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Navy Jargon/Slang
4 May 2015 | Incredulous Joe

Posted on 05/04/2015 10:07:22 AM PDT by incredulous joe

I was recently on a hike with my son's Naval Jr. ROTC unit. I spent a lot of time chatting with my son's instructor, a retired Naval Commander. Normally, when I hear slang or jargon that I am unfamiliar with I am not too shy to ask what it means. However, if one understands the context of what such terminology means then there is no reason to actually stop a conversation. Anyway. the commander used a phase, I believe it meant to do what is absolutely the least possible to acquire an objective or to achieve rank? I believe the phrase was "gun decking" or possibly "deck gunning"?? Does that ring any bells? Can anyone illuminate the phrase and what it means. Thanks.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: jargon; navy; slang
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1 posted on 05/04/2015 10:07:22 AM PDT by incredulous joe
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To: incredulous joe

gun decking = pencil whipping, i.e. filling out the paperwork without performing the actual task(s)


2 posted on 05/04/2015 10:10:19 AM PDT by tgusa (gun control: hitting your target.)
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To: incredulous joe

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gundeck

This is what it meant when I was in the Navy.


3 posted on 05/04/2015 10:10:26 AM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: tgusa

Thanks


4 posted on 05/04/2015 10:12:59 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("No road is too long with good company" Turkish Proverb)
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To: Bryanw92

Thanks, we were discussing the fact that my son was struggling to complete his Eagle requirement for BSA and he mentioned that a lot of boys today simply “gundeck” the process toward the end. I knew what he meant, but always love the colorful navy descriptions.


5 posted on 05/04/2015 10:14:52 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("No road is too long with good company" Turkish Proverb)
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To: Bryanw92
From UD:

The area on old British warships below the upperdeck, to give a false perception of the actual amount of ammuniton onboard. This is supposedly how the term was derived.

Is this saying that they'd display a bunch of powder and shot on the gun deck during some sort of official visit, but have (nearly) empty magazines?

6 posted on 05/04/2015 10:15:33 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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To: incredulous joe
The term gun decking goes back to the pre-WWII battleships.

One of the required tasks for the navigator was the taking of noon sights. This requires that the sun be brought down to the horizon using a sextant. This gives the ship's latitude.

The horizon is not visible from the gun deck. Therefore, if you just used the tables to get the sun's or a star's altitude rather than actually taking the sights, you have "gun decked" your sights.

Hope this helps.

"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)

LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

7 posted on 05/04/2015 10:17:41 AM PDT by LonePalm (Commander and Chef)
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To: NorthMountain

I took it to mean a below deck that actually had no cannons, but made to look like it did have cannons. A way to fool a distant enemy ship.


8 posted on 05/04/2015 10:29:57 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: LonePalm

It does and I just think the slang and the point of origin is fascinating stuff.


9 posted on 05/04/2015 10:30:53 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("No road is too long with good company" Turkish Proverb)
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To: incredulous joe

gun decking = pencil whipping.


10 posted on 05/04/2015 10:35:42 AM PDT by Rodamala
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To: tgusa

Good boy. Now here’s some geedunk and pogey bait for you, mate.


11 posted on 05/04/2015 10:37:24 AM PDT by sparklite2
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To: incredulous joe

Here are 2 useful links:

Navy Acronyms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._Navy_acronyms#C

Navy Slang:
goatlocker.org/resources/nav/navyslang.pdf


12 posted on 05/04/2015 10:38:16 AM PDT by paterfamilias
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To: Leaning Right
Hmmm ... maybe, but the old "Ships of the Line" had real guns on multiple decks. See HMS Victory:

She had (has?) real guns behind all those ports.

13 posted on 05/04/2015 10:38:21 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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To: Leaning Right

I guess putting fake guns behind some of those ports might fool a distant enemy ... until the shooting starts.


14 posted on 05/04/2015 10:39:57 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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To: incredulous joe

gun decking = recording false data, as in maintenance checkoff lists or test data results.


15 posted on 05/04/2015 10:40:01 AM PDT by NRA1995 (I'd rather be a living "gun culture" member than a dead anti-gun candy-ass.)
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To: NorthMountain
Beautiful ship, the HMS Victory. And she had better have real cannon behind all those gun ports. Because the way the British navy is cutting back, that old ship might be called back into active service.
16 posted on 05/04/2015 10:42:42 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: NorthMountain
I guess putting fake guns behind some of those ports might fool a distant enemy ... until the shooting starts.

Back in the 17th century, that was a common tactic among merchant ships that sailed in pirate-infested waters. But as you noted, a pirate willing to take a little risk could find out for sure.

17 posted on 05/04/2015 10:46:27 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: Leaning Right

Those ships made for a “green” navy, that was “energy independent” ...

Not terribly “sustainable” though ... Mother Gaia weeps for the destruction of the sacred “old growth forests”.


18 posted on 05/04/2015 10:46:46 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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To: Leaning Right
a pirate willing to take a little risk

Pirating was an inherently risky business. That potential target over there ... is she an armed merchantman or a Sloop o' War? A pirate bet his life on guessing correctly.

None of which brings me any closer to knowing exactly what, during the Age of Sail, was literally meant by 'gundecking'.

19 posted on 05/04/2015 10:52:58 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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To: NorthMountain

Ships of the Line had guns on two or three decks. However, frigates and ship sloops had guns on only one deck, and what was called the gun deck had no guns mounted.


20 posted on 05/04/2015 10:58:40 AM PDT by centurion316
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