Regimental nicknames of the Canadian Forces

Many regiments have over the years earned nicknames; some laudatory, some derogatory, but all colourful. Sometimes, the nicknames themselves have overshadowed the actual regimental title, e.g. the "Van Doos" for the Royal 22^e Régiment. In some cases the nickname actually replaced it: in 1881, the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot became officially known by its nickname, The Black Watch.

What follows is a list of nicknames of Canadian regiments, arranged alphabetically by regimental title. A brief explanation of the origin of the nickname, where known, is included.

Regimental nicknames

#

*1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/1_combat_engineer_regiment.jpgShoulder title: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment] ]
**1 Career Ending RegimentFact|date=April 2007

*1st Hussars (1 H) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/1st_hussars.jpgShoulder title: 1st Hussars] ]
**1st HosersFact|date=April 2007

*4th Air Defence Regiment, RCA (4 AD REGT) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/4_AD_REGT.jpgShoulder title: 4th Air Defence Regiment, RCA] ]
**4th Alcohol and Drug RegimentFact|date=April 2007

*5th Field Regiment, RCA (5 RCA)Fact|date=April 2007
**Five Tribe [ [http://www.fivetribe.ca/ www.fivetribe.ca] ]

*5 Service Battalion
**"5 Battalion, No Service": from '"5 BN S"' and soldiers' beliefs their individual needs cannot always be met. Can be applied to any service battalion.

*6^e Régiment d’artillerie de campagne, ARC (6e RAC)Fact|date=April 2007
**"6^e Rack à bicycle"Fact|date=April 2007 (6th Bike Rack)

*7th Toronto Regiment, RCA (7 RCA) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/7th_toronto_regiment.jpgShoulder title: 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA] ]
**7 Guns or 7 Toronto
**Seven Tor (Shortening of the Regiment's name)
**Seven RCAFact|date=April 2007

*8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (VIII CH) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/8th_canadian_hussars.jpgShoulder title: 8th Canadian Hussars] ]
**The Crazy Eights [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-Canada/volmil/nb-cav/08Hussar.htm#traditions Regiments.org: 8th Canadian Hussars] ] : play on the regimental number and the card game
**Channel Eight: play on their slip-ons' abbreviation of their name "CHVIII"Fact|date=April 2007

*12^e Régiment blindé du Canada (12 RBC) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/AR/12eRBC.jpgShoulder title: 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada] ]
**12th Rubber Boot Company: from "12 RBC" [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/qc-inf/086-3riv.htm#traditions Regiments.org: 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada] ]
**"Douzième rangée de beaux caves": from "12 RBC" [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/qc-inf/086-3riv.htm#traditions Regiments.org: 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada] ]

*12th Service Battalion
**12th Circus Battalion

*33 Service Battalion
** The Dirty Thirty: Also refers to any Service Battalion in LFAA

*48th Highlanders of Canada (48 HIGHRS) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/48th_highlanders_of_canada.jpgShoulder title: 48th Highlanders of Canada] ]
**The Dirty Four Dozen [ [http://www.army.dnd.ca/48HIGHLANDERS/48_highrs/regiment_e.htm Army website: 48th Highlanders of Canada] ] : most likely a play on "The Dirty Dozen", where “48” equals four dozen
**The Forty-Eighths
**The Glamour Boys:
***According to Farley Mowat's "The Regiment", the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment were known as "Ploughjockeys" due to their rural recruiting area, while the 48th Highlanders—who recruited from Toronto—were known as "Glamour Boys." This origin is also cited by the The War Amps. [http://www.waramps.ca/military/wwii/awot.html#valguarnera]
***An alternate explanation comes from the blue puttees they wore; during an inspection by King George VI in World War II, the regiment wore blue puttees due to a shortage of khaki material. The king reputedly liked the blue puttees better than the khaki ones worn by the rest of the brigade, and authorized the regiment to keep them. This is the origin cited by the regiment itself. [ [http://www.army.dnd.ca/48HIGHLANDERS/48_highrs/regiment_e.htm Army website: 48th Highlanders of Canada] ]

A–G

*The Algonquin Regiment (ALQ R) [ [http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dglepm/badges-insignia/images/CADPAT/CADPAT-TW/ABBREVUNITID/TW/the_algonquin_regiment.jpgShoulder title: The Algonquin Regiment] ]
**The AlgoonsFact|date=April 2007: from World War II
**The GonksFact|date=April 2007

*The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)
**Ash Cansref|3, from “ASH of C(an)”

*The Brockville Rifles
**The Brocksref|1
**The Broken Riflesref|2

*The Calgary Highlanders
**Cal His: from the short title CALG HIGHRS.
**Calgary Highgrindersref|2
*The Canadian Grenadier Guards
**The Canadian Girl Guidesref|4 from "CGG"
**The Guardsref|1

*The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)
**Can Scotsref|1
**CSR: sometimes confused with 1 Canadian Signals Regiment

*Canadian Special Operations Regiment
**Canadian Soldier on the Run
**Double-doubles, from the similarity in colour between their tan berets and coffee with cream (a "double-double" is a Tim Hortons coffee with two measures of cream and two of sugar)

* The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) (RCAC)
**The Dukes
**Big Chinese Restaurantref|3 based on the large number of Asians in Vancouver

* The British Columbia Dragoons
**Better Class Drinkersref|3
**Best Canadian Drunksref|3

*The Essex and Kent Scottish
**Eeks and Squeaks [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/954ExKnt.htm#traditions Regiments.org: The Essex and Kent Scottish] ]
**Essence of Cuntref|2

*The Fort Garry Horse
**The Garrys [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/mb-cav/34FGH.htm#traditions Regiments.org: The Fort Garry Horse] ]
**Fugahwees, informally, from the initials FGH, as in "where the fugahwe?"
**Fags, Gays, and Homos, from the initials FGH

* Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
** The Fuzz de Sher ref|3, from Fus de Sher, or just the Fuzz, particularly by cross-town rivals, the Sherbrooke Hussars. The regiment's newsletter is also titled "Fuz".

*The Governor General's Foot Guards
**Guards.
**Foot Guards.
**Googoo Foogoosref|3, from “GGFG”.
**God's Gift to Fat Girls, from “GGFG”.
**Gustav Gone For Good or Good God, Forgot the Gustav! Used after the regiment left an 84 mm Carl Gustav anti-tank weapon by the side of a road after a weekend exercise and then drove off. When the mistake was realized, and a party sent to retrieve it, the weapon had vanished.
*The Governor General's Horse Guards
**God’s Gift to Horny Girlsref|4, from “GGHG”
**Gugga Huggasref|3, from “GGHG”
**Gee Gee H Geesref|3, from "GGHG"
**Gee Geesref|3, from "GGHG"
*The Grey and Simcoe Foresters
**Farmer Johns [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/936GSF.htm#traditions Regiments.org The Grey and Simcoe Foresters] ]
**The Gay and Simple Farmers [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/936GSF.htm#traditions Regiments.org The Grey and Simcoe Foresters] ]
**The Green and Slimy ForeskinsFact|date=April 2007

H–Q

*The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
**Hasty Pees, Hasty P’s [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/920HPER.htm#traditions Regiments.org: The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment] ]
**Hasty Pudsref|3 from “HAST PER” with a play on “Hasty pudding”
**Plough Jockeys: from World War II, bestowed because of the regiment's rural roots [ [http://www.theregiment.ca/hpjornal.html Regimental website: The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment] ]

*The Irish Regiment of Canada
**2 Irish(from the regiment in Sudbury, 2nd Batallion)
**2nd Irish
**2 Lep (2 Leprecaun)
**The NOB's (northern ontario battalion, also includes ALQ R)

*The King's Own Calgary Regiment
**King's Own
**Kay Ohs
**Cock Rs
**Knights of Columbus Regiment
*The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
**Lake Superior Snake Rapersref|4
**Lower Slobovian Snake Rapersref|x
**Lake Soups

*The Lincoln and Welland Regiment
**The Lincs [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/936lincw.htm#traditions Regiments.org: The Lincoln and Welland Regiment] ]
**The Lincs and Winks [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/936lincw.htm#traditions Regiments.org: The Lincoln and Welland Regiment] ]

*Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
**Strathconasref|1
**Straths or Stratsref|1
**The Strathconeheads
**Lady Strathcona's Riding Club [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/cav/LSHRC.htm#trad Regiments.org: Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)] ]
**Fatconas
**Fat Strats
**Likeable Dumb Shitheads
**A common joke used during exchanges between soldiers of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) and of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is, "Why don't we do this on a first name basis. You can call me Lord and I'll call you Princess."
*The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)
**The Forlorn Scotsref|2
**The Horny Lornies: jocular rhyme
**Tweety’s or Tweeties: from the primrose hackle resembling the Tweety Bird cartoon character

*The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)
**The Loyal Edsref|1
**Loyal Eddies
**Eddies

*North Saskatchewan Regiment
***Niskerref|3, a humorous pronunciation of their abbreviated name 'N Sask R'
***Niskersref|3, pluralization of the singular 'Nisker'

*The Nova Scotia Highlanders
**Ladies from Hades: from the First World War; a jocular reference to their kilted battle dress and their fierce fighting. [Wilcox, Jack. "When kilted Bluenoses halped forge a nation". "The Halifax Herald," 5 June 2004.]
**Highlanders: This name can also be applied to other highland regiments, but is used mainly to describe this regiment. The could also be derived from the common name (highlander) of the unit's cap badge.

*The Ontario Regiment
**Ontarsref|3 from “OntR”
**Scaredy Cats: from the unit's cap badge, a cat with an arched back
**The Pissing Cats, as above
**Screaming Pussies, as above
**Meow!

*The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)
** The Fighting 17th
** S.I.D.'s (Spud Island Dragoons)

*Princess Louise Fusiliers
**The Prancing Little Fairies: used generally by the West Novies and Nova Scotia Highlanders
**Flaming Testicle: taken from grenade with flames on the regiment's cap badge.
**Pretty Ladies F*ck us: from their shoulder flashes that read PL Fus. Used by members of the regiment when asked what it stands for.

*The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
**The Pee-Dubs [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/volmil/on-inf/014PsWOR.htm#traditions Regiments.org: The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment] ]

*Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
**The Patricias [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/inf/914PPCLI.htm#trad Regiments.org: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry] ] : the preferred nickname among soldiers actually serving in, or who have served with, the regiment.
**The Pats [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/inf/914PPCLI.htm#trad Regiments.org: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry] ]
**Princess Pat'sref|1: generally used only by the media.
**The Picklies [ [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/inf/914PPCLI.htm#trad Regiments.org: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry] ] or Picksref|3, from “PPCLI”
**Ping Pong Champions of Long Islandref|2
**Ping Pong Champions of Lulu Island
**Pud-Pulling Cowboys Learning Italianref|2: extremely derogatory name that is both a mockery the Patricias' geographic location in Western Canada and an allusion to them being D-Day Dodgers.
**Peanuts, Popcorn, Candy, Licorice and Ice Cream
**Please Protect Canada's Little Idiots
**Piss Pot Cleaners and Latrine Inspectors
**Princess Pocahontas' Cute Little Indians
**VP: from Victoria Patricia, Regimental Matron. Often preceded by battalion number.

*The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
**Queen's Own Rentalsref|4, a reference to their being a militia unit
**Queers on the Runref|3, from "QOR"
**The Hobo Beaters, from an incident where some soldiers from the regiment beat up a homeless man.
**Quickest out of Ridgeway, a reference to their disorganized retreat at the Battle of Ridgeway

*The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)
**Q'wairangref|3, from "QYRng"
**KY Rangersref|3,
**The Black Plague, Black from black headdress - Plague from not breaking contact with the enemy - 'plaguing the enemy'.

R–Z

*The Royal Montreal Regiment
**Run Monkey Run

*The Rocky Mountain Rangers
**Rim Rangsref|4
**The Rocky Mountain Ram Fuckers Referring to the unit cap badge of the big horn sheep
**The Rocky Mountain Rabbit Rapers
*Royal 22^e Régiment
**The Vandoos: from English corruption of the French "vingt-deux" for “twenty-two”
**"Les hosties de queues plates": (literally, "the communion wafer flat-tails". Better translated as "the damn flat-tails": "hostie" is a mild and common Canadian-French curse) from the beaver on the regimental badge. Seldomly used within the regiment or the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group anymore.
**"Les Vingt-Deux": the Twenty-Twos.
**"Régiment Canadien Français": literally, "French Canadian Regiment."
*The Royal Canadian Dragoons
**The RCDs: taken directly from their shoulder titles.
**Bambi: taken from their cap badge.
**Dragoons: Shortened title.
**Drags: reference made to the RCD in early (1920s–30s) editions of the regimental journal of The Royal Canadian Regiment, which shared the Toronto garrison with the RCD
**The Dragons: common non-service mispronunciation of the word. Known to irritate RCD troopers to no end, and thus, is sometimes used deliberately for that purpose.
**Deer-Jumping Fairies: derogatory reference to the springbok in their badge. Usually used by Strats.
**The Goons or Da Goonsref|2
*The Royal Canadian Regiment
**The RCR: the official short title of the regiment
**Royal Canadians
**The Royalsref|2 (incorrect, but often used colloquially by those who do not know this is more properly used to refer to The Royal Regiment of Canada)
**Shino Boys: a First World War nickname given to The RCR by soldiers of other units, noting the regiment's high standards of dress and deportment
**Run Chicken Runref|4: A widely repeated but highly apocryphal story has the nickname resulting from a romantic liaison between a member of the regiment and a chicken. In reality, it probably stems from the fact that the chicken is jokingly referred to by envious others as "the regimental bird." Which explanation is offered usually depends on whether or not the person asked is a member of the regiment. Chickens feature greatly in derogatory nicknames assigned to The RCR, such as Rubber Chicken Regiment, etc.
**Coop: Used by military members to refer to the unit's battalions, ie. 1 coop, 2 coop, 3 coop.
**Rocking Chair Rangersref|4
**The Brasso Kings: First World War nickname mentioned in 1935 Connecting File, the regimental journal of The Royal Canadian Regiment
*The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)
**The Rileysref|3, from “RHLI”
*The Rock Hudson Light Infantry
*The Royal Newfoundland Regiment
**The Blue Puttees: name actually limited to the first 500 volunteers of the Newfoundland Regiment in 1914, as there was only blue broadcloth available to make puttees
*The Royal Regiment of Canada
**Royals (also used to refer to The Royal Canadian Regiment)
**The Royal Refugees of Canada
**The Fugees: used to illustrate the high number of members of different ethnicities. Two subcategories are eastern european (Winter battalion) and African-Canadian(Summer Battalion)
*The Royal Regina Rifles
**The Reginasref|1
**The Farmer Johns: the majority of the first members of the Regiment were farm labourers
**The Johns: derived from “The Farmer Johns” and now the "official" unofficial nickname
*The Royal Westminster Regiment
**The Westiesref|2
*The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
**Little Black Devils: Infantry of the line usually wore scarlet tunics, while rifle units wore dark green—almost black—tunics. After the Battle of Fish Creek during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, a captured Métis asked, "The red coats we know, but who are those little black devils?"—hence also the Latin motto: “Hosti Acie Nominati”, “named by the enemy in battle”
**Retards with Rifles ref|4
*The Saskatchewan Dragoons
**The Sask Buffoonsref|2
*The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
**The Seafrothref|2
**Seafilthref|2
**The Gow Deeks: mispronunciation of the Scots Gaelic motto "“Cuidich’n Righ”", “Help the King”
**The Bullwinkles: based on the stag’s head of the cap badge supposedly resembling the cartoon character Bullwinkle J. Moose
**The Horny Stags: a derogatory reference to the stag's head cap badge
*The Sherbrooke Hussars
**The Sherbie Herbiesref|4
*The South Alberta Light Horse
**The Sally Horseref|3, from the “SAL” in “SALH”
**Sally-Horef|3, with a play on the phrase "tally-ho"
**Silly Horse
**Super Amazing Legendary Heroesref|3
**Suitcase and Luggage Handlersref|3
*The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
**The Glensref|2
**Sand, Dust and Gravelref|4 from the “SD&G” in “SD&G Highrs” (also "Sand, Dirt and Gravel").
**The STDs, also from "SD&G"
**The Ladies from Hell from wearing their kilts to battle in World War II

*The Toronto Scottish Regiment
**The Tor Scotsref|3 from “TOR SCOT”
**The Trot Scots: rhyming nickname

*The West Nova Scotia Regiment
**The West Novasref|1. "Usage:" [http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/engraph/Vol5/no2/PDF/Book3_e.pdf The Canadian Military Journal] ; [http://www.waramps.ca/military/wwii/awot2.html#lines The War Amps]
**The West Noviesref|1. "Usage:" [http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/operations/archer/bios/hope_e.asp Canadian Forces]

Disbanded or inactive regiments

*The Canadian Airborne Regiment (Disbanded 6 March 1995)
** "The" Regiment: the precise origin is unknown, but may come from the fact that the British 22nd Special Air Service Regt is also called familiarly "The" Regiment", although the Airborne was never affiliated with the SAS, but rather, The Parachute Regiment. However, that use of "The" Regiment" to refer to one's own regiment amongst members is not unique, it was presumed by members of the CAR that all others would 'know' which regiment they meant.
**The Stillborn (As the rest of the Army knew them)
**Meat Bombs
**Lawn Darts
*4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards (reduced to nil strength 1964)
**Pretty Little Dancing Girls

Notes

:: Shortening of the regiment’s name:: Malapropism on the regiment’s name:: Humorous pronunciation of the regiment’s official abbreviation:: Redefinition of the regiment’s official "short title". Each regiment's official short title appears in correspondence as well as on embroidered titles on combat clothing. These abbreviations are often utilized to comic effect in the creation of nicknames.

=Corps, Branch, and Nonspecific Nicknames=
*The Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
**The Maintainers
**Dirty EeMEes: jocular reference to the technicians' having the dirtiest and greasiest jobs in the army. Later reclaimed by EME technicians to describe being "dirty" in another usage of the word.
**"Les Mécanos": used in French to describe any EME technician, mechanic or otherwise.
*CF Intelligence Branch
**Green Slime: green formerly being the corps colour of the Royal Canadian Intelligence Corps.
*CF Logistics Branch
**The Logs: taken directly from their shoulder titles: both English and French.
**Blanket Stackers: derogatory slang taken from the British Army nickname for the Royal Logistics Corps.
**The Paperclip Badges: from the resemblance of the two chain links in their cap badge to two linked paperclips. Sometimes referred to as "Crossed Paperclips" in reference to crossed rifles, a marksmanship badge once issued in the Canadian Army (and still issued in Army Cadets and at RMC).
**Bin Rats: referring to the general assumption made by members of other branches that Logistics members root through the boxes of the newest and shiniest kit available, leaving the remainder for the front-line soldiers.
**Circus Battalionref|2: (derogatory name for any service battalion, regular or reserve). Usually employed by members to describe the lack of organization that traditionally plagues these units, i.e. They bring big tents and are staffed by clowns.
*CF Medical Branch
**Pecker Checkers: as soldiers tend to put things where they shouldn't.
*Military Police
**Thunder Chickens: from the branch cap badge a thunderbird.
**Meatheads: general nickname for Military Police. There are two possible explanations: the first being the obvious derogatory meaning of the word or; a metaphorical reference to their scarlet berets. Most CF personnel seem to concur that the former is much more likely to be the origin of the name than the latter.
*Royal Canadian Artillery
**Herbies after a Second World War cartoon whose lead character was a gunner named Herbie. Now fallen out of common usage.
**Thirty-Mile Snipers: a derogatory reference to their location on the battlefield
*The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
**Tankies
**Tin Can Commandos
**Zipperheads
*The Canadian Military Engineers
**Chimos: from the Corps greeting, chimo
*The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
**Crunchies: from the sound they make when vehicles drive over them. Also known as Speed Bumps for the same reason.
**Knuckle Draggers
**Gravel Technicians for the American penchant for specialist grades with no meaning beyond private, and the belief infantry privates should be recognized as specialized in something...
**Grunts
**Infantards
**Pongos
**SPUTS: from Self-Propelled Pop-up Targets
**Bayonets: From their weapon of last resort
*The Communications and Electronics Branch
**Jimmys: nickname for signallers, from the figure of Mercury on their cap badge, commonly referred to as "Jimmy". Used mainly in the reserves.
* Buddy: anyone, anytime, anywhere in the cf, is buddy.

Notes

References

*Mowat, Farley (1955). "The Regiment". Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.

ee also

* List of nicknames of British Army regiments
* List of warships by nickname
* Nicknames of U.S. Army divisions