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U S Military Academy at West Point



















  Last Updated: 2/7/99

EXPRESSIONS AND PHRASES USED IN THE CORPS OF CADETS

Source: The West Point Scrapbook; compiled by LT Oliver E. Wood, U.S. Army,
Class of 1867, published in 1871

Animal -- A name given to new Cadets on their arrival.
Beast -- A name also applied to new Cadets.
Bone -- To "bone" -- to study -- to imitate.
Boning Adjutant -- Being extremely military.
Boning Muscle -- Exercising in the Gymnasium.
Boning Corporal -- A Plebe afraid of being reported.
To bugle it --To keep from reciting until the bugle blows.
To bone standing -- To study hard for a class position.
Cockloft -- The upper story in the barracks.
Confinement -- A punishment given to Cadets, keeping them in quarters Saturday.
Dad -- Name given to the oldest man in the class.
To devil a plebe -- To abuse, impose upon, or torment him.
Extra -- Walking sentinel's post on extra tour of guard-duty, on Saturday, or Sunday, as a punishment.
Fem -- A woman -- girl -- young lady.
Furlough men -- Those cadets just going off on furlough, or just returning.
Fast animal -- A Plebe who puts on airs.
To fess -- To make a poor recitation.
To fess perfectly frigid -- To know nothing about a lesson.
To fess on a clean board -- Same as the above.
To fizzle -- To do middling well -- rather poorly.
Found on Math -- Found deficient in Mathematics.
Found on Demerit -- Having more than the limit (100).
Gurtsey -- Name given to the fattest man in the class.
Grave-orchard -- The mouth.
Hived perfectly frigid -- Caught without a chance of escape.
Hefty Skin -- A severe report.
Hash -- Supper cooked in room after taps.
Hunkey -- Magnificent -- superb.
Hunkey boy with a tin ear -- A lucky fellow.
Judge -- The most popular man.
Keen -- A joke -- a witty saying.
Matches -- A tall, thin person.
Perfectly demmy -- Very stylish -- well-dressed.
Perfectly regardless -- Regardless of expenses.
Plebe -- A new Cadet -- a fourth-class man.
Pink -- A report for some offense.
Reptile -- A name applied to new Cadets.
A rabid beast -- An impertinent Plebe.
Reckless -- Reckless -- careless -- daring.
Ricochet -- Gay -- splendid.
Sep -- A Cadet who comes in September.
Skin -- A report -- same as Pink.
Spoons --Lady-love --sweetheart.
Spooney man -- A ladies man.
Spooney letter -- A love-letter.
To spooney -- To make love.
To get excessively spooney -- To fall deeply in love.
Stag-dance -- A comical dance by Cadets in camp.
To get off a keen -- To make a witty remark.
To get pinked -- To get reported.
To get skinned -- Same as the above.
To cabbage -- To take a thing without permission.
To hive -- To appropriate -- same as the above.
To get hived -- To get caught in a scrape.
To Wheaton it -- To get excused by the Surgeon. The expression first came into vogue, at the time a Dr. Wheaton was Surgeon at the Academy, who was very lenient to the Cadets.
To cut roll-call -- To be absent from roll-call, purposely.
To max it -- To make a perfect recitation.
To make a cold max -- Same as the above.
To rag out -- To recite perfectly; also to dress well.
To have a cold thing -- To be perfectly sure of something.
To freeze to a thing -- To secure -- to hold fast.
To run it -- To go off Cadet limits without permission.
Yearling -- A third-class man.
A demmy cit -- A stylish, well-dressed citizen.
Legs -- A tall, spare, angular man.
Beauty -- Generally the homeliest man.
Baldy -- A name given to a man who has very little hair on his head.
Tubs -- Name given to a very fat man.
Chin-music -- Talk.
A gulf-spin -- A worthless fellow.
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