Lit Up

US Army slang meaning attacked. Initially referring to artillery attacks at night when illuminating rounds were fired to expose the target before destroying it with HE (High Explosive), Fragmentation or WP (White Phosphorous). Eventually the phrase was used to describe any intense attack on enemy positions or personnel whether it was with artillery, air strike or small arms.

We caught one of Charlie's supply columns out in the open and called in an artillery strike!
What happened?
Man you should have seen it, they got lit up real good!
Number One!

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Gasper

British Army slang believed to date from around the time of the Second Boer War 1899 - 1902, so called because smoking caused the troops to gasp for breath when engaged in strenuous exercise.

I'd just got clipped by a Boer bullet, nuffin' serious, so Jack gimme a gasper while he put a dressing on it.

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Jesus Nut

There are a number of different meanings for Jesus Nut among the commonest are:-

a) In US Army slang, to describe something or someone vitally important to an enterprise. Said to come from the mythical Jesus nut that, supposedly, holds on a helicopter’s rotors.
b) In US Army slang, as a term of contempt for someone with an over-inflated opinion of themselves.
c) An overenthusiastic Christian.

a) Jonesie's workin' on the radio again.
Yeah! He knows it's the goddam Jesus Nut when we're on patrol tomorrow.
b) Look at that STRAC REMF struttin' round. Who's he think he is, Jesus Nut to the whole goddam war?
c) That padre is a real Jesus Nut!

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Pygalgia

Originally a medical term used to describe the pain associated with piles, now used to describe someone who is a pain in the arse. See also rectalgia.

Malcolm must think the boss is suffering from piles, he's got his head so far up the boss's arse it's a suppository.
I don't know about the boss, but Malcolm gives me pygalgia.

Coprophage

The literal meaning is 'one who eats faeces'; at one time French beef farmers used to feed their cattle human faeces as a cheap food and because the substance contains large amounts of partially digested cellulose, resulting in coprophagic cows. Coprophagic behaviour is also exhibited by dogs under certain conditions, but can be prevented by feeding them tinned pineapple.

The use of the term has expanded, however, to mean a person, can be male or female, who is not very bright but is always smarming round the boss. The sort of behaviour exhibited is laughing excessively at the smallest joke; apparently sharing the same interests and hobbies as the boss; getting the boss tea or coffee without being asked; sending the boss birthday and Christmas cards often with a small gift attached. In short the sort of behaviour that makes you think if the boss crapped on their desk, this person would eat it anbd swear it was ice cream. These people are usually poor performers and it's only their relatioship with the boss that stops them from being potted.

It is quite safe to call these people 'coprophage' to their face as they won't know what it means and won't have the initiative to look it up.

Malcolm's just given the boss a big Christmas card and a present, so I told him he was the perfect coprophage. The twat looked at me as if I'd just paid him a compliment!
You did, nothing about that wanker is perfect.

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Anosmia

Anosmia means having no sense of smell. If you have anosmia, you can't smell flowers, perfume, or home cooking, which can lead to sufferers becoming intensely depressed. There could be some advantages; when some diseased arsehole lets go a really poisonous fart you won't smell it, even though everyone else has tears in their eyes from trying not to puke. Similarly if you are stuck in a boring lecture next to someone whose BO is blistering the paintwork and has everyone else thinking that there's a malfunction in the sewage works you won't be bothered. On the whole, though, anosmia is pretty shit.

Malcolm suffers from anosmia, he must do, otherwise how does he live with himself?

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ACT

An acronym standing for Action Conquers Terror. It is unclear whether this was originally a military acronym, where personnel are trained to overcome fear by action until this becomes automatic. It does, however, highlight that people are capable of far more than they realise, and that fears can be beaten when they are confronted. Action show fears and self-doubt as merely a question of attitude; forward-looking action overcomes habit and inertia to produce something new and is the simplest way to start the process of change.

Don't just sit there worrying about it, do something! ACT!

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