The more time I spend in the Navy, the more my speech becomes saturated with Navy slang/terminology, and this makes it confusing for my civilian friends and family when I try to explain what I've been up to. So, for the sake of those who are scratching their heads in the dark, here is a list of Navy terms/phrases and their civilian translation. If there are any discrepancies on this page that you'd like to correct, please feel free to drop me an email and let me know. Enjoy!
The "head" means the restroom, and to "make a head call" means to go to the restroom.
To "muster" means to assemble, and to "take muster" means to take roll call.
"0-dark-thirty" means very late at night or very early in the morning, when there's no sun out and most civilized people are in bed.
"Hatch" means door.
"Bulkhead" means wall.
"Deck" means floor, and "swab the deck" means "mop the floor."
"Beer on the pier": A Navy tradition of having a barbeque by the pier where food and beer are served to the crew of a ship that's pulled into port.
