AIR FORCE SLANG

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1943, Page 4

AIR FORCE SLANG

DISCUbSED BY J. B. PRIESTLEY. SOME VERBAL ACHIEVEMENTS PRAISED. J. B. Priestley, in one of his 8.8. C. overseas broadcasts, talked about current war jargon. He mentioned a little book he had just been reading on Service Slang. Some of this slang he remembered from the last war, but most of it originated in this war. The greater number of the new slang terms come from the R.A.F., which, in Priestley's words, is "as enterprising and inventive in this asset as in other matters.” Some of the expressions he thought worthy of Snakespeare. "What,” he asked, “could be more descriptive of the perpetual bore who bores you stiff than a 'Rigid Bind’?”

"Rookie” is by no means a new word for recruit (vide Kipling). But now the girls are in the Services the word “rookette” has been coined. Other “air” terms “J. 8. singled out were "screaming downhill,” descriptive of a power dive in a fighter, plane; to "snake about,’ which means to take evasive action from fighters, flak or searchlights; and "a soft waffle,” being the quivalent of the last war's "cushy billet,” or an easy job.

One queer term, shot with irony, is “you've had it.'’ The point is, lhe speaker remarked, you're never told you’ve had it’’ except when actually you’ve missed it. For instance, you’ve arrived too late for pay, or breakfast, or what have you (or should we say, what havent’ you?) and ask “Where's my breakfast?” and so on, the unkind reply is, “you’ve had it.”