STRANGE BATTLE CRIES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 179, 2 June 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

STRANGE BATTLE CRIES.

MADE FROM INITIAL LETTERS OF SENTENCES.

The practice, peculiar to wartime, of forming words from the iintiail letters of sentences, has one great disadvantage. It is almost always possible to make up from letters in question another phrase having an altogehter diffferent meaning. Thus the new German battle-cry, "Hidekk!" is made up of the first letters in the phrase: "Hauptasache ist das England Keile Kriegt," which freely translated means, "The main thing is that England shall get a good hiding.'' But Tommy has evolved a new reading, as follows: "Huns, if defeated, ejaculate 'Kamerad, Kamerad' 1" This is on a par with the battle-err invented by the Austrians for the war of 1806, and which consisted of a word made from the five vowels —A K lOC —and pronounced like " Yoow." The cry was made up from the initial letters of the sememe: "Austria est imperare orlii nnivorso"; n free rendering of which is, ''Austria's empire is over all universal." Unfortunately, however, the war resulted disastrously for Austria. Whereupon her enemies promulgated an entirely new meaning: "Austria's empire is outc.d utterly."