Vietnam Slang
By Kristen, Stephen, Mike
Zones• LZ- Landing Zone• Hot Zone- an area where actual fighting was
going on in Vietnam• In Country- Vietnam
Soldier Nicknames
• Cherry- a new troop replacement; inexperienced, a virgin
• FNG- most common name for a newly arrived person in Vietnam (Fuckin’ New Guy)
• Grunt- nickname for an infantryman in Vietnam; derived from the sound one made from lifting up his rucksack
• John Wayne- a soldier who performs a heroic act that was dangerous and/or cocky
• Bro/Bloods/Boonierats- nicknames for black soldiers
Killing Lingo• Zippo Raid- slang for torching straw huts using
Zippo lighters• Fragging- killing someone using a
fragmentation grenade as a weapon• Wasted- killed
The F*@k Ups of Vietnam• Cluster Fuck- a situation where nothing would
go right, casualties would occur, evacuation wouldn’t happen; often engineered by inept officers
• FUBAR- Fucked Up Beyond All Repair
Military Law• AWOL- Absent Without Official Leave; describes a soldier who
left his post without permission• Court Martial- a military court that determines punishments
for members of the military subject to military law; also used to try enemy POWS for war crimes
Going Home• DEROS- Date Estimated Return Over Seas• Getting Short- slang for when a soldier is getting close to
going home• Million Dollar Wound- a type of wound received which is
serious enough to get a person sent home but not serious enough to leave a person crippled
Miscellaneous• Don’t Mean Nothin’- American army mantra meaning
“everything is going to be alright”• A Click- a measurement, military slang equal to 1000 meters• Hump the Boonies- taking a long walk through a large
uninhabited area• Mama San/Papa San- a Vietnamese person who works in the
supervisory role in South East Asia; typically related to sex work and sometimes in drinking places as well
• Didi/Didi Mau- a Vietnamese word that American soldiers used to explain to civilians and the Viet Cong that they had to carry out the soldiers requests or end up a FUBAR