common naval jargon

aboard

you are in a naval establishment or ship

adrift

absent without leave (AWOL) or absent from your place of duty (APOD)

avast

stop or pause

backs

make way, warning to stand clear

belay

cancel, disregard, to attach, make fast a rope

birdie

naval pilot, AVWO or aviation maintainer

brew

cup of coffee or tea

buffer

senior boatswain sailor (the Bosun)

bulkhead

wall

bunk / rack

bed onboard a ship

buzz

rumour

cabin

your room

cable

large chain to which an anchor is attached

cable (length)

200 yards

chit

an official form such as request, medical or excused duty, defect, clothing issue

cleaning stations

communal cleaning for maintenance of cleanliness

dart

cigarette or a game played with oppos

deck

floor

deckhead

roof

dit

story, movie, or TV show

ditch

to throw overboard / away

dhobie dust

washing powder

division

group of personnel or a department

dogs

period between 1600-2000

first dog: 1600-1800

last dog: 1800-2000

dress

an outfit of clothing

dress ship

decoration of ships or establishments by use of extra flags and bunting to celebrate a special day

duff

dessert

galley

ship’s kitchen

gammas

sunlight

gangway

the entrance to a naval establishment or the area around the brow of a ship

gash

extra goods or rubbish

getters

thongs or sandals - worn in showers

gibbers

electricity or RF radiation

goffer

soft drink or a salute “throw a goffer”

greenie

electrical branch personnel

gunbuster

electronics technician - weapons

gunroom

trainee officers’ mess

heads

toilets

irish pennant

loose thread on clothing

jack rats

non-military issued goffers or snacks taken into the field

kellick

leading seaman

leave

official permission to go ashore

libertymen

those proceeding on leave

limers

fruit drink or cordial

make and mend

half day holiday or short leave

mess

respective ranks living quarters

muster

meeting or gathering

oppo

mate or working partner

outpipes

end of stand easy, proceed to respective tasks or areas

padre

an affectionate term for a chaplain

pay off

discharge from the RAN or decommission on a ship

pipe

blowing on the Bosun’s Call to signify an order/event/time such as “pipe wakey wakey” or an announcement via broadcast at sea

pipe down

lights out and no noise

pusser

supply officer (MLO)

term used for anyone in the Navy, or items associated with the Navy

pit

a bed

quarterdeck

area at the stern of the ship

quartermaster

QM

in harbour, a sailor who keeps watch at the gangway

at sea, the sailor in charge of the sailors manning the bridge

usually a leading hand

rack

a bed

rating

seaman, other than an officer

redders

tomato sauce

rig

uniform

rig of the day

the uniform ordered to be worn that day (aka. dress of the day)

rounds

an inspection

run

a trip ashore during leave

sculling

items left lying about

scran

food, a meal

secure

finish / complete work

shake

a call to wake up

soggies

cereal

square away

break from work

stand easy

break from work

stoker

engineering branch (marine technical) sailor

swain

senior NPC sailor

tallboy

wardrobe

uckers

traditional naval board game

uppers

upper decks

wardroom

officer’s mess