This will be a page to put either links up to handy gloassaries or to put up suggestions. I expect players will add to this Lexicon of ALFIE language as play goes on.
Slang terms for Factions, Forces and Militas
(Won’t be going into the period laguage which might have been used for some of ethnically based militas)
Any Free State Force: Scunts (highly derogatory) Scouse (potentially deorgatory) Whack/Whackers (deorgatory to non-Liverpudlian forces)
Any English: Sais,(Welsh), Sassenach (Scots, Irish) degoratory
Any Welsh: Taff , Taffy(derogatory)
Any Working Class pro-Govenrment force: Class Traitors (Left insult)
Army (regulars or TA, either side): Kahkis, Soup-Hats (or Soups), Tommies, Tin-Hats
Auxillary Police: Auxies, Black and tans (Irish from combination of police and army uniform items)
BUF: Black Dogs, Buffies, Dirty Shirts, Dirties, Mozzies, Mosies, Ozzies, Shirts, Soots or Sooties, Pagans (Anglican League insult)
Liverpool Irish (or Liverpool IRA) : Paddywhack
Liverpool Scottish: Devils in Skirts (saracastic), Ladyboys
Local Defence Volunteers (any faction): Dad’s Army
Mancunian: Manc (derogatory applied to Saflordians, Stockporters etc;)
Navy: ‘The Andrew’, Matelots, Tars
Non-Liverpudlian (namely East lancs) : Woollyback or ‘wool’
Police: Bobbies, Fuzz, Peelers (Irish) Plod, Woodentops, Bizzys (from Busy Bodies, a scouse term.)
Royalists: Arse-kissers (or just Kissers), Crowns, Ermines, Forelocks, Heathans (Anglican League insult)
Wirral: Boat people (In particular Wallasey) One-Eyed (from one-Eyed City i.e. Birkenhead), Cyclops (see previous)
Military Units
Squad/Section: 6-15 men often under the command of a Corproal or Lance Corporal. In a well equipped unit will consist of a machien gun team and rifle team. In many forces will all just be rifle men with what few machine guns there are grouped into one platoon or company at a higher level.
Platoon: 2-6 Sections under a Sergeant or Lieutenant (known as a troop for Cavalry.)
Company: 3-6 Platoons under a Captain or Major (a squadron for cavalry, engineers or tanks or a Battery for artillery units) RAF equivalent is a Flight.
Battalion: 3-6 Companies under a Major or Lt Colonel (a Regiment in cavalry, engineers or tanks.) However very small militas will opten call themselves Battalions to sound good even if only a company or platoon strength. RAF equailant is a Squadron of 12-24 planes.
Regiment: Traditionally in British Army Regiment isn’t a fighting unit but a collection of battalions recuriting from the same area, with the same traditions etc; which fight in different brigades. On the continent & US a Regiment is a Birgade type force. Different factions in the civil war follow either tradition.) headed bya Colonel.
Brigade: 3-4 Battalions, plus attached artillery and other support. Also a popular name for underground resistance forces. Comamnded bya Colonel or Brigadier. RAF equivalent is a Wing.
Division: 3-4 Brigades + attached Cavalry, Artillery regiments (rare) RAF equivalent is a Group.
Army: A number of divisions, brigades and other units udner one commander and charged witha particualr area or front.
Ranks a document giving summaries is here…
