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I assume the author knows why they're called U-boats, but the fact is that modern English speakers don't call them U-boats unless they mean very specifically Ge
by tialaramex 3y ago
I assume the author knows why they're called U-boats, but the fact is that modern English speakers don't call them U-boats unless they mean very specifically German World War II submarines and maybe not then.
I would use "U-Boat" but only in the same way I'd use "Boomer", to indicate a specific type of vessel in a particular context, if I meant a submarine, such as in a simple drawing, I'd say "submarine" and so would other English speakers I know.
- primitivesuave 3y agoYou're right, I didn't put that together, and now find myself descending down the rabbit hole of Navy slang :) https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_U.S._Navy_slang#B https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_U.S._Nav...
- croemer 3y agoAnd probably also German WW I submarines which were a factor drawing the US into WW I but might be less discussed as the war had less impact on the US and was longer ago