crackerjack (countable and uncountable, plural crackerjacks) (US, slang, in the plural) The traditional blue uniforms of the enlisted men of the US Navy. (US, slang) A U.S. Navy sailor.
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U.S. Navy sailors began calling their service dress uniforms “cracker jacks” because of the mascot of the popular caramel-coated popcorn and peanut snack. Cracker Jack was introduced in 1896 and the mascot “Sailor Jack” made his debut in 1916. #DYK that U.S. Navy subs often use popcorn in man-overboard drills?
What is Cracker Jack slang for?
Crackerjack definition
(slang) Outstanding, as in skill or ability; excellent. adjective. 1. (slang) A person or thing of recognized excellence. noun.
Those 13 buttons are supposed to represent the 13 original colonies. (A sailor from Utah once complained that he wasn’t represented.)
Where does the expression Cracker Jack come from?
cracker-jack (n.)
The caramel-coated popcorn-and-peanuts confection was said to have been introduced at the World’s Columbian Exposition (1893). Supposedly a salesman gave it the name when he tasted some and said, “That’s a cracker-jack,” using the then-popular expression.
Do female sailors wear Cracker Jacks?
This is the first update for dress whites — worn by all sailors, with women wearing the combination cover instead of a “Dixie cup” — since World War II. The uniform takes cues from full dress whites, a version of crackerjacks phased out in 1940.
Why is there a flap on the back of a sailors uniform?
The collar, also known as a tar flap, was a holdover from an earlier era when men had long hair that was tied back with tar or grease. The collar protected the uniform from dirt and grime.
Is Cracker Jack a compliment?
Someone who’s a crackerjack is really good at what they do.
Although no one has been officially accredited with inventing the bell bottom trouser, the flared out look was introduced for sailors to wear in 1817. The new design was made to allow the young men who washed down the ship’s deck to roll their pant legs up above their knees to protect the material.
In the event of a sailor falling overboard or having to abandon ship without a life vest, the bell-bottomed trousers can be quickly removed in the water without having to remove footwear.
This uniform is informally called “chokers” due to the standing collar. The material, formerly cotton, today is a weave of polyester known as “Certified Navy Twill“. The white combination cap is the prescribed headgear.
What does cracker mean in British slang?
(British English, informal) something that you think is very good, funny, etc. It was a cracker of a goal. I’ve got a joke for you. It’s a real cracker!
1999
Dungarees, a denim, bell-bottomed working uniform with a blue over shirt existed in the Navy from 1913 to 1999.
It must be worn “squarely on the head with the lower front edge approximately 1 ½ inch above the eyebrows and not crushed, bent or rolled.” In 2016, the Navy expanded the wear of the Dixie Cups to female enlisted Sailors, ushering in a new era for the cap.
Why are sailors collars Square?
The more familiar square collar developed as it was easier for the men to cut and sew themselves than the round variety.
What do the 3 stripes on a sailors collar mean?
For instance the three stripes on a sailor’s collar (yes I know, but that ‘men dressed as seamen’ business is a bit cumbersome). Legend has it that they signify Nelson’s three great victories – at the battles of the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar.
An old sailor’s tale is that the buttons represent the 13 original colonies. In the early 1800s, the iconic trouser’s front flap (crotch area) or “broadfall” had 15 buttons before it was modified 90-years later to have just seven, allowing the manufacturer to reduce the amount of material.
How old are Crackerjacks?
Cracker Jack was first mass-produced and sold at the first Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The Ferris wheel, Aunt Jemima pancakes, and the ice cream cone were also introduced at this event. The treat was a mixture of popcorn, molasses, and peanuts. The snack’s first name was “Candied Popcorn and Peanuts.”
A sailor cap is a round, flat visorless hat worn by sailors in many of the world’s navies. A tally, an inscribed black silk ribbon, is tied around the base which usually bears the name of a ship or a navy.
Why are sailors pants so wide?
Hort said the wide-legged pants served a number of purposes: * They’re easy to slip off if a sailor is swept overboard. Once removed and the legs filled with air, they make a pretty fine emergency flotation device. * They can be rolled up above the knees for swabbing decks and wading ashore.
A crow is an unofficial Navy term for the petty officer rank insignia, which includes an eagle above one to three chevrons, depending upon a Sailor’s rank.