Imperial Guard Slang and Battle-Cant

Imperial Guard Slang

The vast variety of Regiments in the Prosperitas Crusade has given rise to individual formats of slang that are spoken within certain regiments and not used elsewhere in the Imperium. Some of the more interesting examples of slang words and phrases used by different Imperial Guard regiments of the Loyal One Hundred are listed beneath, some of these are unique to regiments but due to combined deployments have ended up cross-polenated across the Crusade:

Universal

Slang of no known origin.

Tread Frakker - a crude name for a series of small man-portable single-use missile tubes so named because they are designed primarily to cripple the primary motive drives of vehicles rather than have an impact on armour.

Advanced Flanking Manoeuvres - Retreat. Used derogatorily to accuse someone or a unit of cowardice, such as 'I hear Trooper West engaged in some "advanced flanking manuevers".'

Combat Burial/Buried in Action - used when a fatality occurs and the body is unrecoverable.

FNG (pronounce 'fungee') - frakking new guy, epithet for a new recruit, especially one assigned to a more experienced regiment/unit

Sicknote - medical pass or exemption, sometimes used as a nick-name for a medicae officer

Munitorum Issue Courage - a term used by Chem Troopers to refer to combat drugs.

Lifted Moral -Executed by a Commissar

Lead by Example - An Officer killed in the line of duty. Often while leading an unwinnable action.

Lost & Found Brigade - a unit put together in a hurry from those remaining alive of other regiments

Regrettable - war zone toilet facilities as in "they've gone to the regrettable"

Tomorrow's lunch - a fool, or said of a foolish suggested act likely to be fatal (eg you'll end up tomorrow's lunch) referring to corpse starch rations as the fate for Imperial dead.

Hot-Shot - derived from the practice of overcharging laspacks. Describes someone who gets stuff done, has loads of energy and is thrusting for their next position but is definitely going to burn out or trip up. Often a young officer or political appointee.

Rats - Shit, crap, rubbish. "This is absolute rats". Derived from a derogatory term for the abhuman ratlings which is now general parlance.

Gleaming - excellent.

Beasted - absolutely smashed around a task, often used as a punishment. Derived again from derogatory terms for beast abhumans.

Crap hat - used by literally any named/notable guard regiment to describe literally any other guard regiment that doesn't have the same headgear as them.

Green Temple - issued sleeping bag, the only true sanctuary for the guards trooper is when they zip that up and go to sleep.

Chin strapped - absolutely exhausted. Derived from the known commisar punishment of grabbing sleeping troopers chin straps and beating them.

Marking time - to describe a frontline or battlefield that isn't going anywhere because it has become stagnated. "It's alright, Commisar says we aren't losing. We're marking time till the cavalry gets here". Derived from the drill movement of marching on the spot, often used as punishment.

Letiferen

Originating from regiments from Letifer Secundus.

Guts and gills package - standard suite of enhanced biology augmentations.

Return to the line - Fall back. Leitferens do not 'retreat' - if somebody needs to fall back, it's because they went too far ahead and should 'return to the line'.

The fec - A member of the Officio Prefectus, ie a Commissar. Not to be used in their hearing.

Agrian

Originating from regiments from Agrial III

'Veemo' / VMO / Very Model Officer - Unflattering Agrial-regimental slang for a particular kind of commander, long on academic and theoretical military expertise, and often on opinion of their own skill, short on practical experience, and sometimes common sense; occasionally a longerstanding officer will be referred to as having 'outlived the veemo phase', which has paradoxically been known to confer more respect than afforded to an officer who wasn't a veemo to begin with - after all, the Emperor's luck was clearly with them for them to live long enough to learn better, and now they have both luck /and/ sense on their side. The term was reputedly derived from an old and now-banned song.

Lerwickan

Originating from regiments from Lerwick

Salted - hung out to dry, left to face consequences. For example "The 115th pushed when they were ordered to hold. Called for support when they got in trouble, but Command just salted them."

Kydosian

Originating from regiments from Kydos

Kelpie - new recruit; noun. Fresh recruits are referred to as 'kelp' or 'kelpie' because they are 'green', as it were.

Going Dredging - deep recon. Used interchangeably with "going pearl diving" if you're feeling fancy

Matelot - (pronounced "matlow"): A Member of the Imperial Navy

Crusty - as in 'Crustaceans', a term for the solider every regiment who, much like kelp farm crustaceans, just don't seem to die. "Crusty" generally a term of endearment as these individuals are often considered good luck

Merewaldian

Originating from regiments from Merewald

Crow - short for 'Scarecrow'. Epithet for anyone who has a habit of standing out in the open during combat. Tends to get used for new (and for obvious reasons, short-lived) officers.

Light Bob - A term for Light infantry.

Lobster- A Merewald Fusilier (after their red coats)

Bad Bargain - An incompetent or shirking soldier. For example "We've been issued one of the Munitorum's bad bargains".

Flashy Fred - Derogatory term for an advanced las weapon, originating from the technophobic preference towards lower technology lasweapons like the laslock.

Lapsang - Nickname for a flame trooper or melta gunner

Bit of a pickle - imminent death

Sticky situation - near certain demise, outnumbered

Bit of alright - absolutely fantastic

Good sort - either an absolutely outstanding individual or a career criminal and all round horrific person who is, at least, more Merewaldian than than the Other Sort Of People

Raivan

Originating from regiments from Shadowglow

NVG acronym for Night-Vision Gear, commonly used across the Guard; it is also mockingly said to stand for "Normal Vision Gear" by Raivans of the Shadowglow axilla.

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Imperial Guard Battle Cant

Battle Cant is the collective name for the series of abbreviated words and combinations of initials used fairly universally by the Imperial Guard in the field of battle, this is a near-universal sub-language spoken by the Guard that confounds most who are not accustomed to hearing it but cuts across the language barriers that occur when Guard regiments operate together who don't share the same low-gothic dialects.

Objects & Places

ALPHA – a location target of interest

AMMO – ammunition

AO – Area of Operations

ARMR – Armoured vehicles

ARTY – Artillery

Black forces – organised crime / rebels

Blue forces – friendly

BRAVO – a human or Xenos target of interest

CHARLIE – a vehicle or Voidship target of interest

COMD – command(er)

CSUP – Combat Supplies

DET – Detonator

EF – Enemy Forces

ELMS – Elements

EN – enemy

EQPT – Equipment

FF – Friendly Forces

FRAG – fragmentation grenade or ammunition

G1 – personnel and Commissariat

G2 – intelligence

G3 – operations

G4 – logistics & sustainment

G5 – plans

G6 – communications / vox

G7 – training

G8 – Munitorum requests, finance & procurement

G9 – doctrine & spiritual guidance

GD or GRD – Ground

Green forces – local/allied security forces (such as PDF or Arbites)

HE – High Explosive

HQ – Headquarters

HVT – High Value Target

IDF – Indirect Fire (mortars/rockets/artillery)

INS – Insurgent/Insurgency

INT – intelligence

IVO – in the vicinity of

K – over

KLE – key leader engagement

L – attached to a time, this means “local time”

LOC – lines of communication

LOGS – logistics

LZ – Landing zone

MSG – Message

O Gp – Orders Group, a meeting where a commander delivers their orders to subordinates

Pl – Platoon (usually between 15 and 40 Guard soldiers, depending on the Regiment)

PRI – Priority

Ptl – Patrol

QRF – Quick Reaction Force

RATS – rations

Red forces – enemy

RF – Red Forces or Rising Flame

SANGAR – a small fortified firing position

SECT – section, a squad of 4-10 soldiers

SLS – Shuttle landing site

SMK – smoke

SML – small

SQEP – Suitably Qualified & Equipped Personnel

TAC – tactical headquarters

TPT – transport

TRN – terrain

VEH – vehicle

WF – White Forces

White forces – local civilians

WTR – water

ZERO – the head / commander of a vox net

Medicae Cant

CAS – casualty

CASREP – Casualty Report

CAT1 – a seriously wounded casualty requiring immediate medicae treatment

CAT2 – a non-walking casualty

CAT3 – walking wounded

CAT4 – unsalvageable casualty requiring the Emperor’s Peace

EMBUREP – Emergency Burial Report

FA – First Aid

NKA – No Known Allergies

NOCHEM – No standard Medicae chemicals

NOPEN – No Standard Antibiotics

NOSYN – No Synthskin

NOTICAS – notification of casualty’s relatives/loved ones

SUS – Sustainment or Life Support

Vox Commands/Phrases

+ – out

ACK – acknowledge

ACK/AUTH – I have understood your request and approve it; proceed

ASS’D – Assessed

AUTH – authenticate, or approve

COMPLETE – all troops/equipment in one location

DE – This Is

DET – detail (“Grd in Det” = Ground in Detail)

H – Hello

I READBACK – I am reading back your last message to verify

LOCSTAT – location

MEANS – method of communication (“These Means” = this vox channel)

PIR – Priority Intelligence Requirement

RADIO CHECK – are you hearing this message?

REPLENDEM – Replenishment demand

RGR – roger

RIP – Relief-in-place

Rpt – Report

RTB – Return(ed) To Base

SITREP – Situation Report

RFI – Request for Information

SYM – Send Your Message

VERIFY – read back the contents of the message I have just sent

VOX CHECK – as RADIO CHECK

W – wait

WNGO / WGO – warning order

Additional Words and Phrases

CAP – capability

COG – centre of gravity

COIN – Counter-Insurgency

CQA – close quarter attack / assassination

LOE – Limit of Exploitation

RECCE – reconnaissance

SA – Situational Awareness

STR – Strength

STRAT – strategic

TTPs – Tactics, Techniques & Procedures

Vis – Visibility

VULN – vulnerable / vulnerability