---

The following is a collection of Post-War "Cadet Lingo" or the specialized vocabulary of cadets of the Philippine Military Academy:

• Aerodrone - The Post Barber Shop (Archaic).
• Antics - Peculiarities.
• Area Bird - A cadet who serves punishment by walking hours on the ground. A cadet who perennially serves such punishments.
• Arena - The area where punishment tours are served.
• Aso - A cadet who violated the honor code. A cadet who is ostracized by the Cadet Corps for such violation.
• A.M.O. - Assistant Mess Officer.
• Balisong - A native of Batangas (Archaic).
• Barrister - A cadet taking finals in law (Archaic).
• Baron - The Cadet First Captain.
• B.B. - Bulletin Board.
• Bell Buttons - The buttons on the cadet full dress uniform.
• Benguet Lily - A beautiful girl. Baguio Lass.
• Baguio Beans - A native of Baguio City, usually a cadet.
• Black Paint - Shoe polish.
• Bok - Informal name for a classmate.
• Booga-Booga - A woman.
• Boomboom - Expression for serving punishment, touring.
• Boloman - One who is unqualified in marksmanship training. One who is unqualified in bayonet course (Archaic).
• Boodle - Food.
• Boodlefight - A Corps tradition where food is served free for all.
• Boom - Something offensive (Archaic).
• Bow-Wow - The Regimental Adjutant. So said because of the bark-like commands he issues during parades.
• Brace-Up - To assume a position of rigid attention.
• Bricks - Bread served in the mess hall (Archaic).
• Broadcast - Orders published in the mess hall (Archaic).
• Bronco - Orders published in the mess hall.
• BTB - Acronym for "Back to Barracks."
• Buaya - A native of Cagayan.
• Buga - Exhale, exerting best efforts.
• Bugle - To avoid reciting by standing before the board until the end of classes (Archaic).
• Bull - A First Class Cadet.
• Bull Ring - The graduation ring.
• Busted Aristocrat - A cadet officeer who has been demoted., Also B.A.
• Butter Balls - Bell buttons (Archaic).
• By Golo - "By Golly!"
• Call To Quarters - Study period. A time when cadets are forbidden from going to other rooms.
• Carabao - One who does not dance (Archaic).
• Cavalier - A bow-legged individual (Archaic). The formal address used among alumni. A greeting used by an upperclassman to a member of a lower class after the latter has had at least 20 hours of walking the area of fatigue punishment.
• Cit - A civilian (Archaic).
• Cits - Civilian clothing (Archaic).
• Clippers - Post Barber (Archaic).
• Close Call - Call to quarters.
• Cochero - The section goat (Archaic).
• Com - The Commandant of Cadets.
• Comics - The Officer-in-Charge (O.C.). An inspecting officer.
• Coolments - "Cool" veneer.
• Cools - Members of Foxtrot company.
• Cow - A Secondclassman or Second Class Cadet.
• Cowboy - A cadet taking equitation (Archaic).
• Cuspidor - Field helmet (Archaic).
• D.B. - Daily Bulletin.
• Dead End - The Tactical Department (Archaic).
• Dead Meat - Slow moving, sluggish cadet.
• Dit-Dit - Machine gun course (Archaic).
• D.P. - Dining Privilege.
• D.R. - Delinquency Report.
• Drag - A cadet's date in a hop or dance.
• Dragon - The male partnher of a femal cadet.
• Draw Cards - Command given by the instructor for the cadets to get the test papers for an exam or quiz.
• Ducrot - A plebe.
• Dumbguard - A plebe.
• Dugumon - Non-standard whachamacalit?
• Dugunit - Variant of dugumon.
• Dumbflicket - A plebe.
• Dumbjohn - A plebe
• Everlasting - A faithful one and only (Archaic).
• F.B.I. - Full blooded Ilocano. Full-blooded Igorot.
• Fatigue Duty - When one is entertaining an unexpected visitor, usually the visit is not looked forward to.
• Feather Duster - Plume used by cadet officers (Archaic).
• Femme - A cadet sweetheart.
• Finalist - A cadet taking final exams.
• Firstclassman - A senior cadet.
• Fooling - Malingering; something executed improperly.
• Fried Egg - The Academy insignia.
• Fourthclassman - A freshman cadet. The formal address of plebes to each other.
• Garricks - Rare. Members of the Dialectic Society.
• G-Men - Members of the guard detail (Archaic).
• Goat - Least ranking cadet in the class order of merit.
• G-String - Sash of cadet officers.
• Grass - Vegetables served in the mess hall (Archaic).
• Graydet - A cadet.
• Gray Line - The alumni body of PMA.
• Grease - Butter (Archaic).
• Hell Cats - Members of the Bugle Corps (Archaic).
• Hop - A cadet dance.
• Horsey-Horsey - Equitation Class.
• Hurricane - Water in the mess hall.
• Idlers - Cadet in sick confinement (Archaic).
• Immaculate - Upperclassmen.
• In The Red - In debt.
• John Doe - Instructor in Law.
• Junk Yard - Trunkroom.
• Katay/Timbog - Failing a subject; getting caught for a grave offense.
• Kaydet - Cadet.
• Kaydet Girl - A cadet's girl. A Corps sweetheart, especially one featured in the Corps magazine.
• Kevinism - Showing affection to another cadet of the oppossite sex.
• Kupal - A word describing a person who has bad manners and conduct.
• Leather - Rare - Beef steak.
• Life Savers - Rare - suspenders.
• Lighter - Toothpaste.
• Loony Hall - Luna Hall in Teacher's Camp (Obsolete).
• Lothar - A big, husky plebe (Obsolete).
• Magan - Very strict, hard-headed.
• Mandaragat - Navyman.
• Mato - Stupid (Bastardized from English "mutt".
• Mistah - A classmate. The formal, intimate address used by classmates.
• Moocher - A cadet who goes to a hop without a partner; a ballroom freelancer.
• Nappy - Rare-Sleepy head.
• Number One - Standing operating procedure (SOP) or actions done by a cadet, usually a fourthclass cadet as dictated by an upperclassman.
• O.A.M. - One among many (Archaic).
• O.A.O. - One and only; a femme.
• O.C. - Officer-in-Charge.
• O.D. - Officer of the Day.
• O.G. - Officer of the Guard.
• On The Blue - Out of debt.
• Ostracize - To banish from the group; shun. To avoid communicating in any manner to another cadet, especially to one who violated the honor code.
• Otacs - Tactical officer.
• Paka-Ang-Kang - Awkward and clumsy.
• Paradise Lost - An ex-femme (Archaic).
• Parasite - A cadet who goes to hops without a drag.
• Parralax - One who cannot see things straight (Archaic).
• Peemayer - Alumnus.
• Pilgrims - Girls who visit cadets regularly.
• Plebe - Freshman; a Fourthclass Cadet.
• Plebe Knowledge - A collective body of poems, rhymes, and verses a plebe must memorize verbatim. One such knowledge.
• Poop Sheet - Instruction pamphlet or sheet.
• Pussycat - Suave, sluggish, lazy individual (Archaic).
• Rally - Cram.
• Rammer - Pompom for the Shako.
• Recognize - TTo place a Fourthclassman on upperclassman status.
• Riviera - Post Hospital (Archaic).
• R.H.I.P. - Rank Has Its Privileges.
• Rooted - To remain at the blackboard until the end of the period without solving the problems.
• Rot - To received a failing grade in a recitation; not to progress in any activity.
• Rottment - In the state of being difficult, a tiring activity.
• Rumba Negra - Marching out of steps.
• Seatwork - Quiz, exam, the questions in such an exam.
• Secondclassman - A junior; a cadet on his third year at the Academy.
• Se Me Requierre - Spanish mestizo or mestiza (Archaic).
• Shaku - "Shabby-Kupal," the mixed character of a cadet who is always asking for unnatural favors and unusually strict.
• Shoot - Speak out.
• Shylock - A thrifty fellow; the treasurer.
• S.I. - Saturday Inspection.
• Side Shot - Academic Building (Archaic).
• Sincerely - Too much.
• Skag - Cigarette.
• Skin - Look for offense; said of officer performing an inspection.
• Slaughterhouse - Academic Building (Archaic).
• Slug - A special punishment from Tactics Group.
• Sluggable - A grave offense. Vulgar. An ugly woman.
• Star - A star worn at the collar of a cadet's dress uniform in recognition of his excellence in academics.
• Starman - A distinguished cadet. A cadet whose general weighted average for the whole year is not lower than 90%.
• S.T.O. - Senior Tactical Officer.
• Supe - Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy.
• Tac-O - Tactical Officer.
• Taps - A bugle call sounded at night as an order for lights to be out and cadets to sleep, also sounded at funerals and memorial services.
• Tedaks - A cadet.
• Thirdclassman - A sophomore; a cadet on his second year at the Academy.
• T.P. - Toilet paper; Tissue paper.
• Unit Exam - A long exam, the weighted grade average of which is equal to two seatworks.
• Vault File - A compilation of an exam in a certain subject. Vulgar - A femme who passed on from one class to another.
• Verify - Look, see.
• Visit - To go to another room. The act of violating study period or call to quarters by going to another room.
• Wagam - Same as "Wapang!"
• Wapang - An exclamatory expression for "Patay!"
• Warrior - A cadet taking final exams.
• Wife - A bunkmate; the other occupant of an army bunk. The rifle issued to a cadet.
• Yearling - A sophomore, a thirdclassman.

[ Return To Previous Page ]

---