Military slang

When we veterans meet, the military slang quickly returns with full glory and fervour. At reunions, slangs help break the ice that could pile up when contacts between old pals become infrequent and irregular. The ‘Fouji Lingo’ plays a great role in reconnecting us. The slang once freely used in the camps returns to take the center stage. We get back to slang to celebrate our past, revive memories and bring back the camaraderie and bonds that once existed in the barracks.

Our defence forces inherited everything, nut bolt, and stock from British India’s armed forces when they left our shores. Emulating the time-tested Royal Armed Forces was the best course to follow as it stood in good stead when the English built their empire. However, only the Indian Air Force opted to continue with the queen’s tongue and continues to use English as a lingua franca in its camps.

Military slang might sometimes look impious and offensive to our civilian counterparts. Some might well say that the lingo borders on vulgarity. The “F” word was not at all a taboo in the camp, not the least a foul-mouthed insult but an omnipresent strong prefix which when used before a pronoun “it” meant “who cares’ and when used before “off” meant “go away”. Military barracks were once predominantly male bastions.

So the slang had the freedom of not hurting the sentiments of the opposite sex. Now, as more and more women join the armed forces, the slang would certainly undergo reforms, albeit at the expense of losing the ease and the lustre once associated with it. The military men are known to be chivalrous and their vocabulary has to be sensitive to the feelings of their sister soldiers.

Yet it could be interesting to note how the drill-master shouts extempore when someone goes out of step or how the guard commander reacts when he finds the sentry on guard not alert enough. However, I am sure, more innocuous and harmless acronyms and euphemism like AWOL (Absent Without Leave), Furlough, Civvies, Roger, Recce (for reconnaissance) Chappathi-Cut (for crew cut) would continue to hold their pride of place in the camps.

Slang words come in handy in difficult situations. Military slang is coined to optimise communication and flavoured with a tinge of humour. Slang helps the soldiers to laugh away difficulties and lighten the pressure cooker situations. Reusing the slang words at veterans’ reunions would instantly remind a soldier of the path he had trodden, wherever he may find himself now. Veteran’s reunions are simply re-living old times. You feel overwhelmed by the presence of friendly strong men, who still swear by military values, around you. And then, we leave the venue, recharged and rejuvenated by the renewed bonds.