As with all armed forces throughout history, the French Grande Armée of the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

 used a colorful and extensive vocabulary of slang

Slang

Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...

 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

La Grande Armée

The Grande Armée first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain...

 and Military slang

Military slang

Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...

. 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

L'Armée du Nord

The Army of the North or Armée du Nord is a name given to several historical units of the French Army. The first was one of the French Revolutionary Armies that fought with distinction against the First Coalition from 1792 to 1795...

 included here for the sake of interest and completeness.

A

Abbaye-de-Sot-Bougre (Abbey of drunks) : the camp prison

un abreuvoir à mouches (fly's drinking trough) : a deep gash in one's face

avoir sa pente (to have one's slope) : to be a drinker.

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

B

la bamboche (lit. the marionette, fig. debauchery) : The Legion of Honour

Légion d'honneur

The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...

.

un beau sabreur (a fine swashbuckler) : a Hussar

Hussar

Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....

.

la bouffarde (the puffer) : a short-stemmed pipe.

briscard (from brisque, insignia of a rehired soldier) : a veteran campaigner.

brise-muraille (wall-breaker, or fort-breaker) : artilleryman

le brutal (the brutal one) : Artillery.

un bulletin (bulletin/report) : a liar

C

Les Carabins (Sawbones) : Surgeons.

Le Casse-Poitrine (Gut Breaker) : Strong drink.

Les Céleris (Celery Eaters) : Commissary officers.

Le Chapeau (The Hat) : Napoleon Bonaparte.

La charmante (the charming [woman]) : mange/scabies

Le Cheval Brutal (Brutal Horse) : Horse artillery

Horse artillery

Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support to European and American armies from the 17th to the early 20th century...

.

La Côte de Boeuf (Side of Beef) : A sabre.

Les Cousins de l'Empereur (The Emperor's cousins) : Corsicans.

Un Crâne (Skull, referring to the brain within) : An experienced campaigner.

Le Crucifix à Ressort (Springed Crucifix) : A pistol.

Le Coucou (Cuckoo) : A French eagle.

French Imperial Eagle

French Imperial Eagle refers to the figure of an eagle on a staff carried into battle as a standard by the Grande Armée of Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars....

Le cul-de-singe (monkey's arse) : the round, red, insignia patch on the grenadiers' mufti

Les Cupidons (little Cupids) : Russian Bashkir archers

D

La Débine : Poverty.

Défiler en Parade (March Off) : To die in battle.

Déjeuner à la fourchette (lunch on a fork, or eating lunch with a fork) : a bayonet attack

Descendre la Garde (Drop One's Guard) : To die in battle.

Dur à cuire (lit. "hard to cook", tough guy) : An experienced campaigner.

Dur Cormant (Hardwood) : Beef.

E

embrassé par une demoiselle (kissed by a young lady) : wounded by a cannonball

être mis aux mites (put in with the moths) : Jailed.

être abîmé (being damaged) : To be wounded.

F

Faire une Bosse (To make a Bump) : Eat well.

La Fête (The Party) : War.

La flûte a gros bec (the big-mouthed flute) : Artillery

Un Frileux (One who is sensitive to cold) : A frightened soldier.

Friser (To Graze) : A near miss.

G

Génies (génie has many French definitions -- Genie

Genie

Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...

, wizard, genius, engineer) : Military engineer

Military engineer

In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...

s

Gilets de Fer (Steel Vests) : Cuirassier

Cuirassier

Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. They were the successors of the medieval armoured knights...

s.

un gigot (a leg [as in leg of lamb]) : an ugly or botched amputation

Les Goddams

Les goddams

During the Hundred Years' War and many other conflicts between England and France in the Middle Ages, the French came to call the English les goddamns or les goddams after their frequent expletives...

(the "god damns") : British infantry.

Les Grands Chapeaux (The Big Hats): Napoleon and his Marshals

Marshal of France

The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...

Les Grognards (The Grumblers/Growlers) : Imperial Old Guards

Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he was careful of its use in battle...

.

Gros Talons (Big Heels) : Cuirassier

Cuirassier

Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. They were the successors of the medieval armoured knights...

s.

H

Heureux comme un poisson sur la paille (as happy as a fish in the hay) : to be depressed

Hypothèque (Mortgage) : Be wounded.

L

Lampion (Chinese Lantern) : Napoleon Bonaparte's cocked hat. Derived from the similar sounding "L'Empereur".

M

Marchand de mort subite (merchant of sudden-death) : the Master-at-Arms

Marche à Regret (Unwilling walker/marcher) : Conscript.

Marche à Terre (Walks on land, or land-walker) : Foot slogger.

marcher à la queue au loup (marching holding the wolf's tail) : a night march (soldiers would hold onto the coattails of the soldier in front)

Marie-Louise

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma

Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...

: Enthusiastic but inexperienced Conscript of the 1813-15 drafts.

Mettre les Dents au Crochet (Set One's Teeth on Edge) : To be starving.

Mettre sa vaisselle à l'air (airing one's crockery) : Wearing (showing-off) one's medals

La Mie de Pain (Breadcrumbs) : Fleas.

Le Mot de Cambronne (The Word of Cambronne

Cambronne

Pierre Jacques Étienne Cambronne, later Pierre, Viscount Cambronne , was a General of the French Empire. He fought during the wars of the Revolution and the Napoleonic Era. He was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo....

) : Shit! (Merde!).

Le mois de Napoléon (Napoleon's month) : the thirteenth month of one's tour

Les Musikos : Brothels.

La Musique (The Music) : War.

O

L'oiseau (The Bird) : A French eagle.

On Déchire de la Mousseline (They Are Ripping Muslin) : A Volley of Fire (by poorly drilled troops).

P

Le Patron (The Boss) : Napoleon Bonaparte.

peint à l'encaustique (painted with furniture polish) : an inexperienced hussar (they would draw moustaches on them)

Le Petit Caporal (Little(humble) Corporal) : Napoleon Bonaparte.

Le Petit Tondu (Little Shaved/Mowed One) : Napoleon Bonaparte.

Les Pékins (The Muftis) : Civilians.

Piler du Poivre (Grind Peppercorns) : Sentry duty.

pousse-caillou (pebble-pusher) : infantryman

Pousser la botte au cochon (to kick [lit. push one's boot against] the pig) : running one's sword through somebody's throat

R

Une Rafale (A gust) : A frightened soldier.

Le raisin (Grape) : Blood.

Riz-Pain-Sel (Rice, Bread, Salt) : Commissary officers.

Le Rogomme (Booze) : Strong drink.

S

Les sans-culottes (the no-pants) : Scots

Les Sauterelles (Grasshoppers) : British riflemen.

Le Sauve-la-Vie (Life Saver) : Strong drink.

la savate (the old slipper) : a punishment where soldiers were spanked with spiked shoes

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 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

V

Vieille Moustache (Old moustache) : Veteran campaigner.

Vielle culotte (old pants) : A veteran

Vrai Bougre (True fellow) : Veteran campaigner.