10 phrases that make no sense outside of the military

The US Army is often viewed as a no-nonsense organization, as it should be, given the awesome responsibility that lies with its members to protect and defend the people of the United States. 

As such, military jargon usually reflects this, which words such as, “Roger,” “Affirmative,” and “Execute.” These all conjure up images of hard-bitten soldiers giving orders in combat or communicating vital issues over the radio. And for the most part, this image of a professional organization is exactly correct.

However, as those who have served know, there are a whole multitude of sayings that fit just as well on a kindergarden playground as they do in a military formation, if not better. These sayings are used by privates on up through senior officers and noncommissioned officers.

Most of us have gotten so used to them that we don’t blink an eye when we hear them, but to the uninitiated, they sound ludicrous. Here are 10 sayings that make Army soldiers sound like 10-year-olds.

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1. “Nut to Butt”

This is usually first heard in basic training, as recruits are ordered to stand in a single file line together, quite close. It derives from the human anatomy and I feel like you get the picture from there.

2. “Licky” and “Chewy”

This one defies logic, especially when heard from senior leaders. It refers to snacks, candy, or other small comforts that soldiers bring with them during field training.

As in, “Men, we’ve got a 10-day field training exercise coming up, so make sure you bring all your lickies and chewies.”

3. “Smoking and joking”

There has to be some correlation between Army and Cockney slang, since so many phrases in both cultures are built around rhymes. This phrase refers to a group of soldiers standing around doing nothing particularly useful. They may not even be smoking and/or joking, but the phrase is still used: “We’ve got a busy day, so make sure the troops aren’t standing around smoking and joking when the commander walks through.”