant paid for by the RAF; i.e. "Dinner on Liz".

M

• • Manttress - Someone that spends most of their time in bed. Join of the two words "Man" and "Mattress".
• Matelot - Royal Navy bod
• Mahogany Spitfire - desk "flown" by Penguins and Ground Wallahs
• Mess - dining room. Also where SNCO's/officers live, eat and get drunk.

N

• NATO Potato - airman who delights in wearing DPM and typically believes himself to be a potential Special Forces operative.
• NATO Standard - tea or coffee with milk and two sugars

• Nickels - propaganda leaflets [strictly speaking, not a slang term but a cover name used in the RAF to describe/disguise leaflet dropping, which was known as 'nickelling' ]

O

• Old Man - the Squadron Commanding Officer
• Oppo - Mate or Colleague
• Orderly - Performing admin responsibility on that day which is different from normal duties e.g. "Billet Orderly" or "Orderly Officer"

P

• Packet, to catch a - to be on the receiving end of offensive fire
• PBX (abbreviation) - Public Branch telephone eXchange
• Penguin - officers with no operational experience or haven't flown (Comes from the fact that "Penguins don't have wings")
• Piece of Cake - an easy target with little opposition
• Pit - barrack-room bed
• Plonk - Aircraftman second class (AC2), the lowest rank in the RAF (also known as AC Plonk)
• Plumber - Armourer
• POETS (abbreviation) - Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday.
• Pongo - Somebody in the Army
• Prang - Crash, from the Malay word meaning 'war'
• PTI (abbreviation) - Physical Training Instructor. Paid far too much money to stand and look at themselves in the mirror/go to the gym.
• Pukka Gen - Good general Information.
• Plentyful Supply- A lot of
• Pull your Finger Out' - Get on with it.

Q

• Queens Eyebrows - You will shave your own eyebrows off as a punishment. Used in conjunction with "Double Gen" and similar to "Robocop".

R

• Reveille - Time in early morning airmen are woken and must get up
• Rigger - Ground tradesman responsible for maintaining aircraft airframes
• Robocop - A receding hairline or punishment. Whole front half of head completely shaved imitating the film "Robocop". Usually the tag of a liar.
• Rock Apes/Rocks - RAF Regiment personnel. Said because they have the mental capacity of a rock and act like Apes.
• Rook - Boy Entrant term for a new entrant
• R.O.P. - Restriction of privileges (new official name for Jankers)
• Ruddy' - Seems to be of common use in the 40's for 'Bloody'

S sandbag (pull up) going to tell a story

• Scopies - Aerospace Systems Operators / ABMs
• Scrambled Egg - gold braiding on a Group Captain or Air Officers' hat
• Shed - Hangar
• Shedded - Drunk
• Sheddey - Aircraft tradesman employed on 2nd line aircraft servicing
• Shiney - Administration personnel
• Shreddies - underpants.
• Shuftie - to look at
• Shuftie Kite - reconnaissance aircraft
• Shuftiscope - radar monitor
• Signal - a written message or order sent between bases
• Signals - Department and Personnel involved with all ground communications
• Skive - to evade your work/duty/responsibility
• Snowdrops - RAF Police
• Sooty - Ground tradesman responsible for maintaining aircraft engines
• Spoof - a diversionary raid or operation. Also a game played with 3 coins, usually on the back of the bus on the way home from an away game.
• Sprog - a "new boy" fresh from training
• Square bashing - Basic training course for new entrant recruits.
• Squabbling Bleeder - Squadron Leader
• Squipper - Survival Equipment fitter
• Squirt - a short machine gun burst
• Some Clot'- Some idiot.
• Stack - RAF station cinema
• SWO- (abbreviation) Station Warrant Officer, as in "there's Joe SWO, LEGGIT!"

T

• Tail End Charlies - rear gunners (also known as Arse End Charlies)
• Target for tonight - girlfriend
• Tits up, on sticks, dunlops dangling - unserviceable aircraft on jacks, with undercarriage down.
• Tower, the - Air traffic control (also known as Air Tragic)
• Twelve Fifty - RAF ID Card
• Twilights - WAAF underwear, light coloured, summer-weight
• Two Five Two action - put a man on a charge for indiscipline
• Two Six Heave - used to co-ordinate pushing aircraft or hangar doors

U

• U/S (abbreviation) unservicable not working or needing maintenance

V

• Vegetables - acoustic or magnetic mines

W

• Wizard / Wizzo - first class, excellent
• Whats The Odds - What are the chances

Z

• Zob - An Officer
• Zulu - Greenwich Mean Time (25 of 24 hour clock)

References

• RCAF/RAF Slang, Abbreviations & Acronyms
• RAFanasaurus
• Battle of Britain Historical Society