Slang Terms From The Civil War That Were Positively Absurd
Civil War soldiers weren't known for talkin' pretty. But with a fighting force that drew men from many different regions and walks of life, each barracks was a real melting pot for language. Given the life-and-death situations they faced on a daily basis, a lot of dark humor seeped into their lingo, too. The slang terms they invented are comically insulting, painfully literal, and just way too much fun for us to leave in the past.
1. Tennessee Quick Step
Given their close quarters, Civil War soldiers got to know just about everything about one another. So if one soldier needed to run off the field for an urgent bowel movement, the other soldiers would say he was doing the "Tennessee (or Virginia) Quick Step."
Dysentery ran rampant among armies during this conflict, so the Quick Step was a pretty common sight. That's bad news, considering how there wasn't exactly an abundance of indoor plumbing on the battlefield.
2. Lucifers
We love this one. Referencing the devil himself, "Lucifer" referred to a match during the Civil War. And it actually came from a brand name! Isaac Holden, who founded the company in the 1820s, coined this term as a reference to the fire and brimstone that can be found in the netherworld.
Soldiers had a knack for dark humor, and so the word "Lucifer" was thrown around quite a bit.
3. Parlor soldiers
"Parlor soldier" was a derogatory term for an unsuitable serviceman. Compared to a respectable fighting man, a parlor soldier would sit around in his recliner, blabbing about his army days without any real experience.
He may have tried to be a good soldier, but he was simply ill-suited for the job. Either way, there seems to be an element of stolen valor behind this term.
4. Balderdash
These days, we know "balderdash" to mean nonsense. It was coined by Civil War soldiers who mixed putrid cocktails out of random, available liquors. Although many regiments received whiskey rations on a daily basis, more creative drinkers found ways to supplement their liquid diets.
These mash-up drinks were referred to as "balderdash." Would you have dared to take a sip?