Civil+War+Slang

=Civil War Slang=

Slang, according to the World Book Encyclopedia, is "the use of informal, non-standard words or phrases in new or unusual ways." Civil War soldiers used slang to describe their army life. Listed below are some slang terms, and some links to additional Civil War slang. Take a look at the slang, and then play in the Slang Sandbox below the vocabulary. Can you talk like a Civil War soldier?

Bully -** brave, or worth cheering for and weevils.
 * Arkansas toothpick -** big, large knife
 * Bread basket** - stomach
 * Billy Yank** - Union soldier
 * Blow hard-** a big shot
 * Been through the mill -** experienced a lot, or had a rough day
 * Bluff - a cheater
 * Chief cook and bottle washer** - person capable of doing many things
 * Fit as a fiddle -** in good shape, healthy
 * Fit to be tied -** angry
 * Fresh Fish -** raw recruits or new soldiers
 * Grab a root -** have dinner, have a potato
 * Gray backs-** Southern soldiers; also a term for lice
 * Greenbacks -** Union money
 * Greenhorn, bugger, skunk -** insult to a poor soldier; sometimes meant for officers
 * Hard case -** a tough fellow
 * Hard knocks -** beaten up
 * Goobers -** peanuts
 * Hornets -** bullets in flight
 * Hornswaggle-** tricked or deceived
 * Horsesense-** smart; on the ball
 * Hunkey Dorey -** feeling great
 * Jailbird -** criminal
 * Johnny Reb**- Confederate soldier
 * Jonah -** a man who is bad luck
 * Played out -** exhausted or worn out
 * Possum -** buddy or pal
 * Sardine box -** cap box (box that held the caps for shooting rifles)
 * Sawbones -** surgeon
 * Scarce as hen's teeth -** rare or scarce
 * Shoddy materials -** wool uniforms or shoes that feel apart soon after receiving them. Usually materials were shoddy due to poor workmanship when manufacturers cut corners in order to make a large profit.
 * Skedaddle -** to run away from battle
 * Skillygalle -** meal eaten by Union soldiers: fried pork fat with crumbled hard tack
 * Sheet iron crackers** - hardtack
 * Shoulder boards** (patches worn on shoulder to indicate rank) **or brass -** officers
 * Sinks -** bathrooms (ditches in the ground)
 * Snug as a bug -** comfortable, cozy
 * Sunday soldiers, kid glove boys, parlor soldiers -** insults intended for other soldiers
 * Tight, or wallpapered -** drunk
 * Toeing the mark -** doing the job
 * Top rail -** first class
 * Uppity -** conceited
 * Virginia or Tennessee quick step -** diarrhea
 * Whipped -** beaten
 * Worm castles -** another name for hard tack, a cracker like bread that often was the main food. It was very hard and often contained worms

Additonal links: [|Soldier Talk and Civil War Slang] [|Civil War Vocabulary] [|Soldier's Vocabulary]

**Civil War Slang Sandbox**
Use some of the vocabulary and links above and talk like a Civil War soldier. Drop the folks at home a line. Don't worry about misspellings. Soldiers frequently misspelled words. Include a translation of your sentence. Leave a space after each entry.


 * 1) **Dear Ma:** Camp life is hunkey dorey. All the boys are toeing the mark, accept for a few hard cases who get wallpapered. I haven't seen any Johnny Rebs yet but I suspect the hornets will be buzzing right quick when I see the elephant. Your afecshanate son, Hiram (aka Mrs. Z)


 * 1) //**Translation:**// Dear Mother, Camp life is wonderful. All the men are following orders and doing their jobs, except for a few tough fellows who get drunk. I haven't seen any Confederates yet, but I think the bullets will be flying fast when I enter battle for the first time. Your affectionate son, Hiram

2. Dear Ma, My bread basket hasn't been full fer a wile, but other then that, I am fit as a fidle. We've been hornswgled a few times, so many that I was thinking bout skedaddling every once and a wile. My possum has had some hard nocks a few times, and hes fit to be tied. But the rest of us are hunkey dorey. Your loving son, Nikolas

2. //__**TRANSLATION:**__// Dear Ma, I have been very hungry for a long time, but besides that I am doing very well. We have been tricked a few times, so many that I was thinking about running every once in a while. My friend has been beat up a few times and is angry, but the rest of us are feeling great! Your loving son, Nikolas

3. Dear Ma, yesterday I heard blow hard right next to me; I felt like I was going to die next. The Johnny Rebs were going to strike the union on our ground; how could they do this? Our jonah captain made us lose our battle and make us skid addle back to Gettysburg Pennsylvania. I was fit to be tied after that. My bread basket is no where near full. When we heard the news about a big battle coming, each billy yank was doing their job. All my friends have been hard nocks but not me because i scare them. Life is hunkey dorey. Your son, Josh.

3. **__Translation:__** Dear Ma, yesterday I heard a big shot coming right next to me; I felt like i was going to die next. The Confederate Soldiers were going to strike the union on our ground; how could they do this? Our bad luck captain made us lose our battle and made us run away back to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I was angry after that. My stomach is no where near full. When we heard the news about a big battle coming, each union soldier was doing there job. All my friends have been beaten up but not me because I scare them. Life is great. Your son, Josh.

4. Dear Ma, Yesterday was our 2nd battle and we only lost about 12 billy yanks. (the battle lasted about 2 and a half hours) I think thats prety hunkydory considering we got a real johna captain. My captain also said that i was doin just fine and that i was toein the mark. After seein one man get whipped for tryin to skedaddle, everyone was scared out of their minds to even so much as think bout runnin away. After the grey backs decided to surender, we all told them how they all fighted like sunday solders and kid glove boys. After, my posums and i grabbed a root. All the men were celebrating and got all wallpapered and tight. ( It was prety funny to watch them walkin round all wabble legged) By the end of the night, we was all played out and tired, which reminds me... I'm still pretty tired from battle and captain says that we should rest up, so by for now. With all my love, Liz

4. Dear Ma, Yesterday was our second battle and we only lost about 12 of our Union soldiers. ( that battle lasted about two and a half hours) I think thats pretty good considering we have a horrible captain. He may be terrible but at least he said i was doin reall good and that he was proud of me. After seein one man get beaten for trying to run away, we were all scared out of our minds and didn't think twice about running away. After those Confederates decided to surrender. We told them that they fought like little girls and made fun of them while they went back. Later, my friends and I grabbed a bite to eat. All the men were getting drunk, out of celebration for winning the battle, and it was pretty funny to watch them all walk around wobble legged. By the end of the nite, we were all really tired and captain said that we should rest up so that we can be ready to fight again real soon...which reminds me, I'm still really tired and feel that I should get some more rest, so, by for now. With all my love, Liz