Slang Words Used during the American Civil War



essence coffeeWords and phrases have changed over the decades. The way someone expressed themselves could have been acceptable and understood a hundred years ago and not understood today. People change and so does the language.

Online is a listing “Civil War Slang” with meanings of some words and phrases, compiled by G. M. Atwater, that date back to the mid-1800s – especially around the time of the American Civil War.

Some of these phrases are still used today where others are not. The phrase ‘snug as a bug’ meant you were very comfortable. Then there is ‘pig sticker’ – this one is not used today, it referred to a knife. But if someone had an ‘Arkansas Toothpick’ it meant they had a very large and sharp knife. Another was ‘go boil your shirt’, which meant go away, get lost.

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You might have come across some of these words and phrases especially if your ancestor kept a diary during the war. A common phrase for a food product used by soldiers was ’embalmed beef’ which was their meat supply in a can. There was ‘essence of coffee’ which was just a coffee favored paste – a form of instant coffee. There is ‘Lucifers’ – Civil War matches.

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So as you scan down the list see how many you know are still used and others you never heard of before. Keep this as a reference or make a ‘copy/paste’ in a computer document for later reference. 

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Thank you very much ... it is appreciated you taking the time to comment. I do try to locate the more unusual and different aspects faced by our ancestors. Keep reading.
alice 29/05/14




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