doughboy
Great War grunt
A doughboy is an American infantryman, especially one who served in World War I.
The term predates the war but became strongly associated with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe from 1917 to 1918.
Various explanations exist for the nickname—from the flour used to whiten uniforms to the dumplings soldiers ate—but none is certain.
My grandfather was a doughboy in France.
The word has largely been replaced by GI for later conflicts.
U.S. military slang
- soldierArmed forces member
- trooperMounted soldier or patroller
- infantrymanGround-based combat soldier
- gruntLow guttural sound
trenches · mustard gas · over the top · no man's land · armistice · Somme · Verdun · Allies
GI
U.S. military slang
- soldierArmed forces member
- trooperMounted soldier or patroller
- infantrymanGround-based combat soldier
grunt · trenches · mustard gas · over the top · no man's land · armistice · Somme · Verdun · Allies · shell shock
flour
Milled grain powder
biscuit · risen · leavened · proofing · gluten · elastic · crusty · baking · unbaked · breadmaking
plump
Agreeably fat, well-filled
round · soft · roly-poly · baby-faced · rotund · portly · stout · stocky · squat
- soldiersinfantryman, private, grenadier, grenadiers, fusilier
- infantryfoot soldiers, foot soldier, rifleman, riflemen, infantryman
- military slangFUBAR, hoorah, devil dog, SNAFU, GI
- WWI SlangTommy, Hun, Fritz, Jerry, Sammy
- WWI soldiersdigger, infantryman, rifleman, private, grenadier
- militarysoldiers, army, troops, officers, navy
- Pillsbury DoughboyBaking brand mascot