noun
General Slang
erk
· noun · military
Lowest-rung aircraftman — the RAF's grunt.
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Definitions
1
An AC2 or AC1 — the lowest rank of aircraftman in the RAF. The bloke who did the grease work, scrubbed the hangars, and humped the bombs. Affectionate-contemptuous in the way only forces slang gets.
“Two erks were swinging the prop while the pilot fiddled with the throttle.”
by community
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2
By extension: any raw recruit, sprog, or skivvy. The new guy doing the dirty jobs.
“Send one of the erks to fetch the tea.”
by community
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erk In A Sentence
Two erks were swinging the prop while the pilot fiddled with the throttle.
Send one of the erks to fetch the tea.
Origin & Usage
RAF slang, 1920s onwards. Disputed — possibly a clipped, deliberately ugly mangling of 'aircraftman' or 'airman recruit'. Some trace it to naval 'lower-deck' slang for an ordinary seaman that got borrowed by the air force.
Variants
irk
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