Aviators slang etc

[Regulus]

Hi,

I recently looked again into a book about soldiers slang in the trenches, especially on the Belgians.

I also ran for example on a German aerodrome into the word 'Sundenabwehrkanone' a nickname for a priest translated as a Anti-sinning gun.

It made me wonder if there were other famous expressions used by pilots, beit German, British, American, French, Italian,...

Any real interesting ones ?

Thanks and best from Johan

[Barrett]

Some Great War slang is evident in songs of the era. Probably the best English example is "It's A Long Way to Tipperary."
"...if you've a lucifer to light your fag..."
refers to a match for a cigarette. (I'll forego any comparisons to current slang!)

[EdStevens]

There's a lot of generic slang of the time used by everybody (wind up, blue funk, Blighty, etc.). Here's some specific RFC ones.

Aeroplane = bus or kite (or grid for Keith Caldwell)
A.A. = Archie or "hate"
Student pilot = Hun
R.E.8 = Harry Tate
B.E.2 = Quirk
Sopwith Triplane = Tripehound
F.E.2 = Fee
More than one Albatros = Albatri
Air Mechanic = ack emma
A.M. and P.M. = ack emma and pip emma
Balloon = sausage
Split-S turn = split arse/split arsing
Distant Offensive Patrol = D.O.P.
Offensive Patrol = O.P.
Enemy Aircraft = E.A.
Hostile Aircraft = H.A.
Shot down in flames = a flamer
Combat = scrap, dogfight
Hispano-Suiza = Hisso
Hisso made by Hispano-Suiza = a Hisso Hisso
RFC tunic = maternity jacket

[JohnReid]

How about, Bought the farm = K.I.A. or Pranged =crashed.I will try to think of some happier terms next time.Cheers John.

[Regulus]

Thanks guys ! Some really original ones between those !

Keep 'em coming !


Best from Johan

[MikeW]

if you've a lucifer to light your fag

of course it's fag that's slang here, still meaning cigarette in the UK, and in the USA...something else.

A lucifer was not slang but a type of match.

Mike

[FliegerJG1]

Hello everyone!

The discussion about slang reminded me of a curious photo caption that appeared in the Autumn 1996 issue of Over the Front. The caption reads "Rumey, Mai and Buder (left to right) in April/May 1918, probably at Cappy airfield. The 17 Kanochen (unknown slang) means the number of pilots with Jasta 5."

A German friend of mine wondered about the use of the word Kanochen and he checked with some of his aviation friends but they couldn't figure it out. Does anyone here have any clues about it?

Thank you! and Best Regards,
Flieger JG1

[Dan_San_Abbott]

FliegerJG1:
I think it means "little cannons" they have not become Kanone as yet.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Gregvan]

As for Kanochen, since "Kanone" was German slang for an 'ace' or someone with (generally) ten victories (meaning literally 'cannon', or 'big shot', or, more loosely , 'top gun' :, and the suffix "...chen" is osten used as a diminutive, I always thought this might mean the '17 little aces" of Jasta 5, or something like that. I'll let the better German speakers like Cigogne or some of our actual German forumites shoot me down on that if necessary.

Of course, we've all heard of "Franz" and "Emil" as German slang for the crew of a two-seater.

Greg VanWyngarden

[Gregvan]

Looks like Dan and I are thinking along the same lines; you beat me to it, old pal.

How about slang terms for aeroplanes ?? 'Grid' Caldwell always called them grids, or so I've read, and that's where he got his name. German pilots often called their aeroplane a "Kiste" (a packing crate or box) just as American airmen sometimes called theirs a 'crate'.

Then there are the specific names for specific aeroplanes. The Junkers J.I was sometimes called the flying furniture van (or moving van) or something like that, I believe. Junkers aeroplanes in general were known as tin donkeys, right ??

Was the Bristol F.2B ever called the "Brisfit" during the war, or just later (as I believe I'vr read) ?? How about just "Fighter" or "Biff" ??

Greg