- Baby Cruiser
A World War Two term for a sailor whose enlistment ends at age 21.
- Baffles
An area from 170 degrees to 190 degrees where the screw
noise is so great that the sonar can't see any target in
that area. Best place for a sub to attack a lone
destroyer.
- Banned Places, List of
List posted of out of bounds establishments. List of
must-visit places.
- Bathythermograph
A brass torpedo-shaped device measuring about 36 inches
long by four inches wide that sonarmen lowered from a boom
on the fantail (in all kinds of weather). The temperature
versus depth was etched on a smoked glass slide.
This data was used to calculate sonar ranges and was done
every watch.
- Battle Lantern
A flashlight.
- Beautiful Reflections
Only beat by patent leather shoe, which was illegal.
- Belay
Cancel what was said or an action to take place (as in
"Belay that order").
- Belly Robber
The Cook.
- Below Decks
Below the main deck.
- Bird-farm
An aircraft carrier.
- Bird's Away
Term used when you fire a missile.
- Black Gang
Members of the ship’s Engineering Department.
- Black Shoe
Any sailor who does not serve in an aviation billet.
- Blow Down and Back Suction
When receiving fuel underway, this must be down to prevent
a cloud of oil left in the hose from spraying all over
your ship when the hose is disconnected on your end.
- Blowing tubes
Venting stack gas and scale from the ship’s boilers while
under way. Snipes have an uncanny ability to perform this
function just after topside areas have been freshly
painted.
- Boat Anchor
Any 8088.
- Boat
Any vessel capable of being carried on board a ship.
What submariners would get mad over if their sub (larger
in most cases than the destroyer) was called.
- Boats
Nickname for any leading Bos'n mates.
- Boatswain's Chair
A single flat seat of plank and ropes which a man sits
upon and is lowered over the side for painting or
inspection (also called "botsin's chair").
- Bogey
An unidentified flying object.
- Boondockers
Heavy work shoe issued in boot camp and which lasted
forever.
- Boot Topping
Where the haze gray sides meet the black paint of the
hull, usually just above the waterline. The vertical
distance from the top of the boottopping to the top of
the foretruck was contained in a publication and used as
a means of determining the range to adjacent ships with a
stadimeter.
- Bos'n Locker
Where the bos'ns hang out. Usually the old salts of the
ship, who are the only ones who know how to tie knots and
splice lines (ropes) and ropes (cables) with fids and
marlinspikes.
- Botsin's Chair
A single flat seat of plank and ropes which a man sits
upon and is lowered over the side for painting or
inspection (also called "boatswain's chair").
- Bow
The pointy end of the boat.
- Brassnucks
What you kep at the 'Y' in your civies and carried on
liberty.
- Brasso
What sailors used to polish their belt buckles.
- Bravo Zulu
The traditional signal sent to an individual, crew, or
ship for a task completed "well done".
- Brightwork
Anything Brass.
- Brow
The railed platform the ship carries onboard to use between
ships or the pier to walk on and off (as in "Take in the
brow.").
- Brown Shoe
Any sailor who serves in an aviation billet, even if not a
CPO or officer.
- Bubblehead
Any crewmember of a "target".
- Bug Juice
Koolaid.
- Bulkhead
Term meaning a wall on the inside of a ship
Deck-term for the floor on the inside of a ship
- Bull Ensign
The senior ensign on the ship.
- Bullnose
An opening at the very tip of the bow through which lines
for typing up to a dock were laid. When in heavy seas and
the bow buried itself itself in green water, the bullnose
would produce remarkable jets of water.
- Burma Road
On British "tin-cans", an interior passageway that runs
fore and aft almost the entire length of the ship.
- Butt Kit
An ashtray usually made out of a 3 or 5 inch brass shell
casing.
- Butterfly
A sailor's term for a bar girl who hangs around with other
guys while you are there to see HER. She comes back
occasionally to sit with you.
- Butterfly Boy
Japanese bar-girl term for a sailor with many
"girlfriends".
- Button front
The front flap of the Dress Blues, which were fastened by
thirteen buttons (one for each original colony).
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