This is for real. I recently picked up a small book called 'ABC of the 
RAF'. It is undated but was obviously published during the war (the 
Spitfire III is listed as the current front-line fighter), and was aimed 
at those in the service and those thinking of joining. It was intended to 
be a manual of the RAF, and alongside a brief history, the basics of 
flight and rank recognition charts, has all kinds of useful information, 
including salary scales, conversion charts and the following invaluable 
item.

Some of this is straightforward and very familiar (though non-aviators 
might be unaware of terms like 'Balbo'. Some of it I found exceedingly 
funny, especially when said out loud with an appropriately pompous, 
up-tight, air chief marshal-type of voice. Maybe newcomers really did 
find this sort of thing useful. My favourites are 'Blonde job', 'Wizard' 
and
'Pukka gen', though 'People who obstruct one' and 'Aerial scrap' are
high on the list.

Also, 'Organize' (sic) might prove useful for journos as an alternative
to 'blag'. Enjoy.

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                    SHORT GLOSSARY OF R.A.F. SLANG

Balbo, A .................... A large formation of aircraft.
Bale out .................... To take to one's parachute.
Bind, A  .................... People who obstruct one.
Black, A .................... Something badly done, a "bad show".
Blitz, A solid lump of ...... Large formation of enemy aircraft.
Blonde job, A ............... Young woman with fair hair.
Bogus ....................... Sham, spurious.
Bomphleteers ................ Airmen engaged on the early pamphlet raids.
Brassed off ................. Diminutive of "browned off".
Brolly ...................... Parachute.
Browned off, To be .......... "Fed up".
Bumps and Circuits .......... Circuits and landings.
Bus driver .................. A bomber pilot.
Buttoned up ................. A job properly completed, "mastered".
Completely Cheesed .......... No hope at all.
Cope ........................ To accomplish, to deal with.
Crabbing along .............. Flying near the ground or water.
Deck, Crack down on ......... To "pancake" an aircraft.
Dog fight ................... Aerial scrap.
Drill, The right ............ Correct method of doing anything.
Drink, In the ............... To come down into the sea.
Dud ......................... Applied to weather when unfit to fly.
Duff gen. ................... Dud information.
Dust bin .................... Rear gunner's lower position in aircraft.
Erk, An ..................... A beginner in any job.
Fan ......................... The propeller.
Flak ........................ Anti-aircraft fire.
Flap ........................ A disturbance, general excitement.
Fox, To ..................... To do something clever or rather cunning.
Gen. (pron. jen) ............ General information of any kind whatever.
George ...................... The automatic pilot.
Get Cracking ................ Get going.
Gong, To collect a .......... To get a medal.
Greenhouse .................. Cockpit cover.
Hedge-hopping ............... Flying so low that the aircraft appears to  
                              hop over the hedges.
Hurryback ................... A Hurricane fighter.
Jink away ................... Sharp manoeuvre. Sudden evasive action of
                              aircraft.
Kipper Kite ................. Coastal Command Aircraft which convoy
                              fishing fleets in the North and Irish Seas.
Kite ........................ An aeroplane.
Laid on, To have ............ To produce anything, such as supplies.
Mae West .................... Life-saving stole, or waistcoat, inflated if
                              wearer falls into sea.
Mickey Mouse ................ Bomb-dropping mechanism.
Muscle in ................... To take advantage of a good thing.
Office ...................... Cockpit of aircraft.
Organize .................... To "win" a wanted article.
Pack up ..................... Cease to function.
Peel off, To ................ Break formation to engage enemy.
Play pussy .................. Hide in the clouds.
Pleep ....................... A squeak, rather like a high note klaxon.
Plug away ................... Continue to fire. Keep after target.
Pukka gen. .................. Accurate information.
Pulpit ...................... Cockpit of aircraft.
Quick squirt ................ Short sharp burst of machine-gun fire.
Quickie ..................... Short for above.
Rang the bell ............... Got good results.
Rings ....................... Rank designation on officer's cuffs.
Ropey ....................... Uncomplimentary adjective. "A ropey
                              landing", "A ropey type", "A ropey
                              evening", etc.
Screamed downhill ........... Executed a power dive.
Shooting a line ............. Exaggerated talk, generally about one's
                              own prowess.
Shot Down in Flames ......... Crossed in love. Severe reprimand.
Snake about ................. Operational aerobatics.
Spun in ..................... A bad mistake. Analogy from an aircraft
                              spinning out of control into the ground.
Stationmaster ............... Commanding Officer of Station.
Stooge ...................... Deputy, i.e. second pilot or any assistant.
Stooging about .............. Delayed landing for various reasons. Flying
                              slowly over an area. Patrolling.
Synthetic ................... Not the real thing. Also applied to ground
                              training.
Tail End Charlie ............ Rear gunner in large bombing aircraft or
                              rear aircraft of a formation.
Tear off a strip ............ To reprimand, take down a peg.
Tee up ...................... To prepare a job, to get ready.
Touch bottom ................ Crash.
Toys ........................ A great deal of training equipment is
                              termed toys.
Train, Driving the .......... Leading more than one squadron into battle.
Type ........................ Classification - usually referring to
                              people. Good, Bad, Ropey, Poor type.
View ........................ R.A.F. personnel always take a "view" of
                              things. Good view, Poor view, Dim view, Long
                              distance view, Lean view, Outside
                              view, "Ropey" view.
Wizard ...................... Really first class, superlative, attractive,
                              ingenious.

[ENDS]
-----------------------------------------------
Steve Mansfield        steve@syntax.demon.co.uk
Syntax Editorial                     London, UK
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