Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance.
Edward Thomas, Roads
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The Great War Remembered: Today's Language
If you've ever described your emotional state using any of these terms, you're drawing on the language of the Great War. To see our ever-growing list of such examples, check out our website Words, Expressions & Terms Popularized, 1914 - 1918.
Great post - thanks so much. Amazing list of words at that website. Never knew the origins of "cushy" - thought it meant "comfortable" and was a shorthand for "cushion" - though maybe that came from Indian sources as well!
The term "U-boat" was not in regular usage by the British in referring to German submarines until WW2. For instance, I have a an original 1928 edition of Gordon Campbell's "My Mystery Ships": his account of the Q-ship operations for when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He does not use the term U-boat once - he always referred to them as "Submarines". Possibly in later editions this was changed.
Great post - thanks so much. Amazing list of words at that website. Never knew the origins of "cushy" - thought it meant "comfortable" and was a shorthand for "cushion" - though maybe that came from Indian sources as well!
ReplyDelete"Shell-shock" was used in the Spanish-American War, too.
ReplyDeleteThe term "U-boat" was not in regular usage by the British in referring to German submarines until WW2. For instance, I have a an original 1928 edition of Gordon Campbell's "My Mystery Ships": his account of the Q-ship operations for when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He does not use the term U-boat once - he always referred to them as "Submarines". Possibly in later editions this was changed.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the OED etymology of U-boat at:
Deletehttp://www.oed.com/view/Entry/208520#eid17336511