Charlie

[Jonathan Lighter]

"Charlie" used for Japanese forces in World War II is only very rarely attested.  Presumably it alluded to the fictional (Chinese) detective, Charlie Chan, created by Earl Derr Biggers. There's no record of the word being applied in the Korean war.

Does anybody know if forces in Iraq or Afghanistan have received this name too, as a leftover from Vietnam - or Vietnam war movies?

"Tojo" appears occasionally, but mostly features in WWII-era movies.  "Skibby" saw some use but was also uncommon.

Something of a mystery word for the Japanese was "shambo."  It seems to have been restricted to the First Marine Division and was resurrected in Korea for the Chinese.
Any etymological suggestions?

JL

Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Sam Clements
Subject: Re: Charlie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HDAS has "Charlie" from Time Mag. in 1942. Look at the 5b. listing under
"Charlie." It's easy to miss.

SC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Quinion"
To:
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 4:43 AM
Subject: Charlie


> While researching "skivvies" recently, I cam across this in an
> article by Damon Runyon in a New England newspaper in 1942:
>
> "'Skibby' is what Japs are called to this day by most Californians
> even in polite circles, and it is unlikely that the California home-
> grown soldiers will dismiss it for the more polite 'Charlie' and
> 'Tojo' that the dispatches from the Far East would have us believe
> are now terms for the enemy."
>
> To me, and the OED, "Charlie" dates from the Vietnam era. Are we
> wrong or was Damon Runyon mistaken?
>
> --
> Michael Quinion
> Editor, World Wide Words
> E-mail:
> Web:
>


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