Entry tags:

history, language

The Language of World War II
The Language of World War II: Abbreviations, Captions, Quotations, Slogans, Titles and Other Terms and Phrases

Compiled by A. Marjorie Taylor
Head, Literature Division
Rochester (N.Y.) Public Library

Published by H.W. Wilson Company, 1944

This is a 5.5" by 8.5" paperback running to 94 pages including two pages of references, an index, and a list of song titles, plus a one-page foreword by the author.

I love finding these odd gems in our reference collection, items that generations of librarians here have held onto either by neglect or by recognition of their unique contributions from a reference point of view. This is one that's more than entertaining, but has a definite use to students of WWII history.

I am copying the entire preface here, because it describes how the process of putting the book together was something that arose out of the day to day work of being a reference librarian:

This collection really began with "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." When conflicting stories were circulating as to who actually used the phrase at Pearl Harbor, I felt, from the background of my library experience, that the stories should be noted for future reference. So a folder was made for the vertical file under the heading, World War II--Slogans, and soon many other stories joined the "Praise the Lord." As the file grew, other members of the Rochester Public Library staff became interested and having once become slogan-conscious, we found apt phrases, headlines and poster captions in increasing numbers, as we read magazine articles, glanced through the daily newspapers, read books and listened to the radio.

Our material soon seemed to approach book proportion. It was difficult to know just what to include but the final decision was : quotations, slogans, poster captions and song titles (since so many of both of those resembled slogans), initialed government agencies created in connection with the war effort, and initialed women's organizations which were either started in this war or developed during the course of it.

Poster captions came not only from observation but also from the collection of posters in the Rochester Public Library. For song titles we consulted the large collection of songs of this war in the Sibley Music Library of the University of Rochester, which they generously placed at our disposal. For government war agencies we used the United States Government Manual published by the Division of Public Inquiries of the Office of War Information.

Many activities which seemed very directly connected with the war effort, such as Blood Bank, Rationing, Victory Gardens etc. were included in an attempt to make this a useful handbook on subjects connected with World War II.

Throughout the book we have listed the sources of information in the hope that librarians everywhere may be saved hours of research.

We realize that since the material relates to the present war, of necessity it cannot be complete at this time, but there seems to be enough included to answer a real need. And we hope that readers and users of the book will send us new entries as they find them so that a revised edition if any, may be as complete as possible.

To the staff members of the Rochester Public Library and to others who have aided in collecting items, our sincere thanks.

September 7, 1944
A. M. Taylor

Here's a list of all the entries on facing pages 34 and 35:

• "Hell, We Haven't Started to Fight. Our Artillery Hasn't Been Overrun Yet."
  
• "Hello, You Limey"
  
• Help Him . . . Help Yourself . . . For Victory at Least 10% of Your Pay Every Payday
  
• H for V
  
• H-Hour
  
• Hit Hard and Often with the Marines
  
• "Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Hit Often"
  
• He's a 'Fighting Fool'--Give Him the Best You've Got!
  
• "Hit the Enemy Twice: First to Find Out What He's Got; Then, to Take It Away from Him"
  
• Hit the Silk
  
• "Hitler Can't Lick These People"
  
• "Hitler Has Missed the Bus"
  
• "Hitler Has No Theme, Naught but Mania, Appetite and Exploitation"
  
• Hitlerite
  
• H.M.S. Pepperpot; H.M.S. Porcupine
  
• "Hold the Line"
  
• "Homma May Have the Bottle--But I've Got the Cork"
  
• Honest Bob
  

Here are a couple of excerpts:

"Tomorrows that Sing": Last words of a French hostage about to be shot by the Nazis. Before he was shot (July, 1942) in the Cherche Midi prison in Paris, Communist Deputy Gabriel Peri wrote : "I should like my friends to know that I have been faithful to my life-long ideal. I should like my fellow-countrymen to know that I am dying that France may live. . . In a few minutes I am going out to prepare the tomorrows that sing. (Je vais préparer tout à l'heure les lendemains qui chantent.)" --New York Times Magazine. April 11, 1943. p. 15

"We Are the Ultimate Hope and Sanctuary of Human Liberty": By Herbert Hoover. Address to Pennsylvania Society of New York, December 21, 1940. --Vital Speeches. January 1, 1941 p.183

"We Do Not Covet Anything from Any Nation Except Their Respect": By Winston Churchill. To the French people, an address broadcast in French and in English, October 21, 1940.--Vital Speeches. November 1, 1940. p. 48; Churchill. Blood, Sweat and Tears. p.403

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