Top 20 military phrases used by military families

You just can’t help yourself.

After several years of hanging out with service members, you begin taking on certain sayings and catchphrases that are used in the military and integrating them into your own lingo.

Ever find yourself using a few of these when talking to friends?

  1. “Roger that” – instead of “got it” or “okay”
  2. “Standby” – instead of “hold on a sec”
  3. “Good to go” – instead of “we’re all set”
  4. “Get Some” –instead of “go get ‘em”
  5. “Gouge” or “skinny” – the insider information
  6. “Hard charger” – a motivated individual
  7. “Oscar Mike” or “OM” – on the move, meaning I’m on my way or moving out
  8. “Got your six” – instead of “I’ve got your back”
  9. “Zero-dark thirty” – instead of “first light or dawn”
  10. “Squared away” – meaning everything is ready to go
  11. “Hurry up and wait” – meaning that you get things taken care of, only to sit and wait for things to progress to move forward
  12. “Shit-show” – instead of “things are really messed up”
  13. “Mandatory fun” – used when you’re required to be somewhere at a specific place and time, usually a work function
  14. “Voluntold”  – when someone appoints you to volunteer to something
  15. “Cleared hot” – ready to fire, usually when spoken against someone who is crazy and you’re getting ready to talk to them
  16. “FUBAR” – F*cked up beyond all reason.  Things are usually pretty messed up at this point.
  17. “Hump” – Going out for a long walk, usually with a pack or gear
  18. “Semper Gumby” – meaning that someone should remain flexible to any situation
  19. “Big Green Weenie” – when the military rules are out to screw someone over
  20. You know how to phonetically spell the alphabet when speaking to customer service reps or others: A=Alpha, B=Bravo, C=Charlie, D=Delta, E=Echo, F=Foxtrot, G=Golf, H=Hotel, I= India, J=Juliet, K=Kilo, L=Lima, M=Mike, N=November, O=Oscar, P=Papa, Q=Quebec, R=Romeo, S=Sierra, T=Tango, U=Uniform, V=Victor, W=Whiskey, X=X-ray, Y=Yankee, Z=-Zulu

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