Common Military Expressions. What are your favorites or most true?

2015-08-03T11:44:36-04:00

We have all heard expressions that were new to us but very common to others. One of the first I heard was the term 'Short' and 'xx amounts of days and a wakeup'. One instructor alluded to 'hammers' when referring to members of the opposite sex and of course, 'The GI Party'.

What are your recollections of these timeless cliches?

LTC Stephen F. COL Charles Williams COL Mikel J. Burroughs SSG Matt Murphy SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" PO2 Ed C. PO2 Jonathan Scharff SPC Charles Brown SGM Matthew Quick Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SFC A.M. Drake Capt Richard I P. CPT L S (Congrats Leo) GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad

Response by SGT John Wesley made Aug 3 at 2015 11:49 AM

2015-08-03T11:49:32-04:00

Squared Away, Duffle Bag (Messy Troop)

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 11:50 AM

2015-08-03T11:50:27-04:00

"Need to know", "Loose lips sink ships" and "top secret..limdis."or "i'm sooo short...I need a parachute to get out of bed."

Response by CPO Rob Daniel made Aug 3 at 2015 12:02 PM

2015-08-03T12:02:11-04:00

I don't recall where I picked it up, but I ended up calling the shower "The rain locker."
In bootcamp we learned about "Summer Creases" during uniform inspections.
An old Chief who was fond of telling everyone to "Let that sink in to your 'brain housing unit' for a second."

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Aug 3 at 2015 12:02 PM

2015-08-03T12:02:29-04:00

Pound your face (pushups), GI Party, Short, PMCS, ate up, Charlie foxtrot, DILLIGAF, FUBAR, "going to the CBPO" (referencing personelle office, but really going to the Comassary, Bx, and Post Office).

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Aug 3 at 2015 12:06 PM

2015-08-03T12:06:32-04:00

FUBAR
BOHICA
"If it ain't raining, we ain't training"
"Every paycheck a fortune, every meal a banquet, ever formation a parade"
"Commander's time"
"First Sergeant's time"
"Get these barracks squared away"
"A day in the Army is like ..."

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 12:07 PM

2015-08-03T12:07:09-04:00

Soup sandwich... With a cherry on top.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Aug 3 at 2015 12:12 PM

2015-08-03T12:12:07-04:00

I love to say 'it is what it is', which means you ain't changing it so drive on

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 3 at 2015 12:14 PM

2015-08-03T12:14:55-04:00

Knees to the breeze

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 12:19 PM

2015-08-03T12:19:44-04:00

The term "alphabets" - applied to the recruit in basic with the tough name. Our flight's alphabets was Iwaniszek (sp?).

That is why he was alphabets.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Aug 3 at 2015 12:37 PM

2015-08-03T12:37:21-04:00

1.) "That's a good piece of gear: Laminate it. Put it in your cargo pocket and take it to the field." Eventually, this got shortened to "Laminate it."

2.) "Eye! Eye! Eye! Show me an 'eye!'" As the DI would insist the recruit quit using the first-person "I" while pointing to his eye.

3.) Good initiative. Bad Judgment." (Still use this one today.)

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 1:00 PM

2015-08-03T13:00:14-04:00

Hurry up and wait (especially when waiting for airlift).

Response by SGT Hector Rojas, AIGA, SHA made Aug 3 at 2015 1:00 PM

2015-08-03T13:00:18-04:00

Tracking. (when you're obviously not)
Too easy. (when you know something is messed up)
What's your excuse? (when a family member has died)

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 1:03 PM

2015-08-03T13:03:30-04:00

oh and the HEAD.... WAFS/WACS/WAVS....

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Aug 3 at 2015 1:42 PM

2015-08-03T13:42:37-04:00

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member, these my only apply to the Army but I think they could apply to the services as well:
"Hurry up and wait"
"Short timer"
"Blanket Party" was anything but a party
"Drop and give me 20, 30, 40 or 50" good military push-ups
"1,1,1" When going through the APFT and doing push-ups and the grader sounded like a broken record because he did not think you were executing a proper push-up. Also applies to the APFT of the 1970's when pull-ups were tested.
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4", SGT Forrest Stewart, SPC Private RallyPoint Member, LTC Stephen C., SGT Private RallyPoint Member, SGT Robert Hawks, SP6 Clifford Ward, CH (MAJ) William Beaver

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Aug 3 at 2015 3:08 PM

2015-08-03T15:08:35-04:00

Lean forward
STRAC
CAVU
SNAFU
FIGMO
FUJIMO
REMF
All of the Falcon Codes
This place is ALL RIGHT! (similar to Soup Sandwich)
The World (=Stateside)
....

Response by SFC Maury Gonzalez made Aug 3 at 2015 3:19 PM

2015-08-03T15:19:13-04:00

Joe shit the ragbag: a messy , dumb soldier

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 4:20 PM

2015-08-03T16:20:49-04:00

Too short to smoke a king size cigarette.

Response by SFC Maury Gonzalez made Aug 3 at 2015 9:49 PM

2015-08-03T21:49:27-04:00

RTFM :read the f***ing manual

Response by SGT Michael Glenn made Aug 4 at 2015 12:11 AM

2015-08-04T00:11:29-04:00

FUBAR...SNAFU.... those two were the best way to sum up why we as soldiers had to go to the field in the dead of winter, freeze our apples off in a fox hole and then be told that we were going to be simulating this or simulating that... WHY IN THE BLOODY HELL COULDNT WE SIMULATE GOING TO THE FIELD IN THE DEAD OF WINTER ?????

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Aug 4 at 2015 12:36 AM

2015-08-04T00:36:17-04:00

"Assume the position "

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 4 at 2015 4:26 PM

2015-08-04T16:26:29-04:00

The 7 P's: Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance

Response by COL Charles Williams made Aug 5 at 2015 12:31 AM

2015-08-05T00:31:11-04:00

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member Better to Have and Not need, then need and not have...

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 6 at 2015 12:54 AM

2015-08-06T00:54:47-04:00

PFM. Pure Fucking Magic.

"IT1 Miller, how did you fix the Exchange Server?"
"PFM Sir!"

Response by SGT William Howell made Aug 6 at 2015 9:35 AM

2015-08-06T09:35:18-04:00

My favorite. "Piss poor planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency on my part."

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made Aug 6 at 2015 10:18 AM

2015-08-06T10:18:13-04:00

Head
Geedunk
FUBAR
Pogey Bait
Eyeballs
Ears
Chow
Roger That
Belay That
BOHICA
SNAFU
O-Dark-Thirty
Carry On

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 6 at 2015 2:51 PM

2015-08-06T14:51:38-04:00

Not many things beat the Physical Year.

Response by SGT Frank Leonardo made Aug 6 at 2015 3:05 PM

2015-08-06T15:05:38-04:00

bohica, jp8, hemtt, fubar,

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 6 at 2015 4:02 PM

2015-08-06T16:02:55-04:00

Watch the heat rounds fly.

Response by SFC Joseph A. Anderson made Aug 6 at 2015 6:46 PM

2015-08-06T18:46:48-04:00

My grass grows by the inches and dies by the feet so get off my grass.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2015 3:15 PM

2015-11-21T15:15:24-05:00

One night at a social function a major made a comment about his Sgt. The Sgt's wife gave of the best rear end chewing I have ever witnessed.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 7:34 PM

2015-11-24T19:34:26-05:00

"embrace the suck" Possibly the most uttered phrase on my last deployment.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Feb 15 at 2016 5:47 PM

2016-02-15T17:47:55-05:00

Short,back in the world,c rats didi mau don't mean nothin there it is ,ham and mzxwvxzs,round eyes,bringing smoke,skating in the rear all these and more from a land far far away and long long ago