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Military Chow-Down Trivia Quiz

Some unique, historic and (hopefully) interesting terms used by the U.S. military concerning food.

A multiple-choice quiz by wjames. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
wjames

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
358,509

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
586

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. To a U.S. sailor, what are MIDRATS? Hint

Middle-sized rats

Military Individual Daily Rations

Midnight Rations

Midshipman Rations

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Question 2 of 10

2. The mid-day meal has different names in different parts of the U.S. What generic name is usually used in the U.S. military to avoid confusion? Hint

Dinner

Lunch

Noon meal

Chow

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Question 3 of 10

3. What did the acronym "KP" mean to a WW2 U.S. soldier? Hint

Kitchen Police

Kitchen patrol

Korean peninsula

Kill pests

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Question 4 of 10

4. In which branch of the U.S. armed forces would you expect to find a "spud coxswain"? Hint

Army

Air Force

Marines

Coast Guard

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which "Jack" is in charge of the food stores on a U.S. warship? Hint

Jack Tar

Jack of the Dust

Jack of all Trades

Union Jack

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Question 6 of 10

6. If you saw "SOS" on a U.S. Army menu, what would you expect to see on your plate? Hint

Something distressing!

Sauce on the side

Creamed beef on toast

Sunday off-post supper

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Question 7 of 10

7. What are the primary duties of a "mess cook" in the U.S. Navy & Coast Guard? Hint

Cooking

Serving the officers

Making messes

Cleaning

8. Some U.S. ships serve this traditional New England fare on Saturday mornings, to fortify the crew for a day of cleaning the entire ship in preparation for the Captain's inspection. What is this Yankee classic? Hint

New England boiled Dinner

Pancakes with maple syrup

Ham and eggs

Baked beans and brown bread

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Question 9 of 10

9. If a junior cook on a U.S. Navy or Coast Guard ship was ordered to clean the "Charlie Noble", where would he go? Hint

To find the person named "Charlie Noble"

To the head (toilet)

To the smoke stack

To the galley (kitchen)

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which U.S. combat meal is often referred to as "three lies for the price of one" Hint

HMMWV

K Ration

MRE - Meals Ready to Eat

C Ration

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. To a U.S. sailor, what are MIDRATS?

Answer: Midnight Rations

Midnight Rations are a small meal prepared around 2300 (11pm) on ships underway. This light meal is meant to help the oncoming Midnight-4am watch (Mid-Watch) to be alert during the wee hours of the night. Those going off watch at midnight may also be able to grab a bite. The truly lazy who don't stand watch will get up just to eat MIDRATS!

2. The mid-day meal has different names in different parts of the U.S. What generic name is usually used in the U.S. military to avoid confusion?

Answer: Noon meal

"Noon meal" is certainly descriptive, if bland. I was raised in the Midwest to call this meal "dinner", and heard "lunch" only at school - thus the need to standardize.

3. What did the acronym "KP" mean to a WW2 U.S. soldier?

Answer: Kitchen Police

Not involving law enforcement, "police" is used in "Kitchen Police" in the sense of "to keep clean, to keep in order". The name sounds better than the work of cleaning greasy dishes, peeling potatoes, sweeping and mopping, etc.

4. In which branch of the U.S. armed forces would you expect to find a "spud coxswain"?

Answer: Coast Guard

A "coxswain" is an enlisted person in charge of a boat - a very responsible position in the U.S. Coast Guard. In yet another example of giving a grand title to a humble job, the "spud coxswain" is in charge of peeling potatoes.

5. Which "Jack" is in charge of the food stores on a U.S. warship?

Answer: Jack of the Dust

"Jack of the Dust" was the title of a U.S. naval rating in the 19th century, but now is used as an informal job description for the person in charge of the food inventory of a ship. "Jack" has a long naval tradition of meaning any generic sailor.

6. If you saw "SOS" on a U.S. Army menu, what would you expect to see on your plate?

Answer: Creamed beef on toast

Although a very popular, hearty and tasty meal, creamed beef on toast isn't the most visually appealing dish. Many generations of soldiers, sailors and airmen recognize "SOS" as "(Something) on a Shingle".

7. What are the primary duties of a "mess cook" in the U.S. Navy & Coast Guard?

Answer: Cleaning

Another great military term, "mess cooks" have almost nothing to do with cooking -- they bus tables, clean dishes, and help serve the food. This is usually a duty done by the most junior sailors, usually for a month at a time when they have no other duties such as standing watch.

Answer: Baked beans and brown bread

Baked beans and brown bread may not sound like an appetizing breakfast, but I can vouch that it is! If nothing else, it breaks up the monotony of the usual breakfast foods of eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, etc. I'm told that this is a traditional breakfast for New Englanders.

9. If a junior cook on a U.S. Navy or Coast Guard ship was ordered to clean the "Charlie Noble", where would he go?

Answer: To the smoke stack

The galley smoke stack is commonly referred to as "Charlie Noble", afer a 19th-century British captain of that name who liked to keep that sooty appliance shining clean. This is the one area outside the galley that a cook is expected to clean.

10. Which U.S. combat meal is often referred to as "three lies for the price of one"

Answer: MRE - Meals Ready to Eat

The MRE is the modern (and improved) version of the venerable "K" and "C" rations of earlier generations. However sophisticated the MRE is, or tries to be, with tiny Tobasco sauce bottles and fancy entree names, some doubt that it is a true "meal", takes too long to prepare to be "ready", and sometimes can't be "eaten".

Source: Author wjames

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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