This is a list of acronyms, expressions , euphemisms, jargon, military slang, and sayings in common or formerly common use in the United States Marine Corps. Many of the words or phrases have varying levels of acceptance among different units or communities, and some also have varying levels of appropriateness (usually dependent on how senior the user is in rank). Many terms also have equivalents among other service branches that are not acceptable amongst Marines, but are comparable in meaning. Many acronyms and terms have come into common use from voice procedure use over communication channels, translated into the NATO phonetic alphabet, or both. Many are or derive from nautical terms and other naval terminology. Most vehicles and aircraft have a formal acronym and/or an informal nickname, those are detailed in their own articles.
The scope of this list is to include words and phrases that are unique to or predominantly used by the Marine Corps or the United States Naval Service. For other military slang lists, see the "See also" section. Items on this list must be notable, and not terms that you made up or are known to only a small group.
0–9
- 29 Stumps — Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, so named for its desolation.
- 360 — complete circle on a compass (360°); to put protection all around.
- 48 , 72 , & 96 — in hours, the standard holiday periods of two, three, or four days of liberty.
- 782 gear or deuce gear — standard issue web gear, combat gear, or field equipment, such as ALICE, MOLLE, or ILBE. Named after standard Marine Corps Form 782, which Marines formerly signed when they took custody of and responsibility for their equipment.
- 8 bells — signal for the end of a four-hour watch, so named for the incrementally increasing number of bells at half-hours.
- 8th & I — nickname for Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. so named from its street address at the corner of 8th and I Streets SE. See also Eighth & I.
A
- above my/your pay grade — expression denying responsibility or authority (indicating that the issue should be brought to higher-ranking officials).
- acquire — euphemism denoting theft, sometimes jokingly referred to as "tactical".
- acting jack — assistant drill instructor, or an acting Corporal.
- AHA — Ammunition Holding Area, where ammo is stored and issued. See also ASP.
- ahoy — traditional nautical greeting, used for hailing other boats.
- airdale — person who works in aviation; not to be confused with airedale terrier.
- Air Force salute — to say, "I know" by a shrug.
- Air Force pockets or Army gloves — an individual's hands being inside his or her pockets.
- ALICE — All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment, an older form of combat gear still in occasional use in some Marine activities, replaced by MOLLE and ILBE.
- all hands — entire ship's company or unit personnel, including all officers and enlisted personnel; also, the official Navy magazine.
- alphas or class As — Service Alpha uniform from the NATO phonetic alphabet for the letter A.
- amtrac or amtrack — portmanteau for amphibious tractor; not to be confused with the railroad company Amtrak.
- ANGLICO — Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.
- ant farm or ant hill — combat outpost with a large number of radio antennae visible.
- APC — large, white tablet formerly issued for minor discomfort, that was commonly (albeit mistakenly) called an "all-purpose capsule," in reality named after its ingredients: aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine; replaced by 800 mg ibuprofen today; less commonly refers to an armored personnel carrier, primarily an Army term.
- ARMY — Aren't Ready for Marine's Yet/Aren't Really Men Yet, pejorative backronym used by other branches.
- Asiatic — mildly deranged or eccentric as a result of too much foreign duty, or one who has missed too many boats.
- ASP — Ammunition Supply Point, where ammo is stored and issued. See also AHA.
- ass pack — small pack worn around the belt above the buttocks, similar to Fanny pack. See also butt pack.
- as you were — order to disregard the immediately preceding order, often in response to a call to "attention on deck" or when the orders issued were mistaken, phrased as "as I was" when speaking to a superior.
- ate up — person unaware of what's going on; one who is always lazy, in disarray, and unsatisfactory.
- aviation units — See also active squadrons, inactive squadrons, & aviation support units
- HMX - Marine Helicopter Squadron
- HMH - Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
- HML - Marine Light Helicopter Squadrons
- HMLA - Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron
- HMLAT - Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron
- HMM - Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron
- HMT - Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron
- HMMT - Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron
- LAAD Bn - Low-altitude Air Defense Battalion
- MACS - Marine Air Control Squadron
- MASS - Marine Air Support Squadron
- MALS - Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron
- MOTS - Marine Operational Training Squadrons
- MTACS - Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron
- MWSS - Marine Wing Support Squadron
- MWCS - Marine Wing Communications Squadron
- MWHS - Marine Wing Headquarters squadron
- VMAQ - Marine Electronic Warfare Squadron
- VMA - Marine Attack Squadron
- VMAT - Marine Attack Training Squadron
- VMB - Marine Bombing Squadrons
- VMC - Marine Composite Squadrons
- VMCJ - Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadrons
- VMD - Marine Photographic Squadrons
- VMF - Marine Fighter Squadron
- VMF(N) - Marine Night Fighter Squadrons
- VMFA - Marine Fighter Attack Squadron
- VMFA(AW) - Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron
- VMFAT - Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron
- VMFP - Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
- VMGR - Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Squadron
- VMGRT - Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Training Squadron
- VMJ - Marine Reconnaissance Squadron / Marine Target Towing Detachments
- VML - Marine Glider Squadron
- VMM - Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron
- VMMT - Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron
- VMO - Marine Observation Squadron
- VMP - Marine Patrol Squadron
- VMR - Marine Transport Squadrons
- VMS - Marine Scouting Squadrons
- VMSB - Marine Scout Bombing Squadrons
- VMTB - Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadrons
- VMTD - Marine Target Towing Detachments
- VMU - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron
- VMX - Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron
- ZMQ - Marine Barrage Balloon Squadrons
- aye-aye or aye — nautical term used as a response to orders meaning "I understand the orders I have received and will carry them out"; supposedly a corruption of the words "yea, yea," a claim advanced that Cockney accents changed the "yea" to "yi", and from there to "aye".
B
- baby dick — small hot dog or sausage.
- baby G — Brigadier General, the lowest ranking general.
- bad bear — a phrase or expression used to indicate that a certain situation or object is difficult. Example - "The night land nav course at TBS is a bad bear!"
- bag nasty — A-ration bagged meal issued to Marines (usually recruits or in the field) that usually contains: a sandwich (ham, turkey, and bologna are common), a hard boiled egg, fruit, and a small bag of potato chips; often served with a beverage such as juice or milk.
- BAH — Basic Allowance for Housing, a pay addendum that allows a servicemember to maintain housing appropriate for his or her dependents when not living in government quarters; formerly known as Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ).
- BAMCIS — mnemonic for the troop leading steps, a tactical decision making process; denotes: Begin the planning, Arrange reconnaissance, Make recon, Complete the planning, Issue order, Supervise.
- barracks cover — fabric-covered frame cap, worn green with
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