What do British soldiers call each other?

French and Commonwealth troops would also call British soldiers "Tommies". In more recent times, the term Tommy Atkins has been used less frequently, although the name "Tom" is occasionally still heard; private soldiers in the British Army's Parachute Regiment are still referred to as "Toms".
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What do you call a British soldier?

Have you ever wondered why British Soldiers are referred to as Tommies? You can see the reference everywhere from the Poetry of Rudyard Kipling to contemporary historical works like The Last Fighting Tommy by Harry Patch.
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What were two nicknames for British soldiers?

Due to their long redcoats, British soldiers were nicknamed “lobsters” and “bloody backs” by the colonists.
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What do Royal Marines call each other?

Bootneck (boot-nek) Noun: A Bootneck is a member of the Royal Marines who epitomises the values and represents the ethos of the Corps.
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Why is a British soldier called a Tommy?

British soldiers were called "Tommies" by the Australians, a reference to "Thomas Atkins", the first name that the Duke of Wellington entered into the first British army sample soldier's pay-book.
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British Army Slang Words | How Many Do You Know?



What did the British call a German soldier?

British troops tended to call German soldiers Fritz or Fritzie (a German pet form of Friedrich) or Jerry (short for German, but also modelled on the English name).
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What do the Germans call the British?

German soldiers would call out to "Tommy" across no man's land if they wished to speak to a British soldier. French and Commonwealth troops would also call British soldiers "Tommies".
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What do the British Army call the Navy?

Role of the Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are the UK's Commando Force and the Royal Navy's own amphibious troops.
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What do Marines call the toilet?

The Navy Department Library

The use of the term "head" to refer to a ship's toilet dates to at least as early as 1708, when Woodes Rogers (English privateer and Governor of the Bahamas) used the word in his book, A Cruising Voyage Around the World.
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What do Marines call Army guys?

Three such words are “gyrenes,” “jarheads,” and “grunts.” Their times of origin and usage differ somewhat, but each has the same role in the Marine Corps culture. They have become a source of pride for all Marines.
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What is a nickname for a soldier?

“Billy Yank” A Union soldier during the Civil War. “Doughboy” A World War I Soldier. “Dogface” A World War II and Korean War Soldier. “Grunt” A Vietnam War soldier. “Leatherneck, Jarhead” A US Marine.
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What is Tommy slang for British?

WHO IS TOMMY? The origins of the term Tommy is widely disputed, the most common interpretation is that the term comes from Tommy Atkins, which is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. The term Tommy was established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with World War 1.
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What is British infantry called?

Infantry Regiments & Roles

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Armoured Infantry Role) The Royal Anglian Regiment (Light Role Infantry) The Yorkshire Regiment (Armoured, Mechanised Infantry Roles) The Mercian Regiment (Armoured, Light Role Infantry) The Royal Welsh (Armoured Infantry Role)
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What is slang for a British person?

Pommy or pom. The terms pommy, pommie, and pom used in Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand usually denote a British person.
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What is a Squaddie in British slang?

/ˈskwɒdi/ /ˈskwɑːdi/ (British English, informal) ​a new soldier; a soldier of low rank. He joined the army as a squaddie in 1964.
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What is the British version of Rangers?

The Ranger Regiment is a special operations-capable unit of the British Army which was formed on 1 December 2021 under the Future Soldier reform and is part of the Army Special Operations Brigade.
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What is a female Marine called?

As of 2006, women made up 4.3 percent of Marine officers and 5.1 percent of the Corps' active duty enlisted force. Today, they are no longer referred to as "female Marines." They are, simply, Marines.
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What do you call an ex Marine?

Veteran marines

"Retired marine" refers to those who have completed 20 or more years of service and formally retired or have been medically retired after less than 20 years service. "Sir" or "Ma'am" is appropriate out of respect.
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Is it OK to say oorah to a Marine?

Oorah is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to hooah in the US Army and hooyah in the US Navy and US Coast Guard. It is most commonly used to respond to a verbal greeting or as an expression of enthusiasm. (Source: Wikipedia.)
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What does Biff mean in the army?

If you're sick or injured you need to get signed off by your unit medic, doctor or nurse and get what's commonly called a biff chit, otherwise known as a sick note.
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What is the nickname for a British sailor?

Nowadays the British sailor is usually Jack (or Jenny) rather than the more historical Jack Tar, which is an allusion to either the former requirement to tar long hair or the tar-stained hands of sailors.
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What is military slang for gossip?

Answer: Scuttlebutt is rumor or gossip. Scuttlebutt is a Navy term for a water fountain, from the word scuttle, which means “to put a hole in a ship, causing it to fill with water and sink,” and butt, a cask.
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What do Brits call the phone?

A 'dog and bone' is a telephone. 'He called me on the old dog and bone this morning'.
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What do Germans call Americans?

Ami. Ami is derived from Amerikaner, but it specifically refers to people from the United States, including US soldiers in Germany.
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What did Japanese soldiers call American soldiers?

What did the Japanese call American soldiers in WWII? The single most popular term used in World War II was "Yanks". During World War II, foreign governments and troops (both allies and enemy), called Americans "Yanks" or "Yankees". It also was a shorthand in American newspapers and radio for all US forces.
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