Landships II

baldwin · Hero

Dough boys

Rob · Legend

Seems to be a Victorian era thing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughboy

Good excuse to trot this image out

Rectalgia · Legend

baldwin wrote:

I thought it had nothing to do with bread but was slang for money. Am I right ???

Yes, dough is slang for money but to apply it in that context to the troops of the erstwhile colonies and their later acquisitions is little short of calumny IMO biggrin

(the envy towards the "overpaid" US troops being particularly poignant in WW2 when the expression was already on the way out).

Further to the excellent Wiki article, there is more at:

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

Sheesh - and I thought us Aussies were the "stirrers" biggrin

.

�

kieffer · Commander in Chief

according to wikipedia, the etymological origins of Doughboy are unclear.
It might have something to do with bread though, as in cooking habits of US soldiers or their appearance in the Mexican War, troopers covered in white dust.
A dough boy literally translated in Flemish is a "deeg vent". A deegvent or deegventje is a type of white bread, that has the looks of a little puppet, the eyes and buttons on its belly are currants. But a deegvent is also slang for a weak guy.
As in money: the flexible substance 'Knete', in German is slang for money.
Knete comes from 'kneten', 'kneden' in Flemish/Dutch, kneading.

regards, Kieffer

Ironsides · Legend

This makes interesting reading.....it seems to be a term older then the mexican war.... maybe it was first applied to new recruits, pasty faced townies...... wink

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm

Cheers smile

baldwin · Hero

As usual you have gone beyond the call of duty,many thanks.

Hughbearson · General

Thats a photoshop...
Clever me huh?
What, you had already worked it out?

Rectalgia · Legend

Hughbearson wrote:

Thats a photoshop...

What? You mean photos lie? But that colour party looks so real! An African-American colour party? (I just now notice). Ooh, I think we're running close to some contemporary sensibilities here.

Seriously, evidently a proud moment in race relations (the colours are the very soul and tradition of a military formation and the trooping of them is momentous) so there are undoubtedly some who would not take kindly to the supposed sub-text of that comedic depiction. We, more generous spirits, might struggle to appreciate the depths of resentment, the preciousness of moments of relief and the despair if those are in any sense disparaged ... but there you have it.

Enough (almost) of philosophy. It was offered and taken as a light-hearted thing and that surely shows nothing worse than our innocence. Innocence defeats all prejudice.

kieffer · Commander in Chief

Food-related nick names for soldiers: Belgian soldiers, interned in The Netherlands during ww1 called their Dutch guards 'Kwatta's' after a popular chocolate bar, having a picture of a soldier on its wrapping paper.
Belgian soldiers themselves were nicknamed 'piot(ten)' but also 'jas(sen)' which is literally 'coat', but the verb jassen is also slang for peeling potatos. Etymology isn't clear: some say jassen is related to the soldiers kitchen duty, others think it has to do with their rather oversized great coat.

Kieffer

Hughbearson · General

What, no, I meant the Pop'n'fresh pastry man!

Rectalgia · Legend

I know Hugh, I know. I was being a little playful, then I got a little more serious when I looked more closely at the pic. Most of the time I don't see inline images at all with my most-used browser (security settings) but I looked at that one when you commented and had a bit of a laugh, then I looked again, decided what I had started to say and do was inappropriate/politically incorrect and it sort of went from there.

Didn't mean to give you (or anyone else) a hard time - just a slightly different perspective or 'take' on the subject.

Steve

kieffer · Commander in Chief

Hi Steve!

if photo's lie, I don't know! But what about movies? Coincidentally I saw The Good, The Bad and The Ugly just two days ago on television. Starring Clint Eastwood (the Good), Lee van Cleef (Bad, and he really tried hard) and Eli Wallach (Ugly and very irritating I think).
In that film a cavalry troop of apparantly Southern nature shows up, only after their captain wiped his uniform a bit they turned out to be Union troopers, covered in white dust all over and looking like Dough Boys!

regards, Kieffer

Hughbearson · General

Oh, I see, I was getting worried there!

kieffer · Commander in Chief

it's over when it's over, and it's not over yet: these westerns were called Spaghetti Westerns...another pastry and dough story! confuse

regards, Kieffer