Hoplophile Posted 7 December , 2006 Share Posted 7 December , 2006 I would be very interested to know if anyone has come across instances of the term 'blivet' being used in World War I. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoons Posted 8 December , 2006 Share Posted 8 December , 2006 I would be very interested to know if anyone has come across instances of the term 'blivet' being used in World War I. Many thanks! I heard of brevet - some kind of temporary or acting officer rank I think - I don't suppose it could be that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter__m Posted 8 December , 2006 Share Posted 8 December , 2006 I believe that's an old cavalry term: a one pound bag filled with two pounds of manure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete1052 Posted 8 December , 2006 Share Posted 8 December , 2006 In U.S. Army vernacular of the '70s-'80s it was a bag of some kind, an understanding I reached based upon the context of the use of the word. I never did really know what it meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc2 Posted 8 December , 2006 Share Posted 8 December , 2006 In U.S. Army vernacular of the '70s-'80s it was a bag of some kind, an understanding I reached based upon the context of the use of the word. I never did really know what it meant. In that time period, we frequently used the term for large flexible rubber containers used to hold fuel at forward airfields. Doc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 8 December , 2006 Share Posted 8 December , 2006 In that time period, we frequently used the term for large flexible rubber containers used to hold fuel at forward airfields. Doc2 It still is. Blivets are (very) large rubberized fuel containers - look like giant black pillows - in use in the US Army now. But I don't know the origin of the word - sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 8 December , 2006 Share Posted 8 December , 2006 BLIVET - from Wikipedia In traditional U.S. Army slang dating back to the Second World War, a blivet was defined as "ten pounds of manure in a five pound bag," (a proverbial description of anything egregiously ugly or unmanageable); it was applied to an unmanageable situation, a crucial but substandard or damaged tool, or a self-important person. During the Vietnam conflict, a heavy rubber bladder in which aircraft fuel or POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricants) was transported was known as a blivet, as was anything which, once unpacked, could not be replaced in its container. zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoplophile Posted 11 December , 2006 Author Share Posted 11 December , 2006 Many thanks to all who replied! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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