Navy/Hollywood Shower (UNCLASSIFIED)

Mullins, Bill AMRDEC Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL
Wed Dec 19 17:14:18 UTC 2007


Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE


Grant Barrett's nominations for WOTY include:

Navy shower: A very short shower in which one turns off the water while
lathering up.
This old term is also known as a GI bath, but it's new to many in the
drought-stricken
Southeast. Its antonym is the Hollywood shower, a long, wasteful one.

RHDAS has 1984-85 for "Hollywood shower"; it doesn't seem to be in the
OED.

"Sailors' 'Soft' Showers Raise Navy's Expenses," (UPI) _Los Angeles
Times_
 Jul 6, 1972 Sec 1-B p 5 col 2.
"On shipboard, in contrast to the lingering "Hollywood shower" the
prescribed Navy shower bath is a 15-second burst of water, lather up,
and a second 15-second burst of water to was off the soap."

[note:  a "Hollywood Shower" appears in classified real estate listings
back to the 1940's; perhaps it is a stall shower?]



RHDAS has 1984-85 for "navy shower" in the entry for "Hollywood shower";
not in OED


"Wacoan Offers Solution to Watering Headaches," Floyd Copeland, Ltr to
Editor, _Waco Tribune-Herald_ Jul 22 1956 p. 16 col 2
"You could also suggest that people take what is known in the service as
a Navy shower. To wet down, cut off the water, soap down, rinse off."

_The User's Guide to the Protection of the Environment_ By Paul Swatek.
NY:  Friends of the Earth/Ballantine Books, 1970. p. 110
"Try the ultimate, the Navy shower-wet yourself, turn off the water,
lather, and rinse."
Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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