As with all armed forces throughout history, the French Grande Armée of the Napoleonic Wars used a colorful and extensive vocabulary of slang terms to describe their lives, times and circumstances and express their reactions towards them.
This is a partial glossary article meant to supplement the articles on La Grande Armée and Military slang. Providing such information can greatly help the reader to understand and appreciate the lives of these soldiers. There are also a few terms included from the later Armée du Nord included here for the sake of interest and completeness.
1) a cutting or thrusting weapon (such as a sword or lance) rather than gunpowder weapons like firearms or cannon. 2) The cavalry, especially hussars and lancers.
Les autres chiens (the other dogs, pun for autrichiens, French for Austrians)
Austrians
Avoir de la garnison (having a garrison)
to have lice
Avoir des engelures aux yeux (having frostbitten eyes)
to be afraid during an attack
avoir sa pente (to have one's slope)
to be a drinker.
B
la bamboche (lit. the marionette, fig. debauchery)
Radical left-wing partisans of the lower classes. They wore worker's pantaloons and socks rather than gentlemen's breeches and hose.
Les Sauterelles (Grasshoppers)
British riflemen, who wore green uniforms rather than the red uniforms issued to common British infantry.
Le Sauve-la-Vie (Life Saver)
Strong drink.
la savate (the old boot)
an informal punishment where a soldier who had committed an infraction against his fellows was forcibly bent over and then kicked in the buttocks by his squadmates. Typical charges were for concealing small valuables or loot, badly preparing the squad's meal, straggling on the march, or arriving too late on the battlefield. Victims were sentenced to either the "thin" or the "fat" of the boot depending on the severity of the infraction. Using the "thin" part was kicking with the sole or side of the toe (which was less painful) and using the "fat" part was stomping the target with the heel of the boot (which was more painful).
Se faire laver les cheveux avec du plomb (to have one's hair washed with lead)
to be executed by firing squad.
Les soldats à la crème (soldiers served with cream)
Austrian troops (because of their white uniforms).
T
Teufels ('Devils')
Prussian infantry.
Le Tondu ('The Shorn One')
Napoleon
Tourner de l'oeil (Roll One's Eyes/Faint)
To die.
Trouver (To Find)
To steal.
le trottoir à punaises (the bedbugs' sidewalk)
the ornamental fringe on a shako visor
U
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (July 2010)
V
Vieille Moustache (Old moustache)
Veteran campaigner.
Vieille culotte (old pants)
A veteran
Vrai Bougre (True fellow)
Veteran campaigner.
References
Chandler, David, Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. London 1979
Haythornthwaite, Philip, Who Was Who in the Napoleonic Wars, London, 1998.
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