VOA慢速英語:美國大兵
This is Phil Murray with Words and Their Stories, aprogram in Special English on the Voice of America.
We tell about some common expressions in AmericanEnglish.
A “leatherneck” or a “grunt” do not sound like nicenames to call someone. Yet men and women whoserve in the United States armed forces are proud ofthose names. And if you think they sound strange,consider “doughboy” and “GI Joe.”
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A doughboy statue at a studio in Loveland, Colorado |
After the American Civil War in the 1860s, a writer in apublication called Beadle’s Monthly used the word“doughboy” to describe Civil War soldiers. But word expert Charles Funk saysthat early writer could not explain where the name started.
About twenty years later, someone did explain. She was the wife of thefamous American general George Custer. Elizabeth Custer wrote that a “doughboy” was a sweet food served to Navy men on ships. She also said thename was given to the large buttons on the clothes of soldiers. ElizabethCuster believed the name changed over time to mean the soldiersthemselves.
Now, we probably most often think of “doughboys” as the soldiers who fought for the Allies in World War I. ByWorld War II, soldiers were called other names. Theone most often heard was “GI,” or “GI Joe.” Most peoplesay the letters GI were a short way to say “generalissue” or “government issue.” The name came to meanseveral things: It could mean the soldier himself. Itcould mean things given to soldiers when they joinedthe military such as weapons, equipment or clothes. And, for some reason, it could mean to organize, orclean.
Soldiers often say, “We GI’d the place.” And when an area looks good,soldiers may say the area is “GI.” Strangely, though, “GI” can also mean poorwork, a job badly done.
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People gather at the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial to wait for the Independence Day fireworks over Washington, whichcan be seen from the memorial's grounds in Arlington, Virginia. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst |
Some students of military words have another explanation of “GI.” They saythat instead of “government issue” or “general issue,” “GI” came from thewords “galvanized iron.” The American soldier was said to be like galvanizediron -- a material produced for special strength. The Dictionary of Soldier Talksays “GI” was used for the words “galvanized iron” in a publication about thevehicles of the early 20th century.
Today, a doughboy or GI may be called a “grunt.” Nobody is sure of the exactbeginning of the word. But the best idea probably is that the name comes from the sound that troops make when ordered to march long distances carryingheavy equipment.
A member of the United States Marines also has astrange name: “leatherneck.” It is thought to havestarted in the 1800s. Some say the name comes from the thick collars of leather early Marines wore aroundtheir necks to protect them from cuts during battles.Others say the sun burned the Marines’ necks until theirskin looked like leather.
This Special English program Words and Their Storieswas written by Jeri Watson.
I’m Phil Murray.
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