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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
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Digger
Why were Australian World War I soldiers nicknamed "digger"? From digging trenches?
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[nq:1]Why were Australian World War I soldiers nicknamed "digger"? [/nq] Look what took me three seconds to find using Google: Begin Quote: The term digger in the military sense is a transferred use of the meaning 'a miner on the Australian goldfields'. Throughout the twentieth century it retained the military associations established in the First World War (it was widely used during the Second World War, and during the Vietnam War the Americans still knew the Australians as 'diggers').
- [nq:1]Why were Australian World War I soldiers nicknamed "digger"?
- [/nq] Look what took me three seconds to find using Google: Begin Quote: The term digger in the military sense is a transferred use of the meaning 'a miner on the Australian goldfields'.
- Throughout the twentieth century it retained the military associations established in the First World War (it was widely used during the Second World War, and during the Vietnam War the Americans still knew the Australians as 'diggers').
- The term has also undergone a widening of meaning ?
- in many contexts 'digger' and its abbreviated form 'dig' are used devoid of their military connotations (as a synonym for 'cobber' or 'mate').
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6 Answers
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[nq:1]Why were Australian World War I soldiers nicknamed "digger"? From digging trenches?[/nq]
Look what took me three seconds to find using Google:
Begin Quote:
The term digger in the military sense is a transferred use of the meaning 'a miner on the Australian goldfields'. Throughout the twentieth century it retained the military associations established in the First World War (
Look what took me three seconds to find using Google:
Begin Quote:
The term digger in the military sense is a transferred use of the meaning 'a miner on the Australian goldfields'. Throughout the twentieth century it retained the military associations established in the First World War (
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[nq:1]Next time, you try it okay?[/nq]
OK. Speaking of digger, anyone know why World War I ack-ack was called "archie"? The best I could Google up is:
Archie - Anti-aircraft shell or gun.
General World War I. Attested in numerous sources.
This was largely a World War I term applied specifically to the German anti-aircraft artillery. Elting suggests that it was used at the begi
OK. Speaking of digger, anyone know why World War I ack-ack was called "archie"? The best I could Google up is:
Archie - Anti-aircraft shell or gun.
General World War I. Attested in numerous sources.
This was largely a World War I term applied specifically to the German anti-aircraft artillery. Elting suggests that it was used at the begi
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[nq:2]Next time, you try it okay?[/nq]
[nq:1]OK. Speaking of digger, anyone know why World War I ack-ack was called "archie"? The best I could Google up ... 9 http://www.anu.edu.au/ANDC/WWI/A.html A guess - Archie was phonetic 'A' in WWI, just like Ack was phonetic 'A' in WWII ...[/nq]
British Army phonetic
[nq:1]OK. Speaking of digger, anyone know why World War I ack-ack was called "archie"? The best I could Google up ... 9 http://www.anu.edu.au/ANDC/WWI/A.html A guess - Archie was phonetic 'A' in WWI, just like Ack was phonetic 'A' in WWII ...[/nq]
British Army phonetic
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[nq:2]A guess - Archie was phonetic 'A' in WWI, just like Ack was phonetic 'A' in WWII ...[/nq]
[nq:1]British Army phonetics in WW I started 'Ack-ack, beer-beer' etc.[/nq]
Are you sure? Ack-Ack fits A-A for Anti-Aircraft, and there are a few things left around like Ack-Emma and Pip-Emma. I think it's just Ack for A.
Beer! Beer! is a different matter entirely, of course, and not restric
[nq:1]British Army phonetics in WW I started 'Ack-ack, beer-beer' etc.[/nq]
Are you sure? Ack-Ack fits A-A for Anti-Aircraft, and there are a few things left around like Ack-Emma and Pip-Emma. I think it's just Ack for A.
Beer! Beer! is a different matter entirely, of course, and not restric
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[nq:1]Are you sure? Ack-Ack fits A-A for Anti-Aircraft, and there are a few things left around like Ack-Emma and Pip-Emma. I think it's just Ack for A.[/nq]
I'm sure you're right. Very few letters of that alphabet seem to have survived; the only other one I can think of is Toc for T.
David
I'm sure you're right. Very few letters of that alphabet seem to have survived; the only other one I can think of is Toc for T.
David
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[nq:2]Are you sure? Ack-Ack fits A-A for Anti-Aircraft, and there ... Ack-Emma and Pip-Emma. I think it's just Ack for A.[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm sure you're right. Very few letters of that alphabet seem to have survived; the only other one I can think of is Toc for T.[/nq]
"Aitch" seems to have weathered the storm all right.
Mike.
[nq:1]I'm sure you're right. Very few letters of that alphabet seem to have survived; the only other one I can think of is Toc for T.[/nq]
"Aitch" seems to have weathered the storm all right.
Mike.
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