Art Currie: General Sir Arthur Currie, the first Canadian commander of the Canadian Corps during the First World War
bally: usually a euphemism for the British term bloody
balmoral: a kind of cap or men’s bonnet usually worn by Scottish regiments
bandolier: a cartridge belt for ammunition
batman: an officer’s servant
bayonet periscope: a mirror that could be mounted onto rifles in order to scout enemy activity
be in Dutch: to be in trouble
bivouacked: to be posted to an open-air area without tents or cover
Blighty: Britain
Boche: German soldier
box barrage: artillery shells that are dropped on three sides of an area, the front as well as the flanks
breeches: a type of pant that only goes to just below the knee
bully and lumps of soggy plum duff: canned corn beef and plum pudding
CO: Commanding Officer
crown and anchor: a dice game
CT: Communications Trench
dickey: of inferior quality or poor condition
dowager: a wealthy, elderly widow
duck walk: a slatted wooden walk in soft ground
Elinor Glyn: a British romance novelist and short-story writer (1864–1943)
estaminet: from the French, meaning “drinking house” or saloon
fire step: a step built a few feet off the trench floor, which allowed soldiers to peer over the top at enemy trenches or to fire at the enemy
fishtails: a type of small bomb
four flusher: a person who makes empty boasts or tries to deceive others
frowsy: having an untidy or neglected appearance
gink: an odd or unworldly person
Gott Mit Uns: from the German, “God is with us”
grenade cup: attachment that enables soldiers to launch grenades from a rifle
had a bead on you: take aim at something with a gun
Haig: Sir Douglas Haig (1861–1928), commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to 1919
Heinie: German soldier
HEs: high explosives
Hindenburg: Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934), a German field marshal during the First World War
hoodooed: bewitched
Hoyle: Edmond Hoyle (1672–1769), who wrote books about the rules of card games
Hun: German soldier
jake: anything you are very satisfied with
Kaiser: Wilhelm II (1859–1941), German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888–1918
last post: bugle call that signals it is time to retire for the night
Lee Enfield: standard-issue infantry rifle for soldiers of the British Empire
Lewis gun: a type of machine gun
limber: the detachable fore part of a gun-carriage, consisting of two wheels and an axle, a pole for the horses, and a frame which holds one or two ammunition-chests
long-range crumps: German artillery
Looey: Lieutenant
lorry: a large motor vehicle for transporting goods
“Mademoiselle from Armentières”: a famous bawdy song from the First World War
maxims: a type of machine gun
minnie: a German trench mortar high-explosive shell
NCO: Non-commissioned officer, also known as “non-com”
parados: opposite the parapet, whose purpose is to stop the backward effect of shrapnel bursting behind the parados
parapet: the protective wall that runs along the top of a trench
Pershing: John Joseph Pershing (1860–1948), a US Army general
picture palace: a large, elaborately decorated movie theatre
pill-box: a round or square-shaped structure, made of iron and concrete, to protect soldiers from artillery and also used as a firing position
pontoon bridge: a temporary floating bridge
potato masher bomb: German hand grenade with a long stick handle
pound your ear: to lie down to sleep or rest
put their wind up: to annoy or provoke deliberately
puttee: a long strip of cloth or leather wound spirally around the leg from the ankle to the knee; worn by soldiers for protection and support in rough terrain
RAP: Regimental Aid Post
RSM: Regimental Sergeant Major
Ruby Ayres: a British romance novelist (1881–1955)
rum issue: soldiers were given a small amount of rum just before going into battle because it was believed to help with nerves; it was also used to treat shell shock
SAA box: Small Arms Ammunition
salient: a battlefield feature in which part of the forward line projects or bulges outward into enemy territory, meaning there is enemy on three sides
Sam Browne: a wide leather belt, that passes diagonally over the right shoulder, worn by officers
sap: a narrow trench that runs along at an angle from a main trench
scuttled: to run quickly, with hurried steps
shell shock: a disorder attributed to exposure to shellfire and characterized by severe anxiety and other psychological disturbances
skulker: someone who hides or acts in a sly or secret manner
square-head: German soldier
stand-to: at every sunset and dawn, front-line soldiers are ordered to stand alert, weapons ready, facing the enemy in anticipation of a possible attack
stiff-issue: a rum ration
togs: shorts
Very lights: signal flares, used to light up the battlefield. Named after their inventor, Edward Very
vin blink: anglicized term for white wine, from the French “vin blanc”
wag: a troublemaker or joker
whizz bangs: German artillery shells
zero [hour]: the time set for an attack