Armored Cows, Button Choppers and Motorized Freckles (1943)
It's time to learn some WWII Army Slang
Still wondering what those terms in the title mean? Or how about “Dit Da Artists, Hen Fruit and Frog Stickers?”
If you're curious about the colorful language of the soldiers during World War II, you'll love this amazing pamphlet by Ernest Dudley Chase, a famous illustrator and mapmaker. It's called A Pictorial Map of Scenes in and around Army-Slang.
While it’s not much of a map, it’s a visual feast of witty and whimsical drawings that depict the slang terms used by the troops. Here’s the full map - click to enlarge
On the verso this “Glossary of Good Old Army Slang”.
Your chance to look them up!
*Terms are illustrated on the map
Ernest Dudley Chase (1878-1966) was an American illustrator of greeting cards and pictorial maps active in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and attended the Lowell Textile School and the Vesper George Art School in Boston. He started his own greeting card company in 1908, which he sold in 1920 to Rust Craft Publishers.
He became famous for his elaborately illustrated pictorial maps, which he published himself or in collaboration with other artists. He created nearly 50 maps focusing on various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as thematic topics such as wonders of the world, stamps, aviation, and war. He was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his witty style of depicting famous locations and landmarks. He died in Winchester, Massachusetts in 1966.
Or if you’d rather sound like a mobster …
Author: Chase, Ernest Dudley
Date: 1943
Short Title: In good old Army Slang : Hello and how're you doin'!. The Good Old Army Slang Paves The Way To Victory
Publisher: Ernest Dudley Chase
Publisher Location Wichester, Mass.
Archive: Map via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection 11125.001
Verso image here
My dad used some of these terms when I was growing up.
Fun post!
Thanks. Interesting how some of those slang phrases stuck.