The way I see it, if the lad getting called it wasn't offended, no-one else has a right to be.
TBH, knowing some military nicknames, this is affectionate and means the guy is well liked. If people wanted to be offensive in the Army, they'd be a lot more creative!
Everyone in the military has a nickname. Most are offensive to outsiders, but are meant affectionately. I was on the same squadron as Raghead (a Sikh), Shitty (surname Day), Clunk (who was crap at marching), Bogtrotter (Irish guy), Mini-Taff (a short Welsh engineer), Dresden (famous for bombing out with the ladies), and OLSO (short for Outer Space Liaison Officer - an esoteric chap).
When someone is disliked, or not part of the team, they tend to get referred to by their surname in public, and a creative, cryptic offensive nickname behind their back. An example was a guy who was a pain in the arse on my squadron, whose behind-the-back nickname was Flush (fat lazy useless shit-heap).
This is the culture of the military, and it's the culture that binds people together and makes them take care of each other in exceptionally challenging circumstances. It's hard to understand it without experiencing it. In all my time in the military, I am pleased to say that I never saw a single act of racist or sexist discrimination, although I did see a lot of well-intentioned piss-taking with nothing off-limits.
Sounds about right and was kind of the impression I get about military life. I don't think most outsiders can fully understand squadron humour to be honest.
The way I see it, if the lad getting called it wasn't offended, no-one else has a right to be.
TBH, knowing some military nicknames, this is affectionate and means the guy is well liked. If people wanted to be offensive in the Army, they'd be a lot more creative!
Everyone in the military has a nickname. Most are offensive to outsiders, but are meant affectionately. I was on the same squadron as Raghead (a Sikh), Shitty (surname Day), Clunk (who was crap at marching), Bogtrotter (Irish guy), Mini-Taff (a short Welsh engineer), Dresden (famous for bombing out with the ladies), and OLSO (short for Outer Space Liaison Officer - an esoteric chap).
When someone is disliked, or not part of the team, they tend to get referred to by their surname in public, and a creative, cryptic offensive nickname behind their back. An example was a guy who was a pain in the arse on my squadron, whose behind-the-back nickname was Flush (fat lazy useless shit-heap).
This is the culture of the military, and it's the culture that binds people together and makes them take care of each other in exceptionally challenging circumstances. It's hard to understand it without experiencing it. In all my time in the military, I am pleased to say that I never saw a single act of racist or sexist discrimination, although I did see a lot of well-intentioned piss-taking with nothing off-limits.
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