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The following are some examples of U.S. Naval slang, sometimes also referred to as "NAVSpeak":

0-9

  • 0'dark hundred: referring to some point really early in the morning, like 0200 (which would be pronounced oh-two-hundred)
  • 0'dark thirty: one half hour after 0'dark hundred.

A

  • A-Gang: (Submarine Service) The Auxiliaries Division of the Engineering Department. Members known as "A-Gangers."
  • Angles and Dangles: (Submarine Service) Placing the boat in crazy angles and positions soon after leaving port, to see whether anything breaks loose. Similar consequence noises while on patrol are not desired.
  • AOL: Absent Over Leave; Navyspeak for AWOL. See UA, the Sailors preferred usage.
  • Admin Warfare Specialist: Joking, sometimes derisive term for Yeomen, Personnelmen or other Navy administrative ratings. Used especially in cases when said sailor does not have a warfare pin.
  • Airedale: A sailor who works on or around aircraft.
  • "Another fine Navy DAY!": an expression voiced (in a very cheery manner) on occasions when, in fact, it's not that much of a fine Navy day at all.
  • "Armpit of the Navy": Slang for San Diego, so named because the locals are above associating with Naval personnel, especially those of lower rank.
  • "A$$hole of the Navy": Slang for Norfolk, Virginia, home of the fabled "DOGS AND SAILORS KEEP OFF THE GRASS!" sign. The Urban Legends Reference Pages says that the sign is an urban legend [1], but cold shoulders from civilians persist in Navy towns. See also "NoF**k, Vagina", below.
  • Aye: Yes (I understand)
  • Aye, aye: Yes (I understand and will obey).

B

  • Balls to Two: A short watch stood from 0000-0200. Not generally seen outside of Boot Camp.
  • Balls to Four: A four hour watch technically spanning from 0000-0400 though in practice begins at 2345 and ends at 0345. Most commonly seen on a "Dogged Watch" schedule.
  • Balls To The Wall: (Submarine Service) Main propulsion plant dialed up to 11 for maximum speed.
  • Back Alley: Card game of trump played by 2 to 4 players (mostly "snipes"). Players are first dealt 1 card each then 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13, 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Players bid on the number of tricks to be taken, trump is determined by draw. Score is kept by awarding 3 points for bids made and taken and 1 point for each additional trick. A player unable to make their bid goes set 3 X the bid. Game can be played by partners.
  • Bastard Chief: Slang for Master Chief.
  • Benny: A treat or reward, derived from "Benefit".
    • Benny Suggs: The Navy's Beneficial Suggestions program, a method where DON employees, and Navy and Marine personnel can make suggestions to improve various programs and operations.
  • Bilge Rat: Someone who works in the engineering spaces.
  • Bilge Turd: Derogatory term for "Boiler Technician", typically from Machinist Mates who attend the identical A school
  • Binnacle List: The daily list of ship's crew who are sick in quarters (see below). So called because in the old days of sailing, this list was posted on the binnacle, the casing that housed the ship's compass.
  • Bitchbox: Intercom or amplified circuit used to communicate between spaces of a ship.
  • Black Hole, The: Reference to the Navy's main base at Norfolk, Virginia, so called because "it's where sailor's careers go to die."
  • Black Shoe: Any "Surface Navy" personal. See also BROWN SHOE
  • Blowing a Shitter: (Submarine Service) To accidentally flush a toilet while San Tanks are being vented overboard, despite the posted warning signs.
  • Bluenose: An individual who has crossed the "Arctic Circle".
  • Boat: Small enough to be carried on a ship, unless a submarine, which is always called a boat.
  • Boats: a sailor in the Boatswain's Mate rating.
  • B.O.C.O.D:"Beat Off Cut Off Date" The date before returning home from a deployment to stop masturbating in order to save it up for your wife or girlfriend.
  • B.O.H.I.C.A.: (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again)
  • Boomer: Missile Submarine
  • Bravo Zulu: Originally "BZ" was a signal meaning "Well Done". It is sometimes co-opted by seniors praising subordinates in one form or another.
  • Bremerloes: Female enlisted person of husky build. Term originated at Bremerton, Washington base.
  • Brig: Jail.
    • Brigchaser: A Sailor escorting a prisoner to the brig.
  • Brown Nose: Sailor trying a "little too hard" to make rate by sucking up to superiors. Can also refer to those who wear khakis (Chiefs, Officers) since it is assumed that most have "brown-nosed" to obtain their present position. Mythical rate "Chief Brownnose" or "Brownose First Class"
  • Brown Shoe: Any "Naval Aviation" personnel, reference to the brown shoes exclusive to aviation community. Has since become outdated with the authorization to allow all officers and Chief Petty Officers (Chiefs) to wear brown shoes. However, because of cultural bias, this liberty is rarely taken by non-aviation personnel.
  • Bubblehead: A Sailor in the Submarine service.
  • Bug Juice: Kool-Aid-like beverage in dispensers on the messdeck. Side-by-side - Orange or Red. Before the turn of the century bug juice was also used as a replacement for cleaning agents to clean decks with.
  • Bug Juice Sunrise: Orange with a splash of Red.
  • Bulkhead: Wall.
    • Bulkhead remover: an in-joke shared by veteran sailors and often delegated as a task to new sailors, as in, "Go get me a can of bulkhead remover."
  • Bullet Sponge: U.S. Marine.

C

  • CF: (pronounced Charlie Foxtrot) Cluster fuck,
  • C-GU11: Seagull. Pronounced "See-Gee-Yuu-Eleven." Similar to "bulkhead remover," an inexpensive way to derive enjoyment from inexperienced personnel on watch. "Forward lookout, keep an eye out for signs of C-GU11s in the area, over." Also sometimes spelled C-6U11, Z-6UL1 or various L33T-like combinations.
  • Canoe U: United States Naval Academy
  • Captain's Mast: Navy term for Nonjudicial punishment. Depending on the rank or position involved, the name of the procedure may change, i.e. Admiral's Mast, OIC's Mast.
  • Channel Fever: Said if a sailor is anxious when approaching port to get leave.
  • Chit: Name given to the document a sailor fills out to use leave.
  • Chop, The: (Submarine Service) The Supply Officer of the boat. The only staff officer on board, and provider of the best food in the US military. Taken from the Supply Corps' porkchop-shaped insignia.
  • Chow: Food.
    • Chow down: Eat.
    • Chow hall: Dining room.
  • COMP-TIME: Compensation Time, time/days off during week for shore-based sailors who had weekend assignments, above and beyond mere watch-standing.
  • Coner: (Submarine Service) A submarine crewman who is not part of the engineering department (see Nuke below), especially Torpedomen. Also known as "Forward Pukes" (as opposed to "Fuckin' Nukes").
  • Corpsman Candy: Sore-throat lozenges handed out at sick bay in lieu of any substantive treatment. Sometimes accompanied by two aspirin.
  • Cover: hat
  • Coffin Locker: A personal storage area located underneath a sailor's rack (see below).
  • Countersunk Sailor: female sailor.
  • Crash & Smash: Permanently assigned flight deck firefighting personnel
  • Crazy Ivan: (Submarine Service), demonstrated in the movie The Hunt for Red October. Russian submarines would quickly turn 180 degrees while underway to see whether any American submarines were following. Crashes occasionally resulted during the Cold War.
  • Creamed foreskins: creamed chipped beef.
  • Crow: Black eagle for petty officer rank used on a white uniform
  • Cryppy/Cryppy Critter: Cryptographer, also seen on a highway near the Cryptography School in San Angelo, Texas without vowels, as CRYPPY CRTTR.

D

  • Danger Nut: A "fun" game in which one or more sailors place a washer or nut around a rod or similar metal device and then hold it to a steam vent. The washer or nut spins wildly due to the high pressure of the steam. Once it reaches a high enough speed, the rod is turned so that the steam blows the object completely off the rod and (hopefully) at another sailor, who then has to dodge the "danger nut."
  • D.B.F.: (Diesel Boats Forever) unauthorized pin showing a non-nuclear submarine
  • Deck: Floor.
  • Deck Ape: Non-designated enlisted person serving on the deck force, often as result of washing out of "A" school or being stripped of another rating.
  • Deep Six: Obsolete term for throwing something overboard; refers to the "deep six", the lowest fathom (six feet) before the ocean floor. Has been mostly replaced by Float Checking (see below).
  • Dicksmith: another derogatory term for hospital corpsmen.
  • Dick the dog: putting "half-assed" effort into a task (refers to improperly securing the "dogs" on a watertight hatch when passing through. Such a lax procedure could spell doom for a sinking ship if hatches were not absolutely watertight). Also said as " poking the poodle"
  • D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F: (Do I Look Like I Give A F**k?), A term indicating supreme indifference; "Gaffer".
  • dink: as in delinquent. " that shitbird is dink on ship's quals"
  • Dog: A Soft Serve Ice Cream machine. Named from the appearance of the Chocolate flavor in relation to a product of man's best friend. Also referred to as auto dog.
  • Donkey-Dick: Term used for many nozzle shaped implements
  • Drift Count: Monitoring the movement of the ship while at anchor.
  • Drifty: Sailor lacking the ability to stay focused while attempting to perform a given task. (Petty Officer to sailor, is there something the matter with you ? you are acting drifty today!)
    • Drifter: Sailor who at all times lacks the ability to stay focused. Also called drift-pack, or in the very extreme case "COMNAVDRIFTPAC", a parody of COMNAVWESTPAC.
  • Drop a Chit: The act of filling out a chit.
  • Dynamited Chicken: Chicken a la King or Chicken Cacciatore.
  • dick skinners: your hands i.e. " get your dick skinners off my white hat"

E

  • Ed's Motel: Navy Filmmakers' acronym for Editorials, Motion Picture, and Television Department.
  • EAWS: Enlisted Air Warfare Specialist. Often pronounced "A-wis".
  • ESWS: Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. Often pronounced "E-swas".

F

  • F.I.I.G.M.O.: (Forget It, I Got My Orders); refusal of a long or tough assignment near the end of a duty rotation. Also seen as a name badge at this time, so officers/petty officers will forget your real name.
  • Fighting gear: eating utensils.
  • Five and Dimes: A watch rotation where the sailor or watch team stand five hours of watch, then have ten hours off (to clean, perform maintenance, train, get qualified, conduct drills, take care of divisional business or their collateral duty, eat, shower, and occasionally sleep). This follows from a three-section watch rotation, and results in the sailor standing watch at a different time every day and night, repeating every three days.
  • Flag Deck: command level on large ships for Admirals (flag rank, because they are entitled to show a flag with appropriate number of stars on a car, ship, etc. if they are present)
  • Flattop: Aircraft carrier.
  • Flight Deck Buzzard: chicken (food).
  • Float Check (also Flotation Testing): Throwing something overboard.
  • Floating Bellhop: Derisive Army term for sailor.
  • Four (4) by Eight (8) Watch: The worst watch section to be in because your first watch is 0400 to 0800, then you work your duty station until 1600, followed by your second watch 1600 to 2000, every day.
  • FTN: F**k the Navy (common ephitet used when complaining about naval policies or regulations). Also can refer to "Free The Nukes," referring to sailors in the nuclear power field. Also refers to a mythical rate or ship type an "FTN Striker" says he/she is trying to get in (i.e. Fleet Tug-Nuclear, Fire Technician-Nuclear)
    • FTN Striker: Sailor whose stated goal/desire is get discharged
  • F.U.B.A.R.: Fouled up beyond all repair, F**ked up beyond all recognition. (Foobar)
  • F.U.B.I.J.A.R.: F**k You Buddy, I'm Just A Reservist ("backbone of the Navy")
  • F**k the mission, clean the position: break out the swabs.
  • F**k You, strong message follows: seen on a numerical list of epithet substitutions, especially transmitted over radio, which has to stay clean

G

  • Gator-Freighter: Ship used in amphibious warfare, or generally the transportation of marines and their equipment.
  • Galley: Crews' mess, or dining area. Place where food is prepared for consumption.
  • Gear adrift: Loose or unsecured gear or equipment. Also a less-than-flattering assessment of a sailor "Seaman Jones is gear adrift!"
  • Geedunk: Candy, or a place that sells candy in a short form of Gedunk bar.
  • General Quarters: (GQ) Every sailor has an assigned duty station to be manned during an emergency.
  • Ghetto: Open-bay barracks, usually reserved for single sailors who are in transit or otherwise temporarily assigned there.
  • Gig line: The visual line formed by uniform zipper, belt buckle, and buttoned shirt seam. Also used as another in-joke to send new sailors on a wild goose chase. See bulkhead remover.
  • Goat locker: Lounge or galley for the exclusive use of Chiefs.
  • God Junior-Grade: Derisive term for superior.
  • Golden Dragon: A sailor who has crossed the Prime Meridian or the International Date Line into the Eastern Hemisphere.
  • Golden rivet: Folklore that every ship is built containing a single, commemorative "golden rivet"
  • Golden Shellback: A sailor who has crossed the equator at the 180th Meridian
  • Grape: (Submarine Service) Easy as pie, man. Examples: "This is %$# grape duty" or "That was a grape sig, you %$#." (See "sig" below)
    • Grape: (Aviation Service) A sailor in an aviation fuels rating. So named because of the purple flight deck jersy.
  • G.U.A.M.: "Giving Up and Masturbating"--common sailor's complaint about being stationed on the remote island of Guam.
    • G.U.A.M.: "Gooks Under American Management"--racist sailors' acronym for the island of Guam.
  • Gundeck: to juryrig something; falsifying or misrepresenting records and reports.
  • Guns: a sailor in the Gunner's Mate rating.
  • Great Mistakes: common ephitet used when complaining about RTC/NTC Great Lakes Illinois
  • Gyrene: derogatory Navy term for a U.S. Marine. Also called "Jarheads"

H

  • Haole: Pronounced "How-Lee" Hawaiian term for non-native. A dangerous thing for a sailor to be around Pearl Harbor as some of the natives see them as easy targets for crime, especially when local law-enforcement doesn't seem to care.
  • Halfway-Night: (Submarine Service) Party night on pre-determined 1/2 length of boat's patrol. Tenderloin and lobster, frozen, but good.
  • Hatch: Door.
  • Head: Bathroom (The term comes from the days of sail, because wind would blow from the rear of the ship foreward the bathroom would be located at the front "Head" of the ship to carry the foul smell of excrement away from the crew).
  • Here today, GUAM tomorrow: received orders from one island to another island, as in ADAK to GUAM.
  • Hockey pucks: Swedish meatballs (also, trail markers, porcupines, road apples).
  • Hot Racking: Submariners share racks. When one goes off, the other takes his place.
  • HR Puff and Stuff: A nickname given to sailors who regularly appear for duty in a disheveled manner with their uniform in disarray. It is a combination of a rank (Hospital Recruit, the most junior Hospital Corpsman rank) and a name that connotates the obesity and stresses placed on the uniform of just such an overweight and careless sailor. Also used as an admonishment to junior corpsmen and dental techs in order to motivate them to perform regular uniform maintenance.

I

  • IFBM: Instant F****** Boatswains Mate. "A" school washout assigned to deck force.
  • ID10T: Pronounced "Eye-Dee-Ten-Tango." Similar to "bulkhead remover," an inexpensive way to derive enjoyment from inexperienced personnel. "Recruit, go get me an ID10T form, and step on it!"
  • Irish Pennant: Loose thread on uniform.
  • INT WTF: Letters Pronounced Individually. INTerrogative What The F***. See WTFO. Usually used in a text/teletype medium where WTFO is over voice communications.

J

  • Jack-o'-the-Dust: a ship cook in charge of keeping track of the ship's food stores.
  • Jack Off Curtain: The small privacy curtain hanging on the outside of a rack. Usually the only small bit of privacy found on a ship.
  • Jarhead: U. S. Marine.
  • J.A.R.T.G.O.: Just Another Reason To Get Out. "A grain of sand on the beach of reasons to get out of the Navy."

K

  • Knee-knockers: A passageway opening through a bulkhead. The lower lip of the opening sits at shin height.
  • Knuckle Buster: A pneumatic tool for removing perfectly good paint from steel.

L

  • Ladderwell: Stairs. (This is a holdover from when all climbing was done by ladders.)
  • Lieu-f**king-tenant: illustrates Navy practice of including a swear word INSIDE another word
  • Love Boat: (see also Tuna Boat) Term referring to a Subtender comprised primarily of female sailors
  • LST: Tank landing ship, or "Large Slow Target," a now removed type of amphibious warfare ship.
  • Lucky Charms: Nickname for Tripler Army Medical Center, which due to its coral pink color and location in the Moanalua hills of Honolulu, is used as a navigational aid for ships sailing into Pearl Harbor.

M

  • MARINE: acronym for Marines Always Ride in Navy Equipment...or Muscles are Required Intellegence Not Essential
  • Mat Man: Electronics Maintenance Man
  • Mess Crank: A sailor who works on the mess deck, not rated as a cook.
  • Mess Decks: Chow Hall or Eating Establishment on board ship.
  • Mid-Rats: Short for midnight rations. Leftover lunch and dinner plus PB and J.
  • Mid-Watch: Watch from 0001-0400, usually results in no sleep before or after this watch.
  • Missile Sponge: Usually a frigate or destroyer with limited air defense capability stationed on the outer ring of a battlegroup, as they are the ships most likely to be hit in a convoy.
  • Motrin: A magical pill dispensed by hospital corpsmen capable, in their minds, of curing every ailment known to man including severed limbs and sucking chest wounds.
  • Mustang: An Officer who came from the Enlisted ranks.

N

  • Nasty City: Slang for National City, California, just outside the gate of Naval Station San Diego. Its cheap dive bars were a noted hangout of "West-Pac Widows." Also answers to the name "National Shitty."
  • NAVY: acronym used by disgruntled sailors for "Never Again Volunteer Yourself".
  • Naval Infantry: Derogatory term for the U.S. Marines.
  • Navy Shower: not a form of punishment. While underway, fresh water must be manufactured. A common-sense way of saving it is to wet down while taking a shower and then TURN OFF THE WATER. Lather up and wash. Finally, TURN ON THE WATER to rinse off. Continual disregard WILL attract a punishment shower with scrub brushes.
  • No-F**k, Vagina: Pejorative term for Norfolk, Virginia; often refers to the city itself instead of the base. For the base, see "Black Hole", above.
  • NUB: New Useless Body, Non-Usable Body or Nuclear Unqualified Body. Term refered to newly reported sailors with no qualifications or experience. Usually tasked with dirty and nasty jobs often refered to as "S**t Work".
  • Nuke: (alternate spelling "Nuc") (Submarine Service and CVNs) Engineering Department crewmember responsible for turning main shaft via atom-splitting. Also refers to ordnance type that is neither confirmed nor denied, which may or may not be handled by a different Department (See "Weaponettes," below). Also describes nerds (generally anyone who is/was a candidate for Naval Nuclear Power Training Command).
  • Nuke it out: To overthink an easy task. Alternately, often used by nukes to suggest someone ought to put forth at least a little thought before giving up on a problem.
  • Nuclear Waste: A pejorative term for sailors who (voluntarily or involuntarily) exit the Nuclear Power training program before successful completion.

O

  • Occifer: Pronounced "ossifur", it is a derogatory reference towards officers in general, particularly junior officers.
  • Old Man: The Commanding Officer on Admiral in command, referred as such regardless of gender. Term is usually used when CO has gained respect of subordinates. RADM Grace Hopper is one such example of a female "old man".
  • Old Salt: Naval veteran. See "Salty", below.
  • Operation GOLDENFLOW: A command-wide urinalysis test.
  • OS trainer: derogatory term for a large popsicle. Apparently, Operations Specialists are expected to "brown-nose" with officers more than other ratings.
  • Ouija Board/Wee-Gee Board: Flat board with small airplanes, bolts, etc. that can be moved around to indicate aircraft position and status on an aircraft carrier
  • Overhead: Ceiling.

P

  • P-way: Short for passageway or a hall.
  • Paper Assholes: Gummed Reinforcements (office supplies)
  • P.A.P.E.R.C.L.I.P.: People Against People Ever Reenlisting Civilian Life Is Preferable. Term used to show dissatisfaction with enlistment or unity amongst a brotherhood of bitter and disaffected sailors, specifically submariners. Often symbolized by the wearing of a paperclip on the uniform in varying levels of prominence to indicate the sailors level of disgruntlement. May also be burned into the skin.
  • P.B.: short for Pacific Beach, California, suburb of San Diego
  • P.C.O.D.: "Pussy Cut Off Day", Slang for the last day of a long deployment that sailors could get laid and still obtain Venereal Disease cures from the Hospital Corpsman, and have it be effective in time to return to a wife or girlfriend waiting at home.
  • Pecker-Checker: Derisive term for Hospital Corpsman
  • Permanent Help: Slang for a PH (Photographer's Mate) in a fighter squadron.
  • PFM: "Pure F'ing Magic", term applied to when things work, but you don't know how, but they work.
  • Piece: rifle, as used in manual-of-arms (rifle drill)
  • Pier-Queer: Air Force term for Sailor (as opposed to the Navy term for Air Force personnel which is simply "queer".)
  • Pit: A sailor's rack or bunk. Usually used among those who aren't particularly pleased with shipboard life.
  • Pineapple Fleet: The Pacific Fleet, usually refers to the Seventh Fleet (in the western Pacific) and specifically to ships stationed in Pearl Harbor. Somewhat confusing term, as Pearl Harbor is considered part of the Third Fleet's area, and not the Seventh.
  • POD (Plan of the Day): An official document issued by a command that states all activities going on that day, from 0000 to 2359. Also contains the Uniform of the Day.
  • POG (Person other than a Grunt): A term often used by Marine Infantry (Grunts) to refer to anyone who is not them. Specifically anyone in an Admin Field.
  • Pogey Bait: candy, sweets, ice cream, etc., so called because such items are used as "bribes" for POGs
  • Pollywog: An individual who has not crossed the Equator, who must go through rituals, that sometimes cross the line to be hazing, to become a shellback. This practice can be traced back hundreds of years and is conducted in many countries Navies across the globe. See crossing the line.
  • PQS: A card carrying various qualifications for a warfare badge or similar. Must be signed off by a superior or expert.
  • Port: Left side of the boat or ship (when facing the bow). Left side of an aircraft when facing the nose from inside. Place of arrival for ships.
  • Port and Starboard: A rotation of two duty sections or watch teams, one designated port, and the other starboard. Generally not considered to be a good situation.
    • Port and Report: A watch stood without relief. One designated Port, and the other... wait, there is no other... only Port once again, hence the term re-Port.
  • Pushbutton: term applied to a 6 year enlistee with advanced schooling. The Enlistee is immediately granted E-3 rank upon completion of basic training, and E-4 rank upon completion of "A" school. Frequently the Enlistee also has a opportunity to extend to 8 years, and immediately gain E-5 rank within 2-3 years total service, like "pushing a magic button to gain rank".

R

  • Rack: Bed.
  • Radioing the logs: (Submarine Service, surface ships sometimes use the term "Blazing the logs," or simply gundecking) Recording engineering log data via mental telepathy (see "Xoxing Logs" below).
  • Raisin: Recruit or junior sailor, predominantly heard at Naval Training Commands. Usually used by seasoned A-School students to refer to sailors with one or more weeks less time in service. Fleet equivalent is "Nub," "Newbie," or "Hey Shitbird."
  • Red-Roper: Boot-Camp Company Commander, equivalent to "Drill-Instructor"
  • Reefer: Refrigeration ship carrying frozen foods.
  • Ricky: A "recruit" or Sailor-to-be still in boot camp.
    • Ricky Boxing: A boot camp term for sailors masturbating.
    • Ricky Fishing: A boot camp term for female sailors masturbating.
    • Ricky Crud: One-night sickness in bootcamp after receiving Smallpox vaccination.
    • Ricky Ninja: A boot camp Urban legend that involves several Rickies dressing up in all black and stealing around in the middle of the night, tying Recruit Division Commanders to their racks and causing all sorts of mischief.
    • Ricky Rocket: A boot camp "energy drink" made from an assorted mix of sodas, sports drinks, coffee, sugar and artificial sweetners used to help keep the recruit awake.
  • Roger That: A term of understanding and acceptance when given and order or other information. Can be used with varying inflection and tone without consequence to signify enthusiasm or disgruntledness without stepping outside the bounds of professionalism.
  • Rubber Hooeys: condoms

S

  • Salty: Old and experienced.
  • Scullery: Washroom for eating implements such as knives, forks, trays, and cups.
  • Scrambled Eggs: Gold embroidered decoration on a Commander's/Captain's cover. Admirals have Double Eggs. The similar silver clouds and lightning bolts addition to an Air Force Major's hat is called Farts and Darts.
  • Scuttlebutt: Drinking fountain or rumor (originated from the rumors that would be spread on board ship while gathered about the water barrel).
  • Sea and Anchor Detail: Every sailor has an assigned duty station to be manned when the ship is either pulling into or out of port.
  • Sea lawyer: an argumentative, cantankerous or know-it-all sailor.
  • Secure: In general, to prepare something for stormy travel -- to secure a window is to shut it. However, it's often used as a stronger form of "cut it out," as in "talking is secured" or "I'm going to secure your mouth if you don't shut the hell up" or "your fruity ways are secured, Fireman Radomski."
  • Senile Chief: Slang for Senior Chief
  • Shark s%$#: A sailor who has fallen overboard and is lost forever.
  • Shellback: An individual who has crossed the Equator.
  • Sherwood Forest: (Submarine Service) missile area, on a boomer
  • S%$#-on-a-shingle: Creamed chipped beef on toast.
  • Shinbuster: Same as knee-knocker.
  • Ship over: re-enlisting
  • Shipmate: Any fellow Sailor. Also, used as a derogatory term against all junior enlisted personnel i.e. E-5 and below. An Officer, Chief or First Class will use this to show they think so little of you, they haven't bothered to take the time out of their day to learn your name. Used in the Junior Enlisted Community to parody this.
  • Shipwreck: Any fellow sailor. Used as a derogatory term.
  • Shit bag (also Shitweed, shitstick, shithead, shit stain, or shitbrick): Any fellow Sailor. Used as a derogatory term and a term of endearment.
  • Short Timer: A sailor with less than 90 days until discharge and an attitude to match.
    • Short Timer's Chain: A chain that hangs from the belt of a "short timer" for all to see, with one link representing a day, (signifying too short to care) and usually starts with 30 links. Any more than 30 links will give an attitude to their superiors. Verbal equivalent is "__ days and a wake-up".
  • Shutterbug: A Photographer's Mate (PH)
  • Sick in Quarters (SIQ): When a sailor is too ill or incapacitated to perform his duties, he is thus required to report to his rack (quarters), where he will remain until healthy again. For personnel aboard ship, this means to remain in bed, while onshore this may simply mean to stay home for the day. Only qualified medical personnel can recommend SIQ, and only the command can authorize it.
  • Sig: (Navy Nukes) A signature on a qualification card. There are many, many "qual cards" in the Sub Service, especially if you're a Nuke. (see "Nuke" above).
  • Skate: Sailor who avoids work in general while not being detected; example the ability to "skate" out of work while being assigned to a 14 man working party undetected.
    • Skate Golden: the ability to "skate" out of work while being assigned to a 7 man working party undetected.
    • Skater: Sailor who gets away with doing no work.
  • Skimmer: Surface sailor
  • Skipper: Term used in reference to the Commanding officer of any Ship, Unit, Platoon, or Detachment regardless of rank. Generally only applied to someone who has earned the speaker's respect.
  • Skittles: Sailors who work on the flight deck of a carrier. So named due to the jerseys they wear.
  • Skivvies: underwear.
    • Skivvy waver: Signalman (because of signal flags)
  • Skylarking: Outdated term for Skating.
  • Sliders: hamburgers/cheeseburgers.
  • Small Boy: Term referring to smaller class ships, such as destroyers and frigates.
  • Snipes: Sailors assigned to the Engineering rates, ie; Machinist, Boilerman, Enginemen, Pipefiters.
  • SPLIB: Special Liberty, Comp-Time.
  • S.N.O.B.: Shortest Nuke on Board. Term used to refer to the lucky nuke who gets out of the Navy next. This term usually only applies to nukes who have not re-enlisted (i.e. "first-termers"). In rare cases, the S.N.O.B. voluntarily relinquishes his/her title to a "second-termer" that gets out of the Navy earlier who exhibits extreme disgruntlement and is generally accepted by the "first-termers" as one of their own. This person would be given the title of "Honorary S.N.O.B."
  • S.O.S.: Same as S%$#-on-a-shingle.
  • Sparky: Radioman.
  • Spook: Usually a CT, IS or some kind of intelligence type.
  • Spunk: Cool Whip or anything like it.
  • Squid: A surface warfare sailor, as opposed to one of the other warfare communities.
  • Starboard: Right side of the boat or ship (when facing the bow). Right side of an aircraft when facing the nose.
  • Striker: Sailor receiving on-the-job training for a designated field (or rate)
  • Swab: Mop.
  • Sucking Rubber: (Submarine Service) Extended periods wearing Emergency Air Breathing devices (EABs), A full-face air mask similar to that worn by firefighters, except fed from ship's emergency air system rather than a bottle on your back.

T

  • Target: submariner term to describe the surface fleet.
  • Tin can: Destroyer (a small, fast ship that seeks out submarines and is sunk by them).
  • Torpedo Sponge: Similar to "Missile Sponge", this refers to the smaller ships in a convoy, whose duty it is to protect the carrier, to the point of taking the torpedo hit for the carrier if needed.
  • TDU (Submarine Service): Trash Disposal Unit. Sophisticated AN-DEEP-6 firing weapons system. Lousy, lousy duty.
  • TLD (Submarine Service): Thermo Luminescent Dosimeter. Navy belt adornment.
  • Tube steak: hot dogs (also, called "dangling sirloin").
  • Twidget: Sailor in the Electronics or Electrical fields of job specialties.
  • Two-Digit Midget: Sailor with 99 or less days until his/her "End of Active Obligated Service", or EAOS.
  • Tuna Boat: A submarine tender, or other non-combat ship that is comprised nearly completely by female sailors. Example: "We're going to have great liberty this port! A tuna boat just pulled in."

U

  • UA: Unauthorized absence; the Navy's term for AWOL
  • UNODIR: UNless Otherwise DIRected; enables TRUST-based management by exception (MBE)
  • USS Neverdock: Ship that seems to stay out at sea for unusally long periods of time. For sailors, this is usually their own ship.
  • USS Neversail: Mock-up ship found in boot camp, also called USS Recruit. Can also refer to real ships that seldom leave port, such as Sub-tenders.
  • USS Nottagain (DD 214): Used by sailors separating from the Navy when asked which command they are going to. Also can be used by former sailors when visiting old friends and asked by new personnel which ship they are on.

V

  • Vampire Liberty: Getting day off, for donating a pint of Blood.
  • Very well: Senior to subordinate acknowledgement.

W

  • Watch: A period of duty, usually of four-hours duration. The day at sea has long been divided into watches, which are called: midwatch (0000 to 0400); morning watch (0400 to 0800); forenoon watch (0800 to 1200); afternoon watch (1200 to 1600); and the first watch (2000 to 2400).
  • WESTPAC: While this usually refers to the western Pacific area of operations, it can also refer to a type of deployment in which a unit heads to multiple locations throughout said area. Often used in, "Damn, we just did a six-month WESTPAC, barely got home for a week, and now we're heading out again?"
  • WESTPAC Widow/Widower: Describes wives (and now husbands) with spouses on deployment. Single, for all intents and purposes, until the day their spouse returns from deployment.
  • Whiz Quiz: "Piss Test," Urinalysis.
  • WTFO: "What the F**k, Over" (pronounced "wit fo"): colorful way of asking what just happened, ie, "What the F**k?"
  • Wardroom: Officers' mess, or dining room. Use to collectively refer to all the officers at a command. Ready Room is the equivalant in the aviation community.
  • Weaponette: (pl: Weaponettes) (Submarine Service) Pejorative term for the members of a submarine's Weapons Department, used by members of the Navigation/Operations Department or Engineering Department, usually when they want their stolen tools back.
  • Wog: short for "pollywog", as in "wog ceremony".
  • Working Party: When there is loading of supplies, the Quarter Deck will call for a "working party" to be manned by each division of the ship, the number depending on the task.
  • Would you like a kick to help you get airborne?: seen on a numerical list of epithet substitutions, especially transmitted over radio, which has to stay clean

X

  • Xoxing Logs: (Submarine Service) (Derived from the word "Xerox," pronounced "zoxing") Entering engineering log data eerily similar to the previous hour's log data.
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