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About This Quiz
The history of the United States Navy is long and colorful and dates back many years.Â
During that time, many have served in this prestigious branch of the United States armed forces. The Navy has been at the forefront of defending America since its inception during colonial times. It's seen many victories, most notably during World War II, but it's also suffered some painful defeats. However, without a doubt, it's easily the most powerful navy on the planet today! And that's not in terms of an active fleet only. The air wing of the United States Navy is larger than many air forces in the world!
Of course, like many organizations, the United States Navy has many of its own terms and slang words. A specialized lingo, you might say. These are used daily by regular seaman, officers and even the captains of fleet ships. But just how many of these do you think you would be able to decipher?
Some terms are general and used in boating around the world, while others are certainly only used by the Navy itself. Let's see how many of them you're able to get right! And you better have your thinking cap on, because this quiz is a salty seadog for sure!Â
If you were in the "aft" of a U.S. Navy ship, where would you be?
Near the rear
That's right, in U.S. Navy terminology, the "aft" of the boat is the rear end. It's not the stern, which is the very back end of the boat, but aft is headed in that direction.
Near the front
On the bridge
None of the above
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Do you know what the "foc'sle" is?
The captain's personal cabin
A section near the front of the ship
An abbreviation for "forecastle," the "foc'sle" is a section on the front of a ship. This is usually where the anchor would be dropped from.
An eating area
None of the above
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Someone using the "autovon" on a U.S. Navy ship would be using what?
The toilet
A secret weapon system
Naval internal telephone system
The internal telephone system used by the Navy is called the "autovon," short for "Automatic Voice Network." This telephone system was designed for the military and connects the captain of a large warship with all of the crucial areas that make it operate efficiently—for instance, the engine room.
A Navy spa
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A Navy seaman deployed on a ship going to the "West Pac" would be going to which ocean?
Indian
Atlantic
Meditteranean
Western Pacific
It's just easier to give all the oceans in the world cool, shortened names like West Pac for the Western Pacific. If you were transferred to a ship in the Mediterranean, you would be serving on a "Med cruise."
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On which type of vessel would a "bubblehead" serve?
Submarine
It stands to reason that "bubbleheads" would serve on a submarine, don't you think? Especially as they spend most of their time underwater! In the past, the term was also used for Navy divers.
Aircraft carrier
Destroyer
Battleship
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On a U.S. aircraft carrier, which of these would be a "black shoe"?
A regular seaman
A Naval officer
In the U.S. Navy, the term "black shoe" refers to a naval officer who is NOT an airman. Officers that are airman will wear brown shoes, not black.
A submariner
None of the above
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What is stored in a "chain locker" aboard a Navy vessel?
Ammunition
Aircraft
The anchor chain
Depending on the size of the ship, anchor chains need different sized chain lockers. For example, on an aircraft carrier, the chain locker would be huge. It has to be to store over 1,400 feet of chain, where the links weigh around 130 pounds each.
None of the above
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What is prepared in the "galley" of a U.S. Navy ship?
Diplomatic paperwork
Ammunition
Food
A "galley" is just another name for a kitchen aboard a U.S. Navy vessel. Just never call it a kitchen, OK? On a U.S. aircraft carrier, a "galley" will produce close to 20,000 meals a day!
None of the above
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Which of these terms would refer to a U.S. Marine based on a Navy vessel?
G.I.
Jarhead
The term "jarhead" was given to Marines by U.S. Navy sailors in World War II. It's said they were called this because in their dress blue uniform, which had a high collar, they looked like a mason jar.
Flyboy
None of the above
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A U.S. Navy sailor wanting some "geedunk" wants which of these below?
Chocolate milk
Bananas
Candy
Although "geedunk" refers to any kind of sweet, it's most notably associated with candy. Interestingly, a medal, the National Defense Service Medal, is sometimes called the "geedunk medal."
None of the above
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What's the port side of a ship?
Front
Left
In nautical terms, the "port" side of a ship is the left-hand side of a ship. Hence, a command of turn 30 degrees to port would see a ship change direction by 30 degrees to the left.
Right
Back
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The term "combatant ship" would refer to which of these?
A vessel that supplies other combat vessels
A vessel that will see action during wartime
A "combatant ship" is any ship that will be involved in combat should the need arise. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, submarines and other similar vessels are all considered to be "combatant ships."
A vessel in dry dock
None of the above
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On a U.S. Navy ship, which of these below defines a "mess"?
A massive stuff-up
The place sailors eat
The "mess" on a U.S. Navy ship is the area where meals are consumed. And there's not just one mess aboard most vessels; for example, there will be a mess for regular sailors and a separate one for officers.
The area in which sailors sleep
None of the above
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A sailor in the "crow's nest" is where on a vessel?
A high lookout point
The "crow's nest" is a lookout point on a ship. Most modern vessels no longer need them, thanks to radar and other detection devices, but in the old days, this was where the most eagle-eyed sailor would sit to spot other ships or land.
In the engine room
In the ship's lockup
None of the above
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If you have "hot rack" with another sailor, what are you doing?
Sharing a meal
Sharing a bunk
Ships are confined spaces, and in some cases, bunks have to be shared. Don't worry, in most cases the sailors sharing the bunk are on different watches, so they don't need to sleep at the same time.
Sharing a beer
None of the above
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What is a "fathom" in U.S. Navy-speak?
A unit of measurement
A "fathom" is simply a nautical measurement. It's the equivalent of six feet deep. Originally, it was the distance of the outstretched arms of a sailor.
A type of submarine
A special weapon
None of the above
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Where would you find the "fantail" of a vessel?
The rear
The "fantail" is found at the rear of the ship. Often, this area of the deck at the rear of a vessel is used for ceremonies, such as the awarding of medals.
The front
On the bridge
None of the above
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If you were in the "bow" of a U.S. Navy ship, where would you be?
In the anchor room
At the front of the ship
That's right, in U.S. Navy terminology, the "bow" of the boat is the front section. On older ships, this is where the figurehead—a beautifully carved piece of wood depicting a lady, for example—would be found.
Manning an armament station
None of the above
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Which item of clothing would a "Dixie Cup" be?
Boots
Hat
Sailors are instantly recognizable thanks to the unique caps they wear. These are commonly known as "Dixie Cups" and should always be worn at a jaunty angle!
Pants
Shirt
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What type of boat is a "gig"?
A submarine
A destroyer
An aircraft carrier
A small boat for the personal use of a commanding officer
The commanding officer of a ship would need to get to and from his vessel, especially if it's moored of a port. To do this, he has his own personal transport, a small motorboat called a "gig."
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While in combat, what would a "bandit" be?
An enemy aircraft
The term "bandit" has been used in aerial warfare since World War I. Today, the U.S. Navy still use it to describe threatening enemy aircraft.
An enemy ship
An enemy submarine
None of the above
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In terms of armament, what is a "bird"?
Machine gun bullets
Anti-aircraft gun rounds
A surface-to-air missile
"Birds" are common U.S. Navy terminology for surface-to-air missiles that might be used against enemy aircraft. An example of one is the RIM-67 Standard ER, which could be used against air targets or other enemy naval vessels.
None of the above
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If sailors are called "topside", where do they need to go?
To the boiler room
To the top deck on the boat
"Topside" is simply the first deck on the ship in which a sailor would be exposed to the elements. Don't worry, they aren't called topside in a storm unless they're needed to man a specific station.
To the hanger deck
None of the above
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Of the options below, a sailor nicknamed a "sparky" would be a _____?
Aircraft maintenance crew
Gunner
Radioman
Early radio equipment was not very reliable and could sometime let out sparks or shock their users. For this reason, a radioman is known as a "sparky." This term could apply to an electrician as well.
Lifeboat operator
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Who would you find in a section of the a vessel called the "goat lockers"?
Prisoners
Chief Petty Officers
A goat locker is an area of the boat where you will find the Chief Petty Officers. Why a goat locker? Well, CPOs are normally older than the crew, hence the goat reference. However, legend has it that in the early days, goats were kept on Navy vessels to provide milk, and it was the CPOs that looked after them!
Pilots
The captain
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What is the starboard side of a ship?
Back
Left
Front
Right
In nautical terms, the "starboard" side of a ship is the right-hand side of a ship. Hence, a command of turn 30 degrees to starboard would see a ship change direction by 30 degrees to the right.
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A U.S Navy ship that is "balls to the wall" is _______?
Anchored
Going as fast as it can
Not strictly a U.S. Navy term but certainly used by sailors, "balls to the wall" means to go as fast as the vessel is capable of going. Early speed controllers on ships had two metal balls that would push forward when the ship was going as fast as it could, hence the term.
Sinking
None of the above
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Someone who has just had their "crow tacked on" has been _______?
Promoted to Petty Officer
Someone boasting that they have had their "crow tacked on" has been promoted in navy terms. Petty Officers wear an emblem of an eagle with inverted chevrons. The eagle is often referred to as a crow.
Demoted
Discharged
None of the above
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Any idea as to what the term "all hands" means?
Junior-ranking Navy personnel
All pilots on an aircraft carrier
Everybody on the ship
Have you heard the expression "all hands abandon ship"? Well, it simply means that every member of the crew should get off the ship.
None of the above
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When commanded to "batten down the hatches", what do U.S. Navy sailors do?
Go to sleep
Close any watertight features
A term that we use today, "batten down the hatches," is a Navy term which means that all watertight fixtures should be closed so no water can come in. This might be done in extreme weather when a ship encounters monster waves.
Eat at the mess
None of he above
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A Navy seaman serving on a "tin can" is on which kind of vessel?
Torpedo boat
Amphibious landing craft
Aircraft carrier
Destroyer
Destroyers have always been known as "tin cans" in the U.S. Navy. Although these vessels are not that small, they're not as heavily armored as other ships, making them very quick and maneuverable.
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If a seaman is reported "AWOL", then he is ______?
On another ship
Overboard and needs to be rescued
Absent without leave
Not strictly just a U.S. Navy term, to go "AWOL" means to be absent without leave. This is a very serious offence, and when caught, the person who was "AWOL" will be in very serious trouble.
None of the above
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No sailor wants to end up in "Davey Jones' locker". Where is that exactly?
An appointment on shore
The bottom of the ocean
Simply put, "Davey Jones' locker" is the bottom of the ocean. Many a ship have been sent to their doom here, especially during wartime. Davey Jones is said to be the ocean's keeper.
A jail on board the ship
None of the above
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In the U.S. Navy, what is "snipe"?
Submariner
Engineer
Engineers aboard U.S. Navy ships are referred to as "snipes." These include machinist's mates, boiler tech's and electrician's mates, among others.
Officer
Gun crew
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Can you tell us what the term "ahoy" is used for?
To greet other ships
"Ahoy" is a U.S. Navy term that's used to bring attention to something. It might simply be "Ahoy, ship on the horizon," as an example. Originally, it was used as a greeting and actually comes from a Viking battle cry.
To bring something to the attention of someone
To tell other ships to get out of the way
None of the above
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You Got:
/35
