• A Dictionary of RAF Slang

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A Dictionary of RAF Slang

by Eric Partridge

Condition: Standard Secondhand — £1.00
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More by Eric Partridge See all 7 →
Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English £1.00 Dictionary of Catch Phrases: American and British, from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day £12.13 Smaller Slang Dictionary £3.31 The Penguin Dictionary of Historical Slang (Penguin reference books) £1.00 Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English (Abusus Non Tollit Usum) (Penguin Reference Books) from £1.00

The perfect stocking filler for anyone who imagines themselves flying a spitfire . . .

Drop your visiting cards, put aside your beer-lever, stop being a half-pint hero and discover the gloriously funny slang which was part of everyday life in two world wars.

Passion-killers: Airwomen's service knickers, whether twilights (the lighter, summer-weight variety) or black-outs (the navy-blue winter-weights). A wise directive has purposely made them as unromantic in colour and in design as a wise directive could imagine.

Thanks to the work of Eric Partridge in 1945, the hilarious slang of the Royal Air Force during the first two World Wars has been preserved for generations to come. While some phrases like 'chocks away!' have lasted to this day, others deserve to be rediscovered . . .

Beer-lever: From pub-bars, meaning the 'Joystick' of an aircraft.
Canteen cowboy: A ladies' man.
Half-pint hero: A boaster. One who exemplifies the virtue of Dutch courage without having the trouble of going into action.
Tin fish: A torpedo.
Umbrella man: A parachutist.
Visiting-card: A bomb.
Wheels down: Get ready - especially to leave a bus, tram, train. From lowering the wheels, preparatory to landing.
Whistled: In a state of intoxication wherein one tends to whistle cheerfully and perhaps discordantly.

The Dictionary of RAF Slang is a funny and fascinating insight into the lives of our RAF heroes, in a time gone by.

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Author: Eric Partridge (all their books in stock)
Format: Hardback
Published: 2017
Pages: 256
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 9781405930598

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Our conditions mean the following:

  • New - a brand new book
  • Almost New - appears new but is actually secondhand.
  • Very Good - only minor imperfections such as minor scuffs to edge or cover or a price written in pencil or shop sticker.
  • Standard Secondhand - Clearly been read before, but not too bad. We do not recommend these for gifting. Spines usually creased. Could also include creases or folds to cover, some writing such as in the cover or elsewhere, underlining or highlighting, but might not do. Possibly some stains or marks. Similar in general to books in any secondhand shop or charity shop.
  • Poor Condition - Usually this will have a specific problem such as writing inside, water damage, missing dust jacket, heavy staining, large creases or cuts. These are readable copies but not nice ones. On other websites this condition is called 'Acceptable' or 'Fair' , but we want to be more honest.
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