x-locker

[Jonathan Lighter]

Thanks, Bruce.  Got any other exotic navy lingo that we should know about?

JL

Bruce Hunter <bhunter3 at MINDSPRING.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Bruce Hunter
Subject: Re: x-locker
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Lighter"
> "Snot-locker" is well attested in print since the mid-50s. It apparently originated in the Navy. "Shot-locker" was a nineteenth century naval term for a wallet or one's fund of ready cash.
> Any other "-lockers" out there?
> JL

Greetings, All!

Delurking for the moment to comment. I am an amateur language watcher with no formal language training, but find discussions of languages fascinating.

I was a member of the USN from 1969-1981 and can attest to the use of snot-locker. We used "rain-locker" to designate the place where one would shower. A derisive phrase in use, usually in response to a particularly uninteresting announcement over the 1MC (ship's public address system), was, "All those who desire to do so, may lay down to the do so locker and do so."


Regards,
Bruce Hunter


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