Soldier Slang of the First World War

An amazing number of the words we use today were invented in the First World War. They provide a unique insight into the experience of the war and the inventiveness and humour of the ordinary soldiers who fought it.

Between 1914 and 1918 millions of men were dragged into the terrifying and unfamiliar experience of war. Built on their camaraderie and common experience, a shared language developed which made the day-to-day life of these soldiers more bearable. A host of words were born in No Man’s Land and exchanged throughout the trenches, from French, German and English, to Turkish and Hindi. It is a mark of the war’s enduring influence that many of the words they coined live on today. This wonderful array of trench lingo brings to life the enduring spirit and resilience of the ordinary men from the many diverse nations caught up in the First World War.