NAMSPEAK:
The Vietnam War developed a language of its own. It was a mix of military terminology, GI slang from World War II and Korea and slang used back home on the city streets, suburbia sidewalks, or the farms in the country.
The following is a list of terms/slang born of the Vietnam War.
AGENT ORANGE: A chemical defoliant.
AIR CAV: Air cavalry, helicopter borne infantry assault teams.
ARC-LITE: Code name for B-52 bombing missions along the Cambodian boarder.
BEATEN ZONE: Where most bullets will hit when a machine gun is fired into bush.
BLOOPER: An M79 grenade launcher, also known as a thumper.
BOOT: A raw soldier - that is, one straight from boot camp.
BOUNCING BETTY: A trip-wire mine, designed to explode at groin height.
BROWN-WATER NAVY: US Navy units operation in the muddy water of the Mekong Delta.
CAMMIES: Camouflage fatigues.
CHARLIE: The Viet Cong, from military voice designation for VC.
CHERRY: A virgin; someone young and inexperienced.
CHOPPER: Helicopter.
COBRA: The AH-1G helicopter gunship.
DAWK: Neither a hawk nor a dove; someone who disapproved of the war but would not demonstrate against it.
DELTA-DELTA: DD, doughnut dollies or nurses.
DEUCE-AND-A-HALF: 2+ton truck, also a 6x6.
DEROS: Date eligible for return from overseas.
DIDDY BOPPING: Walking carelessly.
DOVE: Someone who was against the war.
DUST-OFF: Medical evacuation by helicopter.
EM: Vietnamese for brother or friend.
FINGER CHARGE: A booby-trapping device, name for it's size.
FIREBASE: A temporary artillery base to support ground operations.
FIRE BRIGADE: An extremely mobile unit rushed to the scene of an enemy attack.
FRAGGING: The murder of an incompetent officer with a fragmentation grenade.
GREASED: Killed.
GREENBACKING: Employing mercenaries.
GROUND POUNDER: A desk jockey, administrator.
GRUNT: Infantryman.
GUNNY: Marine gunnery sergeant.
GUNSHIP: A combat helicopter armed with various weapons.
HAWK: Someone who supported the war.
HOG: A model B Huey with 48 2.75in rockets and four M60s.
HOOTCH: Military accommodation or peasant schack or hut.
HUMP: To carry pack, equipment, armaments etc.
INCOMING: Incoming fire.
IN-COUNTRY: To be in Vietnam.
JACK/JANK/JINK: To make evasive manoeuvres in an aircraft.
JESUS NUT: The mythical nut that holds the rotors onto a helicopter.
JOLLY GREEN GIANT: A USAF rescue helicopter.
KILL-ZONE: Area around an explosive device in which 95 percent fatalities are predicted.
KIT CARSON SCOUT: A VC defector working for the Allies.
KLICK: Kilometer.
LOACH: A light observation and reconnaissance chopper.
LURPS: Members of long-range reconnaissance patrols.
MIKE-MIKE: A millimeter.
MUSTANG: An officer who has come up through the ranks.
NAM: Vietnam.
NAPE: Napalm.
NORDO: Someone with poor communication skills.
NUMBER ONE: The best.
NUMBER TEN: The worst.
OIL SPOT: A pacified area.
PEACENIK: An anti-war demonstrator.
PIG: The M60 machine gun.
PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON: An AC-47 gunship - a spooky.
RACK: Bed.
RANCH HANDS: The special air force unit that flew defoliation missions.
ROCK AND ROLL: Automatic Fire.
SADDLE: Final air attack positions.
SAPPER: A VC soldier who infiltrated a camp for sabotage.
SHORT-TIMER'S STICK: A notch stick a grunt would use to count down his last few days in Nam.
SHORT: Running out of time, not long in the army.
SHORT-TIMER: Someone with less than 30 days left in Vietnam.
SNAFU: Situation normal (all fucked up).
SPAD: An A-1 Skyraider.
SPIDER TRAP: A VC foxhole.
STACK TROOPER: An exemplary soldier.
STRAC: Strictly ahere to regulations.
STAND DOWNS: A line unit's return to base for a short rest period.
STEEL POT: Helmet.
TANGLEFOOT: Single-strand barbed wire strung at ankle height.
TANGO-BOAT: US landing boat modified for use in the Mekong Delta.
THUD: A plane crash, especially being shot down; an F-105 Thunderchief fighter, so called because of their appalling record of losses.
TIGER SUIT: Camouflage fatigues.
THE TRIANGLE: The Iron Triangle, a VC stronghold near Saigon.
TUNNEL RATS: US troops who flushed the Viet Cong out of their underground hideouts.
TWO SHOP: Intelligence section.
UNCLE HO: Ho Chi Minh.
VC: Viet Cong, by analogy, anything stupid, inept or irresponsible.
VICTOR CHARLIE: Military designation for VC; the Viet Cong.
VIETNIK: A peace protester.
WASTE: To kill.
THE WHITE LIE WARD: The Da Nang hospital ward for hopeless cases.
WILLIE FUDD: WF-2 flying radar center.
WILLIE PETE: White Phosphorus or grenades.
WINCHESTER: Radio communication meaning "I am out of ammunition"
THE WORLD: Anywhere but Vietnam.
ZAPPED: Killed.
ZOO: The jungle.