Shop Talk Among Mecks (1942)

[Barry A. Popik]

     This (minus the introduction) is from ARMY TIMES, 28 November 1942, pg.
8, cols. 4-5:

_Shop Talk Among Mechs_
Knuckle skinner--Adjustable jaw wrenches.
Creeper--The portable mechanic's bed used in working beneath a plane.
Go-fluid--Gasoline.
Push-water--ditto.
Cheater--A piece of pipe or anything which can be used as an extension to a
wrench handle.
Wing wiper--crew chief.
Ramp rats--Mechanics who don't work in hangars, and who service their planes
outside.
Spark jumpers--Trouble shooters.
Gyro bugs--Instrument mechanics.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
"This hurts me more than it does you son," OUR ARMY, June 1930, pg. 15.  The
phrase appears in a cartoon about army innoculations.

How many ____ does it take to screw in a light bulb?, ARMY TIMES, 14 October
1944, pg. 16.  The cartoon PVT. GOLDIE BRICK illustrates how many army
personnel required to screw in a light bulb.  The phrase was implied; no
words were used.  Where is this "light bulb" joke recorded?

XXX for kisses, ARMY TIMES, 12 June 1943, pg. 4, col. 1.  The British banned
the practice of "XXX" for "kisses" (widely used in letters home from the
front) because it feared the practice would be used as an enemy code.  I
don't know what entry the next RHHDAS will have.