Civil War Slang-- Part 3: See the Elephant and the Skedaddle

11.  SEE THE ELEPHANT

Close up combat.  The elephant was sometimes considered a sign of death.  After you had seen the elephant, you had "Saw the Elephant" as this blog is called.

12.  CONTRABAND

Meant something used by the Confederacy.  Specifically this meant runaway slaves.

13.  HOUSEWIFE

There were a few women who went off to war beside their husband.  But most often this term referred to a small, portable sewing kit.

14. SKEDADDLE

Leaving the scene very, very, very quickly.  As my Great Deerfly Skedaddle in Georgia that one time.  I'll avoid those guys in the future.

15.  SOMEBODY'S DARLING

Soldiers would refer to a dead soldier they came across as "Somebody's Darling."

Watch Out for Those Deerflies!!!   --Old Secesh

Civil War Slang-- Part 2: Secesh (Hey That's Me) and Bust Head

6. SECESH

Hey. that's my name!!    Short for secessionist.  Northerners used this as a put down to Confederates and Southerners.

7.  OPEN THE BALL

Starting the Battle.  Let the party begin.

8.  TIGHT

Slang for drunk.  From the old expression "Tight as a Tick."  So full of blood or liquor as it were.

9.  BUST HEAD / POP SKULL

Other names:  Moonshine, Booth  Terms for whiskey.  Well, cheap whiskey to be precise.  The whiskey was so strong that it could pop your skull or bust your head open.  You get what you pay for.

10.  LIGHT OUT

Not turning out the light as we might figure.  In the Civil War light out meant to leave in haste.

Secesh Who?   --Old Secesh

Civil War Slang-- Part 1: The Tennessee Quickstep and Sawbones

From Unpuzzle Finance "Slang from the Civil War was even more absurd than we knew."

1.  TENNESSEE QUICKSTEP

If you had to run off to use the toilet facilities very fast, you were doing either the Tennessee or Virginia Quickstep.

2.  LUCIFERS

A brand of matches.  Excellent for starting small fires.

3.  SAWBONES

Doctors.  Wonder how they came up with that one.

4.  BALDERDASH

Putrid cocktails mixed out of random.  Whatever liquors were available.

5.  DOGROBBER

People without war skills, but could help in other ways.  Sent off to be cooks, perhaps.  Low level servants or people who would steal from dogs.

--Old Secesh

And, What Is Badinage?

In the last post, I mentioned that Captain Daniel Oakey of the 2nd Massachusetts regiment said, "The regimental wits were as ready as ever, and amid a flow of lively badinage we toiled on through the mud."

I'd never seen the word "Badinage" before, but in context figured it had to do something with joking around. I was correct.

As a noun, it means light, playful banter and repartee. As a verb it means to banter with or tease playfully., raillery (another word I am not familiar with). It is from the French word Badiner meaning to joke. It was first used around 1658 and Shakespeare's plays are full of badinage.

Now, You and I Know. --Old Secesh