Image: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty images
About This Quiz
The phrase "curse like a sailor" is one we all know, and it refers to how people in the military talk, although the Navy is known for throwing f-bombs into everything (e.g., Lieu-f***ing-tenant). And the curse words can get quite creative and colorful, and some have made it into civilian life. Many times, the strong language is hidden in acronyms. Take for example the well known FUBAR, which means (in the more G-rated version) "Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition." Sometimes recognition is replaced with repair. You may not know FUBER, which takes "all recognition" and replaces it with "economical repair".
NAVspeak, as some from the U.S. Navy call it, is a language all its own. A lot of it is full of sarcasm, jokes and phrases which play on words, like the nicknames of their ships. One prime example is Sh*tty Hawk, which is a nickname for the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). You can imagine what that means for the oldest ship in the US Navy. There's a lot in this quiz we couldn't use because it was just way too salty, even with a little censoring. But by the time you finish it, you'll be able to curse like a sailor and, many times, not necessarily offend anyone – unless they know the NATO phonetic alphabet. Oscar Mike Golf! Ready to shove off into the less polite language of the Navy? We hope you have fun on this quiz! Bon voyage!
If you hear someone say to you "Sierra Tango Foxtrot Uniform", what do you need to do?
Be quiet.
This "code" is an acronym for a more strongly worded way to tell someone to shut up. Specifically it means, shut the f*** up.
Get moving.
Carry out an order.
Give further instructions.
Advertisement
Which of the following phrases best describes an undesirable situation?
JANFU
Sh*t sandwich
If you've watched the movie "Full Metal Jacket", then you're familiar with the phrase "sh*t sandwich". The less profane phrase is "soup sandwich". Whatever the sandwich is made of, it's implied that you have to eat it and just deal with the undesirable situation.
Rat f*ck
GTFO
Advertisement
Which phrase can be both a friendly and hostile goodbye?
Bravo Zulu
Blue Falcon
Anchor Clanker
Alpha Mike Foxtrot
Using the NATO phonetic alphabet, Alpha Mike Foxtrot is an acronym which means "Adios Mother F****r". Within a garrison, it can be a fond farewell, but in combat, it's not said with any fondness or kindness.
Advertisement
Which phrase describes an error or a confusing situation?
SNAFU
One of the many Naval acronyms, SNAFU means "Situation Normal: All F***ed Up." The G-rated version of this phrase uses "all fouled up". The acronym came around the WWII era, as military members bitterly embraced the chaos that was war and combat.
SHAMU
WUNA
SAR
Advertisement
The Navy works with other branches of the military, but sometimes things go awry. Which phrase is about working with the Army?
AFRTS
JANFU
JANFU is an acronym which means "Joint Army-Navy F*** Up". A JANFU appears to not happen often, but it's another way to explain a very messy situation.
CAG
COMRATS
Advertisement
Of the following possible answers, which description best fits the phrase,"Charlie Foxtrot"?
Kudos, well done!
An expression of anger
Time to check-in
A messy, confusing mess
Charlie Foxtrot is the NATO phonetic alphabet version of the phrase "cluster f***". Usually, a Charlie Foxtrot involves a group of people and multiple errors building up to a complete disaster.
Advertisement
Which acronym means to keep going no matter the circumstances?
FNG
FAWCU
FIDO
FIDO is an acronym which stands for "F*** It, Drive On." You should just keep on moving, even when the proverbial sh*t has hit the fan.
BFE
Advertisement
Hearing the phrase "Delta Sierra," what is this code for?
Leaving ship
Ordinary day
Top honors
Stupid mistake
Sometimes, things just don't go as planned and mistakes happen. Delta Sierra is the NATO phonetic alphabet phrase for "Dumb Sh*t".
Advertisement
Someone who is called a "Blue Falcon" is considered to be what kind of person?
Loyal
Deceitful
Also known as "Bravo Foxtrot", no one wants to be called a Blue Falcon, or known more strongly – a Buddy F***er. This shipmate will screw over their fellow shipmates for their own benefit and cannot be trusted.
Fun
Stupid
Advertisement
If a situation is unlucky or doomed, then what naval acronym would best fit?
SOS
WEFT
FML
SOL
SOL is an acronym you're probably familiar with when it's written out. It stands for "sh*t out of luck", which is pretty self-explanatory.
Advertisement
Telling someone "Foxtrot Uniform" is code for what?
Let's get drunk.
Forget it.
Screw you.
Here's another way that the NATO phonetic alphabet can hide a strong, foul message. Foxtrot Uniform means "F*** you".
Fleet up.
Advertisement
If you really don't care about something, what acronym would you use?
DILLIGAF
Maybe you recognize what the last three letters of this acronym means. DILLIGAF stands for Does It Look Like I Give A F***? If you want to be extra colorful, you can add another F for "Does It Look Like I Give A Flying F***?"
FNG
FAWCU
GTFO
Advertisement
Which acronym means that things are more messed up than normal?
FUMTU
FUMTU can be seen as an escalation of SNAFU. It means "F***ed Up More Than Usual." So things are a step above the usual messed-up state.
SH
SNAFU
JANFU
Advertisement
Calling someone or something "Sierra Hotel" means what?
Neat
Impressive
Using the NATO phonetic alphabet, "Sierra Hotel" stands for SH, meaning "Sh*t Hot." This isn't the same as hot sh*t, because that means someone who thinks they're impressive or wonderful. Sierra Hotel is a compliment.
Okay
Messy
Advertisement
If someone hears a story or statement that doesn't sound completely true or is wrong, what would be a naval reply?
Raising the b.s. flag
"The bullsh*t flag" is of course not a literal flag that one would raise. But if someone is full of hot air or crap, then you'd say that you're "raising the bullsh*t flag."
RTFM
SOS
Oscar Sierra
Advertisement
What acronym is a sarcastic salute to the Navy?
WEFT
MARF
FAWCU
FTN
In the Navy, there's a lot of sarcasm used, and FTN encapsulates how some sailors feel about seemingly unfair Navy rules and regulations. It means "F*ck the Navy" and you'll often find it written in bathroom stalls or in other hard-to-reach places. It's meant to annoy higher ups.
Advertisement
Which of the following acronyms means an isolated or faraway place?
FOAD
FNG
BFE
This may be an acronym that you're familiar with. BFE is usually just said as "bumf*** Egypt" and it typically refers to a deployment or duty station that's not only far away, but isolated with maybe not that much to do. Another way of saying this is "Big F***ing Empty".
RTFM
Advertisement
Which of the following terms means something is inoperable or malfunctioning?
Broke-d*ck
This is one of those terms that is pretty straightforward. Anything that's not working right can be considered broke-d*ck and is usually used as an adjective.
MARF
Gaff off
SOS
Advertisement
The shortened version of this foul phrase is "a monkey and a football"? Do you know what it means?
Someone is dishonorably discharged.
Someone has gone AWOL.
How someone is mishandling a situation
If you hear "a monkey and a football," it may sound a little bizarre, but it's similar to the phrase "cluster f***". It's a shortened phrase for a longer, more colorful phrase: "A monkey f***ing is a football, and the football is winning". This describes how someone is poorly handling a situation.
Someone is sick on ship.
Advertisement
If someone says FIGMO, what does it usually NOT mean?
About to be discharged
Uninterested in an assignment
Excited to have official orders
Getting reprimanded
FIGMO is a military acronym which means "F*** It, Got My Orders" (also written as FIIGMO). You could be excited or relieved to finally have official orders to go to a different place, or you could say it as a way to show disinterest in a current assignment. It could also mean that you're about to be discharged, or that you're about to complete an assignment.
Advertisement
Which of the following acronyms is a strong way to tell someone to leave?
MRE
GTFO
This acronym may be one that you already know. GTFO stands for "Get The F*ck Out", pronounced GIT-foe. You'll likely hear this during training and in combat.
TARFU
USN
Advertisement
Which acronym describes a really messy situation, but one that is still recognizable?
JANFU
TARFU
TARFU is an acronym which stands for "Things Are Really F***ed Up". It's more messed up or fouled up than SNAFU or FUMTU, but possibly still redeemable.
WTF
FUBIJAR
Advertisement
In what situation would you hear the acronym NO GAS?
When someone needs to be quiet
NO GAS is an acronym for a strongly worded rebuke: "No One Gives A Sh*t." You'll probably hear someone from a higher rank say this to someone in a lower rank.
When you're really tired
When someone has passed gas
When you need to get food
Advertisement
What's a term used by higher-ups to describe where they get their brilliant ideas?
PAPER CLIP
PCOD
PDOOMA
PDOOMA (pronounced "pa-dooma") is a magical place where good ideas come from. PDOOMA stands for "Pulled Directly Out Of My A**".
PB
Advertisement
Which of the following acronyms describes the meal of creamed, chipped beef on toast?
CCB
SLUF
SLJO
SOS
SOS stands for "Same Old Sh*t" or "Sh*t on a Shingle". This meal of chipped beef in a milk gravy on toast is a staple in the Navy. Some even like it, but it's hard to like it every day (thus the other name, Same Old Sh*t).
Advertisement
Which acronym is a sarcastic name for a newcomer?
WUNG
BNG
HNG
FUNGUS
The Navy is full of sarcasm, although some of this may be rooted in some truth, since newcomers take a while to learn the ropes. FUNGUS stands for : "F*** You, New Guy, You Suck".
Advertisement
If someone asks too many questions, or doesn't seem to know what they're doing, what's the acronym that would most likely be used?
RTFM
For someone who is new on the ship, or maybe someone who should know better, there's this acronym: RTFM. This stands for "Read the F***ing Manual". The G-rated version is "Read Those Fine Manuals".
FNG
WEFT
NS
Advertisement
Which of the following acronyms is similar to the word "guesstimate"?
SOS
SWAG
Before Kanye made this word famous, SWAG was a slang acronym used in the military and seems to have been first used in the Vietnam War. SWAG stands for "Scientific Wild-A** Guess", and that's usually based on someone's experience and gut feelings vs. actual facts and research.
TOD
GITMO
Advertisement
Which of the following is an official acronym for identifying aircraft but is also a biting phrase about nothing going right?
ATFQ
HMFIC
GUAM
WEFT
Officially, WEFT stands for "Wings Exhaust (or Engine) Fuselage Tail", which is how ships identify aircraft or prop aircraft that's in the area. But the more salty version of this acronym is "Wrong Every F***ing Time" because usually the identification is wrong.
Advertisement
Which acronym is another "welcoming" term for someone new?
BBG
FNG
FNG stands for "F***ing New Guy." It became popular as a derogatory term during the Vietnam War because newcomers tended to leave the armed forces earlier than more experienced servicemembers. Until someone can prove themselves, the label FNG will stick.
NFO
GCE
Advertisement
Which salty acronym is similar to the one that's about things being fouled up beyond repair?
FUBB
You might not be familiar with this acronym, but it's used in the Navy and elsewhere. FUBB stands for "F***ed Up Beyond Belief", which is stronger than SNAFU.
FOAD
HAZREP
HSC
Advertisement
If you are asking someone what just happened over the airwaves, what acronym would you use?
XO
ZUT
WTFO
WTF is probably something you're already familiar with (what the f***?). In NATO phonetic alphabet, that's Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (also the name of a movie). But you'd add the O (or Oscar) if you're asking someone via voice communications (sometimes pronounced "wit-fo").
WESTPAC
Advertisement
Which of the following acronyms is a very derogatory way to tell someone to leave you alone?
MARF
GFO
IYAOYAS
ESFOAD
This is one of the strongest ways you can tell someone you don't like them or you don't want to do what has been asked of you. ESFOAD stands for "Eat Sh*t, F*** Off And Die". There's also just FOAD (pronounced "fo-ad").
Advertisement
Which of the following is an acronym commonly used by reservists?
FUBIJAR
Here's another response to being asked to do something you may not want to do because you're only there for a couple of weeks, as reservists typically get activated two weeks every year. FUBIJAR stands for "F*** You Buddy, I'm Just A Reservist".
FUBAR
FUFU
FRS
Advertisement
This acronym is technically the name of a nuclear research reactor in New York, but it's also a command from a naval superior.
ROTC
LTDB
MARF
MARF officially stands for "Modifications and Additions to Reactor Facilities", which is now a training facility. But a superior saying MARF to someone who is a roving watchstander on a ship means "Make Another Round, F***er." "FOAD" is a common response to MARF.
POON
Advertisement
You Got:
/35