1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 124: The Captain stayed about twenty minutes and came out. I couldn’t see his face, but the droop in his shoulders was enough. He looked like a wet hen.at mopey as a wet hen, adj.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 119: The investigators would then be up in the air, we would be safe, the Boches would receive a good bashing, and we would get our own back on Old Pepper.at up in the air (adj.) under air, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 246: Then we had what we called our ‘come-alongs.’ These are strands of barbed wire about three feet long, made into a noose at one end; at the other end, the barbs are cut off and Tommy slips his wrist through a loop to get a good grip on the wire.at come-along, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 282: ‘Ammo’. Rifle ammunition. Used to add weight to Tommy’s belt. He carries 120 rounds, at all times, except when he buries it under the straw in his billet before going on a route march. In the trenches he expends it in the direction of Berlin.at ammo, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top Intro. v: To me, Tommy Atkins has proved himself to be the best of mates.at Tommy Atkins, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 128: It was Old Scotty’s great ambition to be a sniper or ‘body snatcher’ as Mr. Atkins calls it.at atkins, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 111: Like a lot of bally idiots several of the battery men fell for their game.at bally, adj.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 283: ‘Barndook.’ Tommy’s nickname for his rifle. He uses it because it is harder to say and spell than ‘rifle.’.at bandook, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 119: The investigators would then be up in the air, we would be safe, the Boches would receive a good bashing, and we would get our own back on Old Pepper.at bashing, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 89: That march was the most uncongenial one imagined, just cussing and blinding all the way.at blind, v.2
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 129: The day that he was detailed as Brigade Sniper, he celebrated his appointment by blowing the whole platoon to fags.at blow, v.2
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 44: With a look of disdain, he exclaimed: ‘Blow me, your shirt! Why in ’ell didn’t you use mud?’.at blow me!, excl.1
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 128: It was Old Scotty’s great ambition to be a sniper or ‘body snatcher’ as Mr. Atkins calls it.at body-snatcher, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 293: ‘Gassing.’ A term Tommy applies to ‘shooting the bull’.at shoot the bull (v.) under bull, n.6
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 116: I don’t like bumming up my own battery, but we had a record in the Division for direct hits, and our boys were just pining away for a chance to exhibit their skill in the eyes of Fritz.at bum, v.2
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 285: ‘Busted.’ Term applied when a non-commissioned officer is reduced by court-martial.at busted, adj.1
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 286: Char. A black poisonous brew which Tommy calls tea.at cha, n.1
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 28: Another piece of advice—don’t chuck your weight about until you’ve been up the line and learnt something.at chuck one’s weight around (v.) under chuck, v.2
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 148: The caller-out has many nicknames for the numbers such as [...] ‘Clickety-click’ for sixty-six.at clickety-click, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 111: Several ‘Jocks’ got their money for emerging safely, but the ones who clicked it, weren’t there to pay.at click it, v.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 37: Shut your blinkin’ mouth, you bloomin’ idiot; do you want us to click it from the Boches?’.at click, v.3
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top Ch. xiv: I had not slept long before the sweet voice of the Sergeant informed that ‘No. I Section had clicked for another blinking digging party.’.at click, v.3
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 89: From here we went into the room where we had first undressed. Ten minutes was allowed in which to get into our ‘clabber.’.at clobber, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 286: ‘Clock.’ ‘Trench’ for the face.at clock, n.1
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 20: ‘Cooties,’ or body lice, are the bane of Tommy’s existence. The aristocracy of the trenches very seldom call them ‘cooties,’ they speak of them as fleas.at cootie, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 150: In the British Army there are also servants [...] In the American Army the common name for them is ‘dog robbers’.at dog-robber, n.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 119: I was to send the dope to Cassell and he would transmit it to the Battery Commander.at dope, n.3
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top ‘Tommy’s Dict. of the Trenches’ 294: ‘Having a doss.’ Having a sleep.at doss, n.1
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 61: These steps were cut into the earth, but at that time were muddy and slippery. A man had to be very careful or else he would chute the chutes.at go down the chute(s) (v.) under go down, v.
1917 A.G. Empey Over the Top 118: You blankety-blank dud, I have been trying to raise you for fifteen minutes. What’s the matter, are you asleep?at dud, n.2