From Obsidian Fleet Database

Glossary of Military Slang and Terminology

Like any profession the military has a wealth of words and phrases that make up its terminology, slang and colloquialisms. Phrases used everyday aboard a starship would be bewildering to a civilian and, sometimes, even members from different branches or departments.

Common spoken phrases or orders are indicated in italics. Terms specific to one branch or department are tagged by the branch, for example (Marine) or (Aerospace). Some entries are further tagged if the term is (slang), (informal) or (derogatory). Some terms will link to Obsidian Fleet Wiki articles for greater detail.

Generally slang and informal terms are used in casual speech but never in a written report or when talking with a superior. Derogatory terms are used either as an insult or rough teasing between friends.

A to E

All hands: All personnel, regardless of rank, of a detachment or ship’s crew according to context. Often proceeds an announcement on the ship’s communications system.

All hands on deck!: (Marine) An order for all hands to form up, often before an announcement or to receive instructions.

As you were: An instruction to disregard the immediately preceding order. This is often in response to a call to attention on deck or when orders were issued in error. Not as urgent as belay.

At ease: An order giving permission to relax from an attention stance. This stance is slightly less formal than parade rest. It is usually an indication that the junior is free to talk.

Attention: A stance held while reporting to a senior formally or when a senior enters a room or area, or –for Marines- while on parade. If wearing cover a hand or rifle salute is also rendered. This stance must be held until it is acknowledged and you are released, usually with the phrase at ease, as you were or carry on.

Attention / Attention on deck: An order for all within an area to assume the attention stance. Used when a senior officer enters an area or deck although many senior officers dislike the attention and disruption to the routine that it causes. Some Marine units with historic roots in the ground armies of Earth use the phrase Ten-Hut.

Aye / Aye, sir / Aye, ma’am: The naval equivalent of yes.

Aye-aye / Aye-aye, sir / Aye-aye, ma’am: The naval equivalent of understood and will comply used to acknowledge orders or instructions received.

Bandit: (Aerospace, slang) Enemy craft. Also bogey.

Barracks: (Marine) Quarters that are comprised of individual or shared bedrooms with shared washroom and/or recreational areas. When space permits this is the minimal quarters for non-commissioned officers.

Belay / Belay that: An instruction to cancel an order or instruction or to stop the current action. Usually used to express urgency as opposed to the less urgent as you were.

Billet: (Marine) A specific role within the detachment (such as Platoon Sergeant or Marine Commanding Officer). Billet should not be confused with rank or occupation although some billets have rank or occupation perquisites.

Birds: (Aerospace, slang) Any friendly craft. Also kites.

Blouse: Tucking fatigue pant legs into boots, often to achieve a slightly ‘puffed’ look.

Bogey: (Aerospace, slang) Enemy craft. Also bandit.

Boomers: (Aerospace, slang) Micro-Torpedoes.

Boot: (Marine, derogatory) A recruit or derisive term for a Marine just out of training.

Boots 'n'utes: (Marine, slang) Fatigues and combat boots worn in place of a duty uniform. Boots and utes are the normal wear for enlisted personnel on duty but usually only worn by officers on the parade deck or when anticipating action.

Brain Bucket: (slang) Combat or flight helmet.

Brass: (slang) Term for senior officers, referring to the metal of their rank insignia.

Bravo Zulu / BZ: (Marine) Well done, good job. Usually put at the end of a written report or acknowledgement of a situation report.

Bulkhead: The wall, even when not on a ship.

Butterbar: (Marine, slang) A Second Lieutenant, referring to the rank insignia of single brass-yellow coloured bar.

By your leave, sir / By your leave, ma’am: An expression used to render respect when overtaking a senior, in conjunction with a salute. Traditionally the senior must offer permission before the junior may pass.

Cap: (Marine) To fire a bullet or phaser burst. Sometimes 'fire off some caps'.

Call sign: a nickname or designation used with radio communications but often socially as well. Aerospace call signs tend to be nicknames while Marine infantry signify squad and fireteam hierarchy. Also handle.

Carry on: An order to continue after being interrupted.

Cellar Dweller: (Aerospace, derogatory) A Marine, specifically infantry marines.

Check fire: (Marine) An order to stop firing due to a possible error or miss targeting.

Chit: a voucher or permission for either a privilege or authorization. Examples would be extra rations, recreational holodeck time, restriction to light duty due to medical reasons.

Chicken Coop or Coop: (Aerospace, slang) The area of a flight deck or shuttle bay where the starfighters are stowed for repair and maintenance. Also nest.

Circle: (Aerospace) Maintaining Air/Space Superiority in a specific location, usually around the starship or base.

Close air support (CAS): Aircraft or artillery fire on enemy ground troops in support of nearby friendly troops.

Colour: An informal term used by the 18th Marine Infantry Regiment to refer to their Gunnery Sergeants, which in the 18th is referred to as a Colour Sergeant

Colours: The flags, crests and emblems associated with a military unit or ship. Generally each detachment would have the United Federation of Planets flag, a reproduction of the Regimental guidon or flag as well as a company or platoon guidon. Battle honours and presidential citations won by a unit are affixed to either the original flag, banner or guidon of the applicable unit.

COMINT An acronym used for Communications Intelligence

Corpsman: A Marine specially trained as a combat paramedic or Starfleet medical personnel seconded to a Marine unit. The term 'medic' is almost never used by Marine forces. Also doc.

Cover: (Marine) A Marine's headwear. Cover includes berets as well as the informal fatigue (or utility) hat, boonie hat or cold weather watch cap but not an armoured helmet. A Marine’s cover is always removed when indoors unless that Marine is armed or on the parade deck.

Cover and align: (Marine) Aligning a parade formation so that the proper space between personnel is achieved. It is also a reminder for berets to be worn.

Creepy Crawlers: (Aerospace, slang) A technical glitch or program error. From the archaic computer term bug.

Crucible: (Marine) The final training exercise which all Marines, regardless of rank or occupation, undergo before being inducted into the Corps.

Cruise: (Marine) Deployment aboard a ship rather than a starbase or ground base. It can also refer to an enlistment period.

Deck: (Marine) The floor, even when not on a ship.

Doc: (Marine) A Marine specially trained as a combat paramedic or Starfleet medical personnel seconded to a Marine unit. The term 'medic' is almost never used by Marine forces. Also corpsman.

Egghead: (Aerospace, Marine, slang) A science officer. Also known as a big brain.

Eight bells: (Marine, slang) The end of a four hour watch so named after the archaic method of marking each 30 minute interval with ringing an increasing number of bells.

ELINT Acronym used to refer to Electronic Intelligence

F to J

Field Day: (Marine) A day or watch set aside for cleaning the barracks and parade deck to ensure all clothing and equipment is present and in pristine working order. Field days are often assigned prior to inspections or as a punishment.

Field strip: To disassemble a weapon down to the base parts in order to clean and check for defects.

Feint and Backstab: (Aerospace) A combat manoeuvre in which one of the fighters breaks formation to lead the enemy away while the other fighter swoops in behind the enemy and takes them out.

Flyboy: (Marine, slang) A Starfleet or Marine fighter pilot.

Frosty: (Aerospace, slang) Keep your cool and remain calm. As in Stay Frosty.

Gear: A Marine's issued personal items and combat equipment for which they are responsible for. This includes uniforms, body armour and weapons.

Gigahertz and Nanoseconds: (Aerospace, slang) Something technical as in "It's all gigahertz and nanoseconds to me".

Gizmo: (Aerospace, slang) A technical device, often of an unidentified nature.

Go-juice: (Aerospace, slang) Fuel or (Marine) Coffee.

Good-to-go: Response to a ready check to indicate that the person, vehicle or piece of equipment is ready.

Greens: (Marine, slang) A Marines duty uniform, referring to the green under tunic. Also known as a service uniform.

Ground Pounder: (Aerospace, Marine, slang) A Marine, specifically infantry.

Gun to a knife fight: (Aerospace, Marine) Reference to going into battle with superior forces against inferior forces. The opposite of a ‘knife to a gunfight’.

Guidon: The swallow-tail flag or pennant of a platoon or company which, along with the UFP and Regimental flags make up a detachments colours. Battle honours are fastened to the guidon directly or to streamers attached to the staff.

Gun salute: Salute: See Military courtesy.

Halo: (Aerospace, slang) A reference to what you are doing when you take time to reflect and think about past events.

Hatch: A door or doorway, even when not on a ship. Sometimes called a "bulkhead door" by non-Marines.

High and tight: (slang) A Marine's traditional haircut.

Home: (Aerospace, slang) The 'home' ship or base, specifically the flight deck. Also 'mama/mom/mother'.

Hop: (Aerospace, slang) A short flight.

HUMINT An acronym which is short for Human Intelligence

Incentive Training (IT): (Marine) An additional course of training or physical activity used as punishment or to instil motivation.

IMINT An acronym for Image Intelligence

Jarhead: (Aerospace, slang) A Marine. See: Nicknames.

Jockey: A starfighter pilot .

Juggler: (Aerospace, slang) Term used to denote any member of the Medical staff. Historically the term is derived from a certain part of the Physical Examination.

K to O

K-Bar: A Marine's fighting knife.

Kite: (Aerospace, slang) Friendly craft. Also bird.

Kitty: (Aerospace, slang) Reference to the catapult system of a hangar deck used to assist in the launch of starfighters. Play on the abbreviation 'cat'.

Knife to a Gunfight: (Aerospace, Marine, informal) Reference to going into battle when badly outmatched such as taking on much larger forces in battle. The opposite of a ‘gun to a knifefight’.

Ladder: A stairway or ladder, even when not aboard a ship. Can be used to refer to Jeffries Tubes.

Liberty: (Marine) Authorized free time not counted as leave; a day off as opposed to a vacation.

LT: (Marine, informal) The written abbreviation for lieutenant, usually inappropriate to be used verbally without permission.

LZ: The landing zone for either parachutists or atmospheric/space craft.

Ma'am: proper method of addressing female officers in particular and all women in general.

Mama/Mom/Mother: (Aerospace, slang) The 'home' ship or base, specifically the flight deck. Also 'home'.

Marine Occupation Speciality (MOS): (Marine) The occupation that a Marine is trained in such as Corpsman, Artificier, etc.

Melon: (Marine) A person's head. As 'head' also refers to a ship's latrine or toilet melon is used to avoid crude humour.

Military courtesy: Any formalized or ritualistic expression of respect to a superior officer, regardless of branch or planet of service. Courtesies include, but are not restricted to; the use of sir and ma’am, rendering a hand or rifle salute, the firing of ship’s guns, greeting visitors with a Marine or Security honour guard, standing at attention or at parade rest while in the presence of a superior officer or during a national anthem or saluting the quarterdeck and requesting permission to board when first arriving on a ship.

Monkey Wrench: (Aerospace, Marine, slang) An engineer.

Nest: (Aerospace, slang) The area of a flight deck or shuttle bay where the starfighters are stowed for repair and maintenance. Also 'coop' as in chicken coop.

Nicknames for Marines: The SFMC has inherited a number of nicknames for its personnel from a variety of sources. The following nicknames are usually acceptable in polite company: leatherneck, devil dog, sea soldier, hardcharger, motivator. The following are acceptable from other Marines: jarhead, gyrene. The following are insults: soldier, seabag.

Non-rate: (Marine) Enlisted personnel with the rank of Private, Private First Class and Lance Corporal. Usually these officers have no supervision responsibilities although some Lance Corporals might lead a fireteam.

Non-Commissioned Officer: (Marine) Enlisted personnel with the rank of Corporal and Sergeant although technically it can also include the Senior NCO ranks of Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant and Master Sergeant.

No impact, no idea: (Marine, informal) a term indicating I don't know or No clue referring to miss on the weapons range in which the scorer can't find the impact on target.

Office: (Aerospace) The cockpit of a starfighter.

Office hours: (Marine) The administrative ceremony where legal, disciplinary, and other matters (such as praise, special requests, etc.) are attended. Office hours is designed to dramatize praise and admonition, in a dignified, disciplined manner, out of the ordinary routine. On board a starship this is referred to as a Captain's Mast when issuing non-judicial punishment and as a Meritorious Mast when giving positive rewards or recognition.

Officers' country: (Marine, informal) The area of a common squadbay reserved for the sole use of officers including their quarters, officers mess and any recreational areas. In larger ships the officers might be housed physically apart from the enlisted personnel however this isn’t always possible in smaller ships.

Oh-Dark-Thirty: (Marine, slang) Very, very early in the morning. Not necessarily an exact time. Sometimes called Zero-Thirty Dark.

Oorah / Ooh-rah / Urah: (Marine) A common response to a verbal greeting or as an expression of enthusiasm. It can also be used as a mass aye-aye when orders are given to a group. The exact origin of the phrase is unknown.

OSINT An ancronym for Open Source Intelligence

Overhead: The ceiling, even when not on a ship.

P to T

Padre: (informal) A military chaplain or Counselor.

Parade deck: (Marine) The area set aside for the conduct of parades, drill, and ceremonies. The term parade deck is used even when on a planetary base.

Passageway: A corridor or hallway, even when not on a ship.

Police: (Marine) To pick up items, such as litter, in order to return an area to a natural state or to clean a squadbay or barracks.

Port: The left side or the left side when facing the bow of the ship.

Portholes: Windows or viewports, even when not on a ship.

Prang: (Aerospace, slang) To damage or wreck a starfighter. As in Someone pranged up my bird.

Rack: (Marine, informal) A bed or bunk.

Ranks: (Marine) While all Marine ranks have written abbreviations very few have verbal contractions. The following may be used with permission or informally: Private First Class as 'Private', Gunnery Sergeant as 'Gunny', Staff Sergeant as 'Staff', Second Lieutenant or First Lieutenant as 'Lieutenant', Captain as 'Skipper', Lieutenant Colonel as 'Colonel' and Brigadier General, Major General and Lieutenant General as 'General'. It is never appropriate to abbreviate Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant or Master Sergeant as Sergeant nor to use the nickname sarge. In addition to this, some units with a heritage leading back to the armed forces of the United Kingdom refer to the rank of Sergeant as 'Sarnt'.

Real world: (Marine) Civilian life after discharge.

Rest / Parade, Rest: An order giving permission to relax from an attention stance. This stance is slightly less formal than attention but silence is expected. This stance is usually used for the relaying of an address or orders to a group.

Rifle salute: Salute: See Military courtesy.

Roost: (Aerospace, Marine, slang) To park a fighter. As in I'm bringing Falcon One home to roost.

Salute: See Military courtesy.

Sarnt An informal term used by the 18th Marine Infantry Regiment to refer to their Sergeants

Say again: A request to repeat a statement, question or order, especially over communicators; the word repeat is never used as it is a request to repeat weapon's fire.

Service uniform: (Marine) Alternative term for a Marine’s duty uniform. Also, greens.

Senior Non-Commissioned Officer: (Marine) Enlisted personnel with the rank of Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant or Master Sergeant.

Sharp: (Aerospace, Marine, slang) Be alert, look sharp, eyes open.

SIGINT: Abbreviation for Signals Intelligence

Sir: proper method of addressing male officers in particular and all men in general.

Six: (Aerospace, Marine, slang) Behind you. As in Watch your six.

Sherlock: (Aerospace, slang) To investigate an area or unidentified vessel or object.

Skipper: (Marine, informal) An officer holding the Marine or Starfleet rank of Captain. Usually only used to refer to the commanding officer of the detachment or the ship’s commanding office, rarely used directly without permission.

Skivvies: (informal) Marine issue underwear.

Soar: (Aerospace, slang) Fly.

Squadbay: (Marine) Quarters that are comprised of racks of bunkbeds surrounding a common area. This is standard quarters for non-rates, especially in smaller ships.

Squid: (Marine, derogatory) Starfleet enlisted personnel.

Stand by: To wait or to stop and wait.

Starboard: Right side or the right side when facing the bow of the ship.

The Suck: (Marine) A miserable situation or place.

Swab: (Marine) A mop. Also a derogatory term for Starfleet enlisted personnel.

Suit: (Aerospace) A flightsuit.

Swarm: (Aerospace) Term used when the fighters attack a much larger ship. Refers to the visual of a swarm of insects buzzing around a person.

Thinking Cap: (Aerospace, slang) A pilot’s flight helmet.

Under arms: (Marine) The status of having a weapon, usually as part of guard or sentry duty.

Utilities: (Marine) Field or work uniforms, usually some form of camouflage. Also BDU or utes.

U to Z

Whites: (Marine, slang) A Marine's dress uniform, referring to the white jacket worn by most ranks.

Zoomie: (Marine, slang) Starfleet starfighter pilot.