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The
Veteran’s Tongue Slang
is, for certain, one of the everlasting habits in the military and the Army
in the 1860’s was most definitely not an exception. So for your enjoyment and
hopefully some usage, here is a list of some terms a Civil War soldier may have
used in everyday life and their modern day equivalent. Beats
= Lay abouts Been
through the mill = done a lot Big
Bug = an officer, also known as skunks, shoulder straps and brass hats Blowhard
= a big shot Blue
Pill = bullet Bubs
= friends, a.k.a. pards, chums or messmates Bug
Juice = liquor, a.k.a. pop skull, nokem’ stiff and O
be joyful Cheese
Knife = officers sword Company
Q = fictitious unit where all cowards went Damaged
= drunk, a.k.a. tight, wallpapered, walking like a Virginia fence Dough
Face = easily influenced person Hoof
= to march Jonah
= klutz or worthless soldier Lincoln
Pie = hardtack Logger
Head = soldier from Played
Out = worn out Potato
Digger = Irishman Sawbones = surgeon Sucker
= a person from Webfoot
= infantryman |