PASS THE POZZEE!

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2406, 18 March 1922, Page 4

PASS THE POZZEE!

A LESSON IN ARMY SLANG. IT IS WEIRD AND WONDERFUL. “Have a dekko at the dixie, Bill, and see how the gypo is doing. At the same time bring along the pozzee —the pukka doins mind.” This sentence may puzzle those very few people who are not acquainted with Army slang, but to all ex-service men it will be perfectly clear. For'the benefit of those who can’t talk “Army-ese,” here ,is a translation: “Have a look in the dixie (cooking pot), Bill, and see how the gravy is doing. At the same time, bring along the jam—the real stuff, mind.”

Army slang words are now being collected together, and there will Soon be a quite nice little dictionary of I hern. A few lists have already appeared in “Notes and Queries.” “BUCKSHEE” HAS MANY MEANINGS. “Lackery” means a stick, and is derived from an Indian word meaning. w°.od; “pawnee” —slang' for come from India. “Bowler” means demobilisation; and a “bint” is a man who plays the female parts in Army concert parties. A short man is known - as/ a “bunty,” and a tail man is invariably christened “lofty.” “Buekshee’ has many varied -renderings, but it always implies getting something for nothing. For instance, a “buekshee” issue of rations would mean an extra Issue. A day’s holiday is a “buekshee” day. The word comes from “baksheesh.” As an English baby first says “mama,” so the babies of Eastern peoples first sa\® “baksheesh.”. It means “alms.”

“Napoo” \yas used to imply the end, finished, or nothing. It comes from the French expression , “11 n’v a plus”—there is no more.