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UK and US Military Jargon Trivia Quiz

Our fighting men and women can sometimes sound like they have their own language. See if you can figure out what some of these strange words mean!

A multiple-choice quiz by berty1979. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
berty1979

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
346,294

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
561

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. If a UK Royal Navy rating is working hard in a hot environment, what might he claim to be? Hint

Redders

Freezing

Thredders

Roasters

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Question 2 of 10

2. What do the American military mean by a "kinetic" operation? Hint

An operation that includes some motion

An operation using lethal force to obtain its goal

An operation using peaceful means to obtain success

Surrender is not an option

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of the following uses the words "crap hat" to describe other regiments of the UK military? Hint

Royal Welsh Guards

Parachute Regiment

Queens own lowlanders

Womens Auxillary Balloon Corps

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of these is NOT a commonly used word for your combat helmet or hat in the US marines? Hint

Elephant hat

Cover

Rooftop

Brain Bucket

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Question 5 of 10

5. In the RAF, if a person is described as a canteen cowboy, what is his particular vice? Hint

Food

Strong coffee

Alcohol

Women

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Question 6 of 10

6. In the UK Royal Navy, what term is often used to describe a Chief Petty Officer? Hint

Duff

Chiefy

Puff

Chuff

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is a 'bootneck' in the UK military? Hint

Soldier

Tea lady

Para

Royal Marine

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of the following slang words describes a grenade launcher used by US forces in the Vietnam conflict? Hint

Cooper

Popper

Schlooper

Blooper

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Question 9 of 10

9. In the armed forces, if your friend claims to 'have your six' what does he mean? Hint

He is watching your back

He won't fire on your position

He has stolen an item of kit from you

He has borrowed something valuable from you

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Question 10 of 10

10. In the US armed forces, which of the following is a common use of the word "grunt"? Hint

All of these

So called for the noise made when carrying heavy equipment while on foot

Ground replacement unit, not trained

Ground replacement, usually not trained

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. If a UK Royal Navy rating is working hard in a hot environment, what might he claim to be?

Answer: Redders

Obvious! "Red hot", get it?
'Thredders' means tired (threadbare)

2. What do the American military mean by a "kinetic" operation?

Answer: An operation using lethal force to obtain its goal

Kinetic actually means motion. In military terms, it is used to describe an operation that is expected to result in violence between two forces.

3. Which of the following uses the words "crap hat" to describe other regiments of the UK military?

Answer: Parachute Regiment

Not a very nice term for their fellow soldiers! It stems from the pride this particular regiment has in their toughness and difficult training regime. The belittling of other regiments is all part of the banter of the British armed forces.

4. Which of these is NOT a commonly used word for your combat helmet or hat in the US marines?

Answer: Rooftop

The elephant hat is as old as 1940 in the US marines and is still used to this day by rifle range coaches! Cover is used by many branches of the military to describe any headgear and I simply made brain bucket up!

5. In the RAF, if a person is described as a canteen cowboy, what is his particular vice?

Answer: Women

The origin of this term is obscure, and may mean slightly different things to different forces. I heard this during my service in the RN and have no idea where it originates from.

6. In the UK Royal Navy, what term is often used to describe a Chief Petty Officer?

Answer: Chuff

Chuff! How strange. It comes from the first two letters 'Chief' becomes chuff and Petty Officer becomes 'Puff'. Chuffs and puffs.

7. What is a 'bootneck' in the UK military?

Answer: Royal Marine

On the other hand, a 'pongo' would be a regular soldier. It's navy slang, one possible origin being because their combat boots were allegedly so large they could reach their necks. The Royal Marines Museum, however, gives the more reasonable suggestion that it refers to the leather collar that they once wore.

8. Which of the following slang words describes a grenade launcher used by US forces in the Vietnam conflict?

Answer: Blooper

Thus named for its 'bloop' sound when fired.

9. In the armed forces, if your friend claims to 'have your six' what does he mean?

Answer: He is watching your back

Slang term based on the hours of the clock, six being behind you if 12 is in front. Using the fixed positions on a clock makes it easier to refer to a direction in a quick military fashion.

10. In the US armed forces, which of the following is a common use of the word "grunt"?

Answer: All of these

All of these terms are used somewhere in the US forces. Grunt used to be a bit of an insult but a lot of infantry units are nowadays proud to be grunts. Even in today's hi-tech world, the grunt is still an extremely important part of our military.

Source: Author berty1979

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