WWII USMC Marine Talk! Glossary of Terms Camp Lejune N.C.

A few weeks ago I happened across a lot of paperwork belonging to Marine who served in WWII through the 1950's. In his paperwork was this glossary of Marine terms labeled "Recruit Depot Marine Corps Women's Reserve Schools Camp Lejeune,New River, N.C." Terms marked with (*) are terms that were written by hand in the margins of the sheet.Here is the list:

Glossary of Terms

A
• Abaft of-In the Back of
• Aboard-On The Station
• Adrift-Loose, Not Made Fast
• Aft-Towards The Stern
• Alive-Alert
• All Hands-Entire Crew
• Aye, Aye, Sire-Reply That an order is understood and will be Obeyed


B
• Bear A Hand-Assist, Help Someone
• Belay-To Make Fast, To Rescind an Order
• Below-Beneath Deck
• Bill-An Organization shoot or chart, E.I. Watch, quarter and Station Bill
• Billet-Place alotted an Individual to sleep inm also refers to assignment
• Binnacle List-List of those excused from duty because of Illness
• Bunk-Bed
• Bust-To Reduce in Rank


C
• Cast Off-To Let Go,Leave Port, depart
• Chin Music-Talk*
• Chin Strap-Part of Officer's Cap,Formaerly under chin, now above visor and used as ornament
• Chow-Food
• Collision Mats-pancakes*
• Colors-National Ensign
• Compartment-Room
• Company Officer-Captains, First and Second Lts.


D
• Deck-Floor
• Dowse-Put out light, Cover with water
• Doping Off-Not Paying Attention*
• Dungarees-Cotton Work Clothes worn by enlisted men


E
• Elephant Hat-Sun Helmets*
• Ensign-National Flag,Junior Officer


F
• Field Day-Cleaning Time
• Field Officer-Major, Lt.Col. Colonel
• First Lt.- Officer Charged with Cleanliness of ship, construction and repair equipment, and ground tackle
• Flag Officer-Rear Admiral or Higher
• Fouled-jammed, mixed up
• Furlough-Special Permission to be absent from the ship or station beyond liberty (enlisted)


G
• Galley-Kitchen
• General Officer-Brigadier Major & Lt Generals
• Gismo-Anthing for which you can't think of another word*


H
• Hash Mark-Slang expression for a diagonal mark on an enlisted man's sleeve to denote previous enlistment
• Head-Toilet
• Hit The Deck-Get out of Bunk
• Hold-Lower Portion of Ship, basement, cellar
• Holiday-Blemish,imperfection,open space


I
• Irish Pennant-loose end, untidy
• Inbound-Towards the Center


K
• Knock Off-Stop Immediately


L
• Ladder-Stairway
• Leave-Special Permission to be absent from the ship or station beyond liberty (officer)
• Lee-Side Protected From weather
• Liberty-Special Permission to be absent from the ship or station for a short time (enlisted)


M
• Mess-Meal
• Muster-To Assemble Section and determine absentees


O
• Old Man-Familiar For Commanding Officer
• O.O.D.(O.D.) Officer of the Day (deck)
• Officer's Country-Quaters for Officers Only
• Outboard-Towards Sides, away from Center
• Overhead-Ceiling


P
• Paige Bait-Candy or Sweets*
• Pass the Word-Pass the News Around
• Pipe Down-An Order to keep quiet
• Policing-Cleaning Up
• Portside-Left Side,Facing Ahead


Q
• Quarters-Living Compartment


R
• Rank-The garde of a commissioned officer or enlisted man
• Reveille-Time to Awaken Rev-A-Lee


S
• Sound Off-Make Noise
• Savvy-In The Know, well informed
• Scuttle-butt-Drinking Fountain or rumor
• Secure-Complete an exercise or job, to leave, cease work or drill, to make fast
• Shipshape-Neat
• Shove off-To Leave
• Sick Bay-Dispensary
• Sing Out-Call Out
• Skipper-Familiar For Commanding Officer
• Smart-Snappy
• Smoking Lamp-When lit, smoking is allowed
• Snafu-Situation Normal all Fouled up
• Square away-Straigten up gear
• Standby-Prepared and remain in readiness to do something
• Starboard-Right side, facing ahead
• Stow-Put in Place
• Stand Fast-Stand Where You Are


T
• Taps-Lights Out
• Topside-Upstairs, upper side
• Turn In-To Bunk


V
• Very Well-Reply of Senior to Junior


W
• Watch Officer-Any Officer Standing a duty period or Watch
• Wardroom-Officer's Messroom
• Well-An Order meaning Sufficient
• Windward-Side exposed to weather, pronounced "wind-ard"