Since we are all ship builders here I thought it might be nice to introduce something, Naval word of the day. I will pick one, write down a brief history of that word. Use it in a proper sentence. Then you can use it in your every day life. I do this from time to time, makes non-Navy folks crazy.


Today’s word is Geedunk.

To most sailors the word geedunk means ice cream, candy, potato chips and other assorted snacks, or even the place where they can be purchased. No one, however, knows for certain where the term originated, but there are several plausible theories:
1.) In the 1920's a comic strip character named Harold Teen and his friends spent a great amount of time at Pop's candy store. The store's owner called it The Geedunk for reasons never explained.
2.) The Chinese word meaning a place of idleness sounds something like gee dung.
3.) Geedunk is the sound made by a vending machine when it dispenses a soft drink in a cup.
4.) It may be derived from the German word tunk meaning to dip or sop either in gravy or coffee. Dunking was a common practice in days when bread, not always obtained fresh, needed a bit of tunking to soften it. The ge is a German unaccented prefix denoting repetition. In time it may have changed from getunk to geedunk. Whatever theory we use to explain geedunk's origin, it doesn't alter the fact that Navy people are glad it all got started.

We used this word when talking about snack food. It was most widely used when we would go to the ships store or convenience store while in port. Proper use of this word is simple. If you would normally say, “I am going to get a candy bar.” Then simple substitute Geedunk for candy bar, “I am going to get some Geedunk.”

So tonight when you want some popcorn tell your wife, “I’m going to get some geedunk, want some?”

I'd prefer porggie bait. (Did I spell that right?)

Going to the frig to get some geedunk(bud). Hey grumpy I think you were trying for poggiebait and thats the word I know since I'm a ground pounder.

poggie bait

That's what we called it. Although, it referred to anything that was not stamped "C-Rations 1 Meal"
Beanie Weenies were considered poggie bait. When the first MREs were issued, we hauled a considerable amount of poggie bait into the field with us. In Germany, we just gave money to some kid and sent him to the bakery and meat market to bring us back some stuff and usually had him keep all the change.

Since we hear about this place from time to time on the news I thought I would go with this today.

GITMO: Guantanamo Bay Naval Station on Cuba, which had a shorthand designation of GTMO.

The Navy uses the base for several different reasons, a refueling stop and damage control training are the two main uses. We stopped there to refuel on Memorial Day back in 1991. It is strange pulling into Cuba with our large flag flying and all of our signal flags out. Then seeing the all the US flags all over the base. We had time to get fuel and hit the McDonald’s.

GITMO can be both a noun and a verb. Sine it is use as such in the Navy. The noun refers to the actually location of the base. The verb is what you do when you are there, major sever training, that no matter what, you will pass or you will never leave.

Damage control training is a bear. I never had to do it, but I have heard it can be a major nightmare. There is also the famous GITMO 7 first aid problems you must learn. During a drill you can be doing your job when an inspector will come and ask you what to do for a sucking chest wound. You better know it and not be wrong.

OK, now for using this word in every day talk. It is really simple. If somebody messes up, like your kids, you simply tell them, “Since you cannot seem to listen to your mother or me, we are sending you to GITMO for a while to see if they can straighten you out.” If a new person at work messes up say something like this, “Better do a GITMO so you can do your job better.”

Steven,

You must have blocked out the lovely smell of the poggie plant in Cameron. Such an aroma. You could smell it for miles on a clear day.

Turbo Twidget: A slang term used by other engineering rates in reference to Gas Turbine Technicians. When the Navy first started to use Gas Turbine engines back in the 1970’s the older more established engineering rates did not consider these new engineers to be true engineers. The older rates, Boiler Tech, Machinist Mates, Enginemen, and Hull Techs did not feel this new group fit into the old definition of a Naval engineer.

Ships that had gas turbine engines were new and had advancements in the engine rooms not heard of before, mostly being very good ventilation/cooling. In the old days of a Navy engineer you had to spend too many long hot hours in the engine room working, only to them spend watch in the same hot space. The Gas Turbines were clean new ships and even had air conditioning in some engineering spaces. The Kidd class DDG’s had a network of chilled water lines in the engine room ventilation systems to help keep them cool.

Since the gas turbine insignia resembles a turbo that is how part of the name came to be. Engineers had been calling those who worked with electronic twidgets for years. These rates were mostly the radiomen, fire control techs, and any combat related rate. So hard core engineers spliced these two together and started to call gas turbine guys, Turbo Twidgets. My first week of gas turbine school I was called this by my instructor because I had a bad habit for an engineer, I liked to wear short sleeve shirts. So he asked me if I wanted to be an electronic tech or an engineer.

To use this term in everyday use will take some work. Not just anyone can be called a turbo twidget, so it might be hard to work it in. We all have that guy at work who thinks he can fix anything so you might be able to slip that into a sentence about him. “So the genius thinks he can fix the CNC lathe.” Take out genius and insert turbo twidget. “So the turbo twidget thinks he can fix the CNC lathe.” Or if you have a high end car or truck you can use it in reference to you mechanic, “Well, Mr. Turbo Twidget, can you get my truck back up and running today?” He might even think you are giving him a compliment and do it faster.

BTW, us turbo twidgets liked to think of our selves as high winders and fast movers.

Is that what that was!?

I thought it might have been the holds of the shrimping fleet.

Actually, i think my nose was desensitized from the swamp gas that permeated Ft. Polk.

Turbo twidget....hmmmm.........

Gosh durn turbo twidgets don't know their wrench from a hole in the ground.

Todday, I am going with something easy, since it is Saturday.

Aft, the back end of the ship.

Aft is short for afterward which is opposite of forward. Afterward was shortened over the years to aft.

The fantail is on the aft end of the ship. Or in every day talk. Put that in the aft end of the pickup. (bed of the truck)

The word for today is actually a phrase, Sunday Sundaies. Our ship sis this every sunday while underway. We had hand dipped ice cream and soft served ice cream. Every Sunday afternoon on the mess decks we could go get as much ice cream we could eat. Also all the possible fixens were available. It was a nice treat to amke your Sunday afternoon go by a little better.

Sunday was one of the few days while underway that we would be given a slight break.

So, working this one into your everyday sentances is easy. Nexy sunday afternoon simply tell every one that it is tiem for Sunday Sundaies. Break out teh ice cream or take em all to Dairy Queen.

Sometimes speaking Navy can be fun.

Today we all get a pat on the back. When passing along a job well done in the Navy you will get a simple BZ or Bravo Zulu.

Bravo Zulu is a naval signal, conveyed by flag hoist or voice radio, meaning "Well Done"; it has also passed into the spoken and written vocabulary. It can be combined with the "negative" signal, spoken or written NEGAT, to say "NEGAT Bravo Zulu", or "not well done".
There are some myths and legends attached to this signal. One of the most frequently heard has Admiral "Bull" Halsey sending it to ships of Task Force 38 during World War II. Another story, current in the navies of the Commonwealth is that it was an improvised signal to HMS Zulu, during the same war, after that ship performed some conspicuous feat of gallantry. Neither of these stories can be true, as the signal did not exist at that time.

"Bravo Zulu" actually comes from the Allied Tactical Publication (ATP) 1 Vol 2 series (Naval Book of Signals), an international naval signal code adopted after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in 1949. Until then, each navy had used its own signal code and operational manuals. World War II experience had shown that it was difficult, or even impossible, for ships of different navies to operate together unless they could readily communicate, and ACP 175 was designed to remedy this.

In the U.S. Navy signal code, used before ACP 175, "well done" was signaled as TVG, or "Tare Victor George" in the U.S. radio alphabet of that time. ACP 175 was organized in the general manner of other signal books, that is, starting with 1-flag signals, then 2-flag and so on. The 2-flag signals were organized by general subject, starting with AA, AB, AC, ... AZ, BA, BB, BC, ... BZ, and so on. The
B- signals were called "Administrative" signals, and dealt with miscellaneous matters of administration and housekeeping. The last signal on the "Administrative" page was BZ, standing for "well done".

At that time BZ was not rendered as "Bravo Zulu", but in each navy's particular radio alphabet. In the U.S. Navy, BZ was spoken as "Baker Zebra". In the meanwhile, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had adopted English as the international air traffic control language. They developed a radio alphabet for international aviation use, designed to be as "pronounceable" as possible by flyers and traffic controllers speaking many different languages. This was the "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta..." alphabet used today. The U.S. Navy adopted this ICAO alphabet in March 1956. It was then that "Baker Zebra" finally became "Bravo Zulu".

So a simple way to use this one is “Bravo Zulu on the good grades son!” or “BZ on meeting the production quota guys!”

Slushing is not what you are thinking. It has nothing to do with ice, snow, or slush. It has to do with money. Some sailors are just rotten at stretching out their pay from check to check. So, when they come up short they will ask to borrow money. The Slusher agrees to lend money until the next pay day at lets just say, high rates of interest.

Usually rates are on a sliding scale, borrow $20 and pay back $30. $50 pat $75, $100, pay $150. This is totally against all Navy regs and if ever found out by the command can lead to some serious problems for all those involved.

During “A”school there were a few sailors that were Slushers and they made a good deal of money. They never did get caught either.

Another use of the term slush can be a savings. So to use these in the proper context do this. “I have just about enough in my slush fund to get that 1/350 Nagato kit.” Or this one, “I need to slush a few dollars until pay day. How does $40 for $50 sound?”

This is one that I actually use when talking about extra cash. We refer to it as a "slush fund".

Very cool. Thanks Jim.
later...Gator

I had a typing error, it should have been fund, not find. I was suprised how many people actually use the term slush fund in the civilian world.

My Grandfather use to call me a swab jockey , and also talked about making
torepedo juice.
what the heck is a swab jockey?

thanks,

Ron

Most of the time it is in reference to a crooked politician.

enjoying this thread for sure! I hope you include my own description some day.. LANDLUBBER Navy cheers! James

Swab is Navy slang for a mop. A swab jockey is a sailor using a mop. Normally the most junior person gets the job of swabbing the decks. This is because we didn't want them touching the expensive equipment.

Torpedo juice might be moon shine. I do have a couple terms relating to drinks that I will be doing, but torpedo juice is a new one on me. I will have to look for an answer on that.

This is a great thread, brings back memories, nope Im a Tanker not a Pelican Rapper
Sorry Couldnt resist.
Back in my younger days in Germany we used to go to sick call for a cold pack, you know, cough medicine and the likes. (Hated being out of money at the end of the month)
Well we would make this concoction and we called it Torpedo Juice, so that term does have some legs.

OK here is some OLD Navy slang, Son Of A Gun!
Now that will have you wonder!
Term is from Old Sail days in the British Navy.
Seems the crew would have Misstresses on board during a cruise and well things do happen.
Well when these ladies would have a child it would be on the lower gun deck between the Batteries, hence Son of a Gun.
Credits have to go to the Military Channel and the HMS Victorious Museum.

A simple one for today, since it is Wednesday.

Turn-to: The command, normally given over the 1MC signaling the beginning of the work day. Also given to return to normal ships work, generally used after GQ or other special evolutions. The hand signal given to tell someone to "turn two," is holding up two fingers and turning them back and forth.

Every morning this was heard during the regular 0600 reveille message, then again after lunch, and after any type of GQ (General Quarters/Battle stations) drill. Or in the odd case you and your fellow shipmates were just sitting around doing nothing and your chief walked by and saw you doing nothing. Normally he never said a work, just held up two fingers and gave them customary flipping a few times. But since sailors never wasted any time this was rare.

We had one person who hated this term to the point of getting fighting mad when you woke him up. I had the displeasure of getting him up every morning to help refuel the ships helo. One of the first times I got him up my fellow shipmates offered this advice, “Tell him to turn-to, which will get him up.” Well, they forgot to add in the fact he hated this phrase with a passion. He got up and I got away.

So, in your every day life it is easy to work in. When you see the kids not doing chores, tell them, “Turn-to and get to work or there will be no geed-dunk for you later.” Now that you have been using some of these words for a while you can use them together. At work you can use the finger signal for those CNC guys that are sitting on their butts “waiting on the machine to cycle.”

hello Jim,
Torpedo juice was a term for moonshine by submariners,Pt Boats and Destroyers in WW2.they would take the Alcohol used to propel the torpedo and distill it in to booze. most torpedo mates would set up the distillery on land to sell to other personnel.it is also said that some submariners would drank the alcohol straight from the torpedo.
cheers,
Bruce

I dug a little more to bring everyone, the rest of the story.

Torpedo Juice is a term used to describe an alcoholic beverage in World War II which was made from the high grain alcohol fuel used in torpedo motors and cleaning alcohol. The US Mark XIV torpedo was powered by a miniature steam engine burning ethyl alcohol with compressed air (or in some mods, compressed oxygen). The ethyl alcohol was denatured by addition of a substance known as "pink lady", but the pink lady could be (largely) removed by filtering the alcohol through a compressed loaf of bread.

With the introduction of the electric powered US Mark XVIII torpedo, ethyl alcohol was no longer required for torpedoes; however, limited quantities were (and are) still required by the Electrician's Mates and Interior Communications Electricians on board ship for the purpose of cleaning slip rings, commutators, and carbon brushes on a wide variety of equipment.

The standard recipe for torpedo juice is two parts ethyl alcohol and three parts pineapple juice.

Also we used alcohol in the oil lab for cleaning our beakers and graduated cylinders. Nobody ever thought about actually filtering it and drinking it. The longest we ever were out to sea at any one time was 36 days. Then normally 2-3 days in port then back out for a few more weeks.

To go even further with the Torpedo Juice story. The ethyl alcohol was denatured by addition of a substance known as "pink lady", but the pink lady could be (largely) removed by filtering the alcohol through a compressed loaf of bread.