Swear Like a Trooper: A Dictionary of Military Terms & Phrases [Hardcover]

William Priest (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

For the armchair linguist or the military historian, this is a comprehensive compilation of military lingo from Hannibal to Hanoi. William Priest traces the evolution of each term or phrase as it moves from its point of origin to other branches of service and into foreign countries. For instance, in the 19th century a "swab" was a mop made from condemned rope; however, it was also the sailor's slang for naval officer, from the shoulder epaulets (a mop-like braid) that marked an officer's rank. At that time, to call a sailor a swab was one of the highest forms of insult; it was not until the 1880s that sailors were called swabs or swabbies (men who swab the decks) in general lingo. Examples such as these can be found throughout SWEAR LIKE A TROOPER.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William L. Priest, a graduate of Towson State University in History and Social Studies, is a teacher with experience as a living historian aboard the U.S.S. Constellation in Baltimore Harbor. He performs annually at several maritime festivals.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rockbridge Pub Co; 1st edition (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883522137
• ISBN-13: 978-1883522131
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for military history students, March 10, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swear Like a Trooper: A Dictionary of Military Terms & Phrases (Hardcover)

Swear Like A Trooper: A Dictionary Of Military Terms & Phrases is an invaluable reference, a comprehensive military lexicon that William Priest developed over a lifetime of listening, reading, and research. More than 5,600 entries chart the language and acronyms of the armed forces of the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Japan, and Germany. The entries include usage dates, language of origin, and cross-references. Highly recommended for military history students, historians, writers, and the non-specialist general reader of both military fiction and non-fiction, Swear Like A Trooper is enhanced with the back-stories of such basic terms as "taps", "unconditional surrender", and the "twelfth general order".

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MILITARY REFERENCE PAREXCELLENCE, August 25, 2009

By 

Joseph H. Race "Jose Mango" (SAIPAN, MP United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swear Like a Trooper: A Dictionary of Military Terms & Phrases (Hardcover)

This is a very worthwhile, superior reference book for anyone that studies history with the military involved. It seems that every period in history expands the flexible English language and uses of slang and cussing in every war has added to the language, and if you miss a war, you might be in the dark as to what the soldiers were saying. As an example, just about every news release from the foreign, violent lands carrys stories about NGO's (non-governmental organization), who are helping but getting killed and maimed on a regular basis, or being taken hostage. The book is full of terms that we see and hear every day in the media, and of course, many terms are locked away in old historical accounts, and that's where this reference book really comes in handy for clarification. How does a light colonel differ from a real colonel? Well, read the book and it will tell you. Good to have in the library for writers and historians, and especially old duffers who like to relive the glory days.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good info book, September 20, 2008

By 

Jeffrey T. Elder (chehalis, wa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Swear Like a Trooper: A Dictionary of Military Terms & Phrases (Hardcover)

This book has tons of terms that the military has used. If you love military history you need this book.