17 Phrases Only Military People Will Understand

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Hello, Warriors. Military jargon usually reflects phrases that sound pretty funny to people outside the military. Words such as “Roger,” “Affirmative,” and “Execute” would give you an idea.

These phrases are used by anyone from a Sepoy to Senior Officers. Their family have gotten so used to them that they don’t blink an eye when they hear them. But to the uninitiated, particularly no-military-civil-people they sound ludicrous.

Here are 17 sayings that make Army soldiers sound like “What?!”:

Field Strip:

It’s not as funny as it sounds. It literally refers to taking apart weapons to the extent authorized for routine cleaning, lubrication, and minor repairs while in the field. Field stripping can also be used informally to describe taking apart anything.

..And a Wake-up:

No, it is nowhere related to sleep. “And a wake-up” means the penultimate day before the last day of the deadline. If you were to leave for new posting on Friday and you were informed about it this Monday, you’ll be staying here for 3 days and a wake-up, starting Monday.

“Contact. Wait out”:

Communication over the radio comes with all manner of unique turns of phrase designed to keep communication short and understandable. “Contact wait out” are the words soldiers dream of and fear saying in equal measure. They’re the first thing they say when they’ve been engaged by the enemy!

Make a hole:

‘Make a hole’ is the preferred method to tell a group of people to get out of your way. So, the next time you go out to a civil public place and land up saying “Make a hole for me”, be ready to experience the fastest physical reaction from them which eventually might hurt your jaws.

Roger that: Meaning “got it” or “okay”

P.O.V.:

Aka, personally owned vehicle, this three-syllable acronym is widely used as a replacement to the much shorter and more universally recognized term, “car.” Because, military baebay!

Zero dark thirty:

This means really very early in the day. Literally, zero dark means, 12’o clock in night and thirty means ’30 minutes after zero dark’. But it has been used widely to refer a very early programme referring to first light or dawn.

Nut to Butt:

This might give a newbie a very hard laugh. Very literally, it means put your nuts on the butt in front of you – said specifically when space is tight or when a situation dictates close proximity of many bodies. Yes, this is used on women soldiers as well!

Hurry up and wait:

This means that you get things taken care of, only to sit and wait for things to progress to move forward. Pretty ironic, isn’t it?

Gleaming:

It should come as no surprise that a culture so obsessed with polish and shine uses “gleaming” to describe something as good, desirable or brilliant. Not even “Shining like a star” can describe it as “Gleaming” does. So if something is gleaming you’re probably onto a good thing.

Got your 6:

In the military, 6 means ‘back’. So, got your 6 means ‘I got your back’.

Buckshee:

A term adopted by the Army in World War I, ‘Buckshee’ is derived from the word “baksheesh”. In today’s Army it refers to kit and equipment that is “off the record” i.e. tucked away in someone’s room and not in the Quarter Master’s store where it’s probably meant to be.

Standby:

This means “hold on a sec”. No, it’s not the same when your girlfriend tells it to you when you are already late for something.

Mandatory fun:

It is used when you’re required to be somewhere at a specific place and time, usually a work function. I wish it meant as literal as it is!

FUBAR:

F*cked up beyond all reason. Things are usually pretty messed up at this point. Don’t ever, ever, EVER let a military man say this to you. If he did already, then run for your life.

The ABCD of military:

A=Alpha, B=Bravo, C=Charlie, D=Delta, E=Echo, F=Foxtrot, G=Golf, H=Hotel, I=India, J=Juliet, K=Kilo, L=Lima, M=Mike, N=November, O=Oscar, P=Papa, Q=Quebec, R=Romeo, S=Sierra, T=Tango, U=Uniform, V=Victor, W=Whiskey, X=X-ray, Y=Yankee, Z=-Zulu.