Naval Scran
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This is your chance to add to the list of 'Terms' we use when talking or preparing food or calling out the days menu.
Many of these are now almost forgotten, having passed out of use with 'Canteen Messing' when, the query 'What you doing for lunch' required a fanciful answer.

Today, with the exception of an odd unit or ship, everyone is served food, aboard ship in a dining halls and food is cooked by real chefs that have we understand got their city and guilds in boiling water. (Just kidding chef' We know this as 'Cafeteria Messing' Whereby you go along the servery and choose what you fancy.

When I joined (swing the lamp' where's the Black Cat) Many ships were still Canteen Messing. That is where each mess had an allowance for vitals, A man on a rota system was detailed off as caterer, whereby he would cost what money was in the kitty, saving a little for Christmas etc. and buy in sufficient food to feed the men in the mess. Overspending would mean mess members would have to pay out and under spending, meant a bonus in the hand at the end of the month. Hungry men would always complain. Each day one man in the mess would act as duty cook. His job to collect the vitals purchased, prepare them and take the dish to the galley for cooking. He would then collect the cooked pie or fanny of stew and dish out in the mess. Difficulty was if you were late you 'dipped out'. (That's where that term comes from.) No food or just a crust of bread and cold soup, if an oppo could keep it back for you. You ate in your messdeck, so all food had to be carried from the mess top the galley and back to the mess. No wonder cockroaches have always been a problem. The problem also for the chef was every mess had something different, and there was only so much room on hi range. Thus the food was frequently over-under cooked or cold. The duty cook of course getting the blame, particularly if he upset the chef. African Chips or burnt pie awning the hazard to be contended with as well as the filching of spuds etc.

In the late 1960's, minesweepers had a modified form of the same, and probably still do. The ship here carried a chef, who would decide on the menu. but here it was the duty cooks that peeled the spuds and helped prepare the scran, whilst at meal times they had to bring it to the mess for eating. Woe-be-tide a bit of roughers, where the carrying of a fanny full of soup and large pie, could end up spread across the deck.

Messes had a large cabinet or bread locker to keep the hard tack (ships biscuit) or bread in under lock and key etc. Whilst the victualing yards pioneered ready prepared food, that only needed heating up. The favourite of these was tins of 'herrings in' and 'Babies Heads'.

In the days of sail, the range in the galley was often not lit and the only food was salted , or preserved hard tack etc. See 'bagoo' a staple provision and the ships company was fed from a single large pot, that contained what ever was available. In those days Vegetables were popular, and Meat would be served about three times a week. on a ship with a good Purser who wasn't creaming off too much of the victualing money by buying in rotten provisions in lieu of good stuff. The meat ration, was better than the men could expect ashore and reflected the amount of calories they required to do their work. On other days there would be bread/biscuit and cheese. In theory bread was issued to each mess in a daily basis, and hung in a net on a hook set into the  deck head over the mess table.

In the days of steam little changed and as noted above, even as late as the 1960's Canteen messing was the well proven system. - Each man in a mess was allocated so much per head per day in food money. The mess caterer would work out the menu, and if there was any money left at the end of the month this was shared around, but if they over spent, it was deducted from wages. Thus the skill of the mess caterer put food in the men's bellies and cash in their pocket. The food was wholesome and variable, but it had to be prepared and cooked, by the duty mess cooks, and their skills were important in making sure how far the food went. Wastage dumped in the slops pail was not good news. - The Mess killick would often serve out  punishment in terms of extra days cooks duty, but being a good cook, meant the men would do your ships duties so that they could be better fed..

Any stories out there about messing and food and what about the the short rhymes or songs used in this connection.

I am told by one reader that nothing was wasted, the water used to cook potatoes was used to brew the tea, and perhaps unknowingly would be a means of spreading the goodness and vitamins lost from the spuds in the cooking.

Jack of course had many one liner rhymes for the preparation of food and cleaning of the mess deck traps. Do you remember any, particularly those that are sung.

Naval Scran - Calls

The Object of the following list - Is to recall the common names by which various items of food were or are known on the mess deck, and - Most Importantly  - To record when these terms were in use  

Please HELP by adding to this list - Also if you remember the menu or item being used in a different way or in a different period in which it is noted Please tell us.

Many Thanks to Leading Seaman 'Nobby' Hall who submitted his very appetising list for c.1979-2004

Readers might wonder - how you remember all these terms? - Firstly you don't use every term on every ship! Secondly through repetition and common use, you understand the language. Plus it is a way to make the food seem more interesting.

Action Man Pillows	2000-2010	Submarine Service
Adam & Eve on Raft            (Wrecked)	c.1960's	Poached egg on toast  (Scrambled egg ) BUT SEE - Chicken on a Raft as more generally known - Was this term in general use or does can anybody help to its particular reference or usage
African Chips	1980's	Over fried Chips - that are dark brown and not a golden colour.
Air Ships in a Fog	WW2	Sausages in Mash
Awning	c.WW2	The crust on a pie
Babies Heads	c.1931 to WW2 1960-80's 2000-2010	John Winton in his book Carrier Glorious at p.33. Acknowledge the special variety of Steak & Kidney pudding. In General Use - The popular name for a very special type of Steak and kidney pudding in a soft suet pastry - were either in individual tins or in standard 15oz tin and halved - Never found a civilian S & K pudding to equal the pusser's variety. A1++++ An ex submariner describes this - ' (the smooth pastry rises like a shiny baby's head)'
Baby Sick or 'Puppy Puke'	1979-2004	Bottled Sandwich Spread originally made by Heinz
Balloons in a Fog	WW2	Sausages in Mash
Banjo	1950's	See Egg Banjo, Ham & Egg Banjo / Cheesy, hammy,eggy- Banjos always have Fried Eggs. never any other sort
Bits	1990 - 2010	Baked Beans - Often used on modern Submarines
Black Coated Workers	WW2	Stewed Prunes
Black on Black	2000-2010	Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate Sauce
Bollocks in Blood	1979-2004	Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Bread	1801 - 1805	Fresh Bread or Hard Tack Biscuit ( Dependent on what is available) Ref- British Mariners Vocabulary, 2nd Ed. 1805 by JJ Moore
Breakfast & Chips	c.1980-90's	Mixed Grill - Thanks to Bob Talbot
Bum Nuts	c.1970's	RNZN - Eggs - Thanks to Gordon Cattermole
Burgoo	1863 WW2 1979 2004	A Gruel made of Oatmeal or Wheat grits, seasoned with salt, butter & sugar, - (ref: Nautical Dictionary (1863 2nd Ed.) by Arthur Young A type of Porridge Porridge - The name said to originate from the use of cracked Burghul Wheat
Cackle Berries	WW2	Eggs
CHEESE		Anybody know the naval slang for cheese. There must be one???
Cheesy, Hammy, Eggy	WW2 & 1979-2004 2000-2010	1 piece of toast - With Ham, Cheese and topped with a fried egg. -Thanks Nobby Hall (In WW2 Fried Eggs were not available for Banjos so powdered egg was utilised in this way, making a mini omelette to go on the toast.) You can add an awning but this turns it into a Ham & Egg Banjo with Cheese. (BS) Submarine Service - Where it is Described as 'A Traditional Navy Dish, virtually unobtainable anywhere else, than at the hand of a Pussers Cook. - Welsh rarebit with ham and a fried egg
Chicken on a raft	c.1940 c.1970s	Egg on toast - See Raft
Chinese Wedding Cake	WW2	Rice Pudding with currants &/or Dried/tinned fruit Nobby Hall that Devonport ships call currants 'figs'
Clacker	WW2	Pie crust or pastry
Corn Dog	c.1960-90	Corn beef - usually in sandwiches
'Daddyfunk'	18th Century	On sailing ships - English Wheat Bread would stay fresh for several days at sea Whereas Foreign or French Bread would seldom last longer than a day or two before going hard. After which Hard Tack or Hard biscuit was issued, which could,  like the stale loaves be ground down, soaked in 'Pale Ale' (water) and baked with grease and molasses.
Devonport Mouth Organ	1970-	Special Cornish Pasty made by Ron Dewdney of Plymouth (Thanks to Bob Talbot)
Diarrhoea or 'Turds in Black Drizzle'	1979 - 2004	Beef Olives in Gravy -
Duchess Fritters	1979 - 2004	Jam Sandwich cu in half and deep fried in batter, served with a sprinkle of sugar and floating in a sea of custard
(Plum Duff) Duff	18- 19th Century WW2	Originally a plain flour pudding into which raisins, currants or dried fruit(apple) was mixed, boiled in a bag or cloth. Anything made with Suet Pudding for pudding.
Egg Banjo	1964 - 1986	Fried Egg between two pieces of toast - Self in 1964 & Tommy Young 75-86
Elephants Foot (Footprint)	c.1980 2000-2010	Spam Fritters Battered Spam Fritter - In use on modern submarines
'figs'	1979 - 2004	'Cornish' or Devonport Ship slang for currants
'Gary Glitters'	2000-2010	Gammon steaks (as in Glitter's song chant "Come on, come on" or the submariners' version "Gamm-on, gamm-on")
Goffer	WW2 1962 Also 1970-1990	Soft Drink aboard HMAS Anzac (Thanks Hal) (BS)
Growler	1979 - 2004	A type of pie
Herrings In	WW2 - 1990	Herrings (Pilchards) in Tomato Sauce- In 1960-70's as issued in a large, oval, golden coloured tin; with no label, but printed on the lid in the standard black type.  The tins sometimes had attached a standard corned beef type key, but also sometimes not. Usually 'herrin's in' were commonly issued with ship baked rolls to the messdeck for 'nine o'clockers' . Cheese was an alternative, which never seemed to hang around, but in 1969-79, there was often an odd unopened tin of herrings in sculling about in the mess.
Janner Kebab	1979 - 2004	Chef's wind-up term for a oggie.
Jewish Ham	c.1980's	Boiled Mutton
Kai (Kye)	WW1 - 1990's	Thick Hot Chocolate Drink- usually available to watch keepers and in the early days would be made from solid bars - latterly from cocoa with tinned cow
Labradors Arsehole	1979-2004	Sausage Roll - (look at one end on and imagine.
Loblolly	1863	See Burgoo - An Alternative name
Lobscouse	18-19th Century	what could now be now call hash. A concoction of meat, vegetables and hardtack which made up the general diet of the sailor - See Pot Mess
Mackers	c.1970's	RAAN Term for Nutty
Mermaids Piss	1995-2003	Vinegar - Thanks to John Barker
NATO Standard	1970-1990	[BS] Tea or Coffee with milk and two sugars
Niggers Dick	1979-2004	Black Pudding
Niggers in Snow	1950's	Currants in Rice Pudding - Thanks to PTI John Elcombe
Niggers in Snow	1950's	Currants in Rice Pudding - Thanks to PTI John Elcombe
Nine O'Clockers	c.1950'-90's	Not a Food type but a meal, or rather a snack issued at 2100 to the messdeck. Often on carriers and other ships with ship-baked bread rolls, (see Herrings-In)
Oggie	c.1960-90	Otherwise known as a Cornish Pasty - also see 'Rat in a Coffin'
Pale Ale	19th century	Keeping of Water Fresh, was a difficult task. The issue od small beer to each man was therefore a requisite, but in hot climates a water cask was open for the sailors to use and often a mug of water was sterilised by a tot of rum or some beer. Therefore water became known as 'Pale Ale' - A term that endured for some time
Pixies Pillows	c.1970-90	Tinned Ravioli, as served at the ratings dining area.- Also see Shit in an Envelope - Thanks to Tom McOwat
Plastic Mash	c.1970- 2010	See 'Pom' which is more generally used term
Plum Duff	18 - 19 Century	See Duff
Pom	c.1970-2010	Reconstituted or Powdered Potato (See 'Plastic Mash')
Pot Mess	c.1960-90	A cooked dish as opposed to a type of food - i.e. everything in the caterers hands was tipped into the one pot - On exped's in the 1970's and 80's, if the stock of tins and vittals had got wet, there was usually no way to tell what was in some tins.(labels missing) Everything would be opened and tipped into the pot, on a very wet or cold day even tinned fruit. I remember some absolutely stunning meals created this way an under those conditions.
Puppy Puke or 'Baby Sick'	1979-2004	Bottled Sandwich Spread originally made by Heinz
Raft	c.1940 & 1968	Toast with something on.
Rat in a Coffin	1979 - 2004	Pasty that are not Oggies.
Rat Packs - 24hour / 3day	c.1980	RM / FAA survival ration
Satan's Suppositories	1979-2004	Kidney Beans in Red Hot Chilli Con Carne sauce
Schooner on the Rocks	WW1 1916-	Roast Beef surrounded by Roast Potatoes
Sea Dust -or- Sea Dirt	1965 - 1985 1970-2000 1995 - 2003	As Sea Dirt Known  in FAA Table Salt - Thanks to Bob Talbot As Sea Dust, thanks John Barker (See Also Mermaids Piss & Sneeze)
'Seggies'	2000 - 2010	Grapefruit Segments out of a tin
Shit in an Envelope	c.1970-90	Ravioli - Hand made by the Duty chef, for the wardroom - Also see Pixies Pillows.
Shit on a Raft	1975-1986 1979 - 2004	Kidney's on toast - Thanks to Tommy Young Devilled kidneys on toast or fried bread. Nobby Hall states some chefs added piped mash potatoes around the edge This was then termed 'With Guardrails'
Slide	WW2 - 1990	Butter
Snake & Pygmy Pie	c.1960 -90	A  NAAFI - Mobile Wagon -  Steak & Kidney Pies
Sneeze	1979-2004	Pepper
Snorkers	1975 - 1980 2000 -2010	Fat Square Tinned Sausages - From Tommy Young In Submarine Service - Sausages generally
Spithead Pheasant	WW2 - 2009 2000 - 2010	Kippers As Known in use on Submarines
A Straight Rush	WW2	Roast meat on Potatoes with Bisto Gravy (See Schooner on Rocks)
Teddy Bears Ears	2000-2010	Chinese Prawn Crackers
Tinned Cow	WW2 - 1970	Sweetened Condensed Milk in a can - In 1950's could be bought in the shops ashore (A Tin with cream label with blue writing- Do you recall??) was always the best at that time - Now quite rare.
Train Smash	c.1940 1968	Tinned tomatoes - usually with bacon or sausage mixed in
Turds in Black Drizzle or 'Diarrhoea'	1979-2004	Beef Olives in Gravy
Yellow Peas & Bonsai Trees	1979 - 2004	Sweetcorn & Brocolli
Yellow Peril	c.1960 - 90's	Smoked Haddock
Zeppelins in a Fog	WW1 see Balloons/Airships for WW2	Sausages in Mash

Naval Scran - Mess Rhymes

The Object of the following - Is to record some of the short one liners and dit's as used in the preparation - serving and eating of pusser food etc..

Tinkle tinkle little spoon	c. WW2	Used in comment, if some of the mess cutlery went down the gash chute.
Piping Hot	Sailing Ship Navy and onwards	In the Days (pre 1960) of 'Canteen Messing' (each mess nominated a duty cook) he would prepare the food and give to the galley to be cooked. The chef would be cooking several meals at once. Thus when the 'Pipe' Hands to dinner was piped, then the food was collected first, delivered to the mess quickly, served instantly and mess members were there on time. - It was deemed 'Piping Hot'.