WAR WORDS AND PHRASES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 245, 26 January 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

WAR WORDS AND PHRASES.

A correspondent in the a p Mail" recently drew attention to the . f common use in the Army of the word "narpoo," coined by. Tommy j Atkins from the French "S y a P I,IS - an^j applied by him to almost anything—a village shop or its proprietor; as a substitute for the expression Nothing , doing" ("I went to the \\ar 01fficebut narpoo"); a polite refusal (I asked her to marry me, but got the narpoo"); or a false alarm (' We were all ready for them witn fixed bayonets —but narpoo"). , Not only has this Entente-Galicism t Wn freely adopted by the men at the ISt! it has found it* way into com- J mon use over hero and heai c in general conversation among those 5»*W pace with the times In fact J "narpoo" shares with the boa man woivl " strafe" the distinction ot being the more popular of many words and phrases associated with the Great W ai. . When Germany found that we weie not going to stand aside v. • overthrew Belgium France and Russia, preparatory to her ' last and gieatJrt'reckoning with Englandl*as. ho*. schke advised, she gave vent to hc*. feelings of disapi»intment chagnn, and hatred, by inventing the phiase "Gott strafe England!" which speedily became the popular sa "taticn ° * cial malediction, the heartfelt prayer, or the recognised toast throughou Hunlnnd. The effect upon the British people was characteristic; they gave tho enemy thws retort courteous by adopting his word strafe even as a writer in a Toronto bjj paper parodied the "Hymn . t .Hate by substituting "Sauerkraut' for "strafe" is now almost universally used. No> only -s an effective bombardment of the enemy s lines or a successful trench raid described by Tommy as " strafing the I Fritzes," but there are occasions when tl certain "brass hats" (especially those c who have a weakness for janules or f inspections), or non-coms., the Wni is Office, the A.S.C,. or the politicians a. e a strafed by imprecation. And finite recently the. present writer heard a work-ing-class woman in a London back street shout to one of her offspring, "Wait till I git 'old of ycr : I H strarfe yer, I will ! J ' Another word that has ' caught on with the British public, and which we havo com'.) to associate with both pain and joy, is "IBighty." This is lommy s name for a wound serious enough to necessitate a man being sent home to Iw nursed in England, and also lommy's pronunciation of the Hindu word for this country-" the land across the black water." "So-and-so stopped some shrapnel and is onck at the base in hospital," wrote a friend of mine 111 tho early days of the Big h fl wasn't lucky enough to get a B lgh- „ tv " It is onlv those who 'have been out there" and spent many weary months in tlw trcncnes who can appreciate where tho luck comes iu. "Blighty" has also bf.on trnecd to the Arabic " belad-i," "my country or "mv home"; but this is « point will leave to philologists to settle Whatever its origin, oife feels sure that " Bli'dity" will long remain a synonym for "home" or for the country in defence of whose honour and safety so many of her 6 ons have suffered or died. Wo may yet hear t'ue greatest ot all songs rendered as "mere's 110 place liko Blighty." _ "Anzae," too, is a word that bids fair to be reckoned among the immortals, for it is a name that wid serve to bind tho dominions to the Motherland more than all the speeches tariffs leagues, or legislation imaginable; and one mav safely assert that our literature will be enriched by the adoption of a war phrase or expression so often used (alas!) during the past two years —"Uono west." Ever since re an hi st l)e<ran to clothe his mother-tongue _ in poetry ho has sought to take the sting out of death (as it were) by substituting some other word or phrase. "Laid to rest." "In peace" ' Into the Unknown," "Over the Border,' natui"ally occur to one s mind j but none or these equals in simplicity or sentiment tho expression commonly used by Tommy when referring to thoso who have lost their lives in the sacred cause or Duty. ~ ~ .., ■ In addition to "narpoo Mr. Atkins lias acquired, assimilated, or cised other foreign words ancl colloquialisms as a result of his fraternising with tho gallant poilus or the brave " Belgies," and with tho splendid fighters from India and the Dominions. Tho French "bon" was soon adopted; "Bon," "no bon," "trcs hon" ot "plenty bon" (good, no good, aud very good). "Plenty" is an Americanism, like tho superlative ' some," that word which has "caught on" so much in this country since the invasion of Great Britain by ragtime and American films. "Compray" (understand), "no compray," and "plenty compray"; "uiongy" (from manger —to cat); "lini" finished); "mcrci boko" (mem beaueoup—"thanks very much"); "V.hiy" (aller or alled-vous-en —"Go a\\a\ . 01 "Awav with you!"); "apres 'a guerre" (after* tho war); and "good for de bust" (good for the stomach) are among those for which Tommy has to thank his French or Belgian comrades. Doubtless ho has furnished them with many choice gems of 11 is own ii mention, or i'lom the rich store of Cociknoy and provincial idioms, which will be treasured ancl used on the Continent long apres la gufrre. " Scrounge" is a lavonnto troncTi term (a word of Tommy's own Invention, no doubt), meaning to "find, to "pinch," to "cadge anything. A "scrounger" is a forager. "What ar» you doing in there, you scrounging old bounder?" demanded a Tommy one) dark night, as lie peered into a dug-out and saw an indistinct form inside. Receiving no reply he had a closer view ...and then took to his heels, it was his own captain! " Buckshee" (probably derived from backsheesh, meaning extra rations, or anything over after an issue l:a- been made; buckshco loaf, buckshee "fags," etc.); "cushy" (a contraction of cushion." meaning "solt" —"He's got a ' n.sliy job"); "kip" (to sleep, from "kip-house." a low-claw lodginghouse); "rooti" (Hindustani for bread); "gipoo" (gravy or grease); " burgoo" (porridge); "po (jam); "brew up," or "drung up' 'to make f a, over-sea. expressions), ar»s among the lrtany words and terms omimonly used bv the men at the front, and will doubtlc-s be a.s commonly used v.iien tho war is over and tho survivors of Britain's New Army have returned to i ivil life and occupation in dr.ir old " Hlightv" onco more. For men will iio! eaMlv break tlicm-s-lves of the habit of referring to arti■•!.'.= of I'vervd iv ii"> or a --oci it ion in t.lio language of tbn fn-itehes nr ex-pros-lng tliens-e've- in the more common idioms of our f1:11!i *■ frievds. and nMhoii'-'b. sin li ; br;v : c< r.s " \ -< r.n> ot paper." "Silver bulbf- " "Rainess a = i-sif>l." .and "T< o pro-id to fii-br" may ru-ove to be ephemera! (ami if i- lio;ierl. for the e:'ke of poa< e and <|U'otnes<:. + tinf t'io latter wi'l droi> into di--pce !).. t.he-o o.'Ml be little do lit fbat flu- fact of this rr'-e.-r iii so mnnv nv-n and vn.of < and briiviui them !'< ennra^ w i' *i .Armv li''" arvr nip'it.'i m itir; - will result in natiy of the void< nvd

phrases directly associated with the war and much of its nomenclature merging into our everyday speech and conversation and ultimately forming part of tho English language-.—0.5.P., in tho "Daily Mail."