Lingo

In my time in the Canadian Forces (army), I've found that my vocabulary has changed. Not really for the better or worse, but changed in such a drastic way. I can't say the same stuff that I'd say to a friend here what I'd say to a civy, or civilian.

Your stuff is "your kit," your home or where you sleep is "the shacks." Speaking a sentence without the word "fuck" in it is difficult. When something goes wrong, the idiom is often "are you fist-fucking me?" Idiots who can't do anything right are "shit-pumps" or "shit-bubbles." A person who's constantly acting up is a "shit disturber." Stuff that sounds stupid that you're supposed to do regardless is called "chicken-shit." A rifle is a rifle or a weapon. It is not a gun. A gun is a shotgun or a machine gun or a cannon. Doing something that gets your buddy in trouble is called being a "blade", and often gets you labeled a "buddy-fucker," while your actions are often called a "dick move." Stuff that seems stupid and stresses you out and screws with your head is called "cock." Being confused or disorganized is called being a "cluster-fuck." Stuff you don't want to deal with right away is "dog-shit." Civy clothes are "mufty." Standing around doing nothing is called "dog-fucking" or "smokin' and jokin'."

The list goes on.

Most everything is turned into an acronym at some point. You have your BMQ, PLQ, BFT, PWT, IPSWQ, QL3, CGT and others. You might not even know what the acronym means, but you know what it refers to. The lingo you learn just by hearing it and passing it on is amazing. There's a whole host of insults and slang, most of it only relevant to what you do.

I don't even know why I'm posting this. Thought it'd be interesting.