Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Navy Alphabet (updated)

I've decided to try to learn the whole "navy alphabet". It's useful when ordering things over the phone. Especially my email address, since nobody has heard "Eolake" before. Echo-Oscar-Lima-Alpha-Kilo-Echo.
(For some things I have an outstanding memory, like music, films, books, old conversations, etc. But I'm not great at memorizing. I think even just that short string is not so easy to memorize. Not instant anyway.)

  • Alpha
  • Bravo
  • Charlie
  • Delta
  • Echo
  • Foxtrot
  • Golf
  • Hotel
  • India
  • Juliet
  • Kilo
  • Lima
  • Mike
  • November
  • Oscar
  • Papa
  • Quebec
  • Romeo
  • Sierra
  • Tango
  • Uniform
  • Victor
  • Whiskey
  • X-Ray
  • Yankee
  • Zulu



    Update: seems I was wrong about what it's called. It seems Radio Operators Alphabet is better.

    Update:
    DDD wrote:
    More than you want to know here, including the old Royal Navy: Edward-Orange-London-Apples-King-Edward. The pronunciation specifications show how communication can be very accurate despite the most appalling conditions (static, sirens, thunder, crashing waves, background noise, mortar fire, rockets gunfire, bombs, etc.)

    20 comments:

    Tommy said...

    What you should try for the fun of it, is to consume a lot of the forth from the bottom and then try to order over the phone speaking as quickly as you can. ;-)

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    I like that.
    Not the drink, but the character on Dollhouse.
    Well, all the girls were niiice.

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    ... Sierra... the slinky darling. Mmm.

    Philocalist said...

    Never heard of it referred to as the 'navy' alphabet before ... Police / Nato / phonetic ... the list goes on, but never Navy! :-)

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    That's what I remembered it as, and it did indeed turn up on google, so at least a few people must use that term also.

    Michael Burton said...

    I tried to introduce this where I worked, because every morning we had a conference call where we reported problems with programs that might be named something like BS0409. About a quarter of each meeting was spent trying to clarify the program names.

    My suggestion was rejected as unprofessional, because someone thought it sounded like we were pretending to be spies or astronauts or something.

    Someone also said I only suggested it because the code for "M" was "Mike." Got me.

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    That's so lame.

    ttl said...

    There is an iPhone app that imitates the good old flash card technique. Probably works on iPad too. I don't remember the app's name but it shouldn't be too difficult to find.

    Antoni Mączyński said...

    well in my country we usually use female names for spelling difficult words; don't you think it would be more your style to say: Eva, Olga, Lisa, Anna, Karen, Eva? :)

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    Seems I was wrong about what it's called. It seems Radio Operators Alphabet is better.

    Michael Burton said...

    A couple nice things about this: it works even when you're talking to someone who doesn't know it. Also, it works even if you haven't fully mastered it yourself.

    If you forget the code for a particular letter, just use a word that starts with that letter. Can't remember Bravo? Use Bongo. Forgotten Sierra? Use Sunset.

    Bongo Sunset was for "Business Systems," in case you were thinking it meant something else.

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    I think the weakest one is "Lima". I would have used, oh, "London" I guess. But you're right, it does work for all.

    DeltaCubed said...

    More than you want to know here, including the old Royal Navy: Edward-Orange-London-Apples-King-Edward. The pronunciation specifications show how communication can be very accurate despite the most appalling conditions (static, sirens, thunder, crashing waves, background noise, mortar fire, rockets gunfire, bombs, etc.)
    ---delta delta delta

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    Denver DareDevil: Thanks, buddy.

    The Dissonance said...

    Hmm... used it for 20 years in the US Army but we called it the phonetic alphabet. I still use it for ESL peeps.

    Alex said...

    I personally use the Alpha Bravo version, but I have a few buddies who were radio engineers who use Able Baker instead.

    Sierra was instantly appealing, well I guess not when was strapped to the bench getting converted, but when she came to Echo's aid and cleaned up the kidnappers. Still you only really fall in love when you meat Pria (you are on season 2 by now?)

    Eolake Stobblehouse said...

    I've only just ordered season two.

    I was sometimes lukewarm on the show (though many things I liked), but season two has high reviews on Amazon, so I ordered it.

    CalgaryMark said...

    I learned that radio operators' alphabet when I got my pilot's licence many years ago. However my father learned a different one in the RNVR during WWII - I don't recall all the letters, can anyone help? It obviously wasn't serious . . .

    Aphorism
    Beef or mutton
    C (S)eaforth highlanders
    Deaf or dumb
    Eva brick
    Effervescent
    G for ?
    H for?
    I vor Cutler (old BBC radio comedian)
    J for?
    K for?
    Hell (L) for Leather
    M for?
    N for
    O for the wings of a dove
    P for ?
    Q for almost everything during rationing
    R for (Arthur) Askey
    S for?
    Tea for two
    U for?
    V for Victory
    W for?
    Y for (Wife or) mistress. . .
    X for ?
    Zed for?

    Pascal [P-04referent] said...

    "Oranges & London Apples for King Edward"? Sounds like wartime code to confuse the nazis!

    "My suggestion was rejected as unprofessional, because someone thought it sounded like we were pretending to be spies or astronauts or something."
    Yeah, all of 'em people famous for their lack of professionalism! LOL

    "It seems Radio Operators Alphabet is better."
    Ten-four, Hotel Quebec Edward Fruity. Over.

    "I think the weakest one is "Lima"."
    Well, it SOUNDS clear enough, so I guess this is why they kept it.
    Actually, Lima beans make you fart rather powerfully... right, Josie? (^_^)

    "how communication can be very accurate despite the most appalling conditions (static, sirens, thunder, crashing waves, background noise, mortar fire, rockets gunfire, bombs, etc.)"
    We Lebanese know the worst of all appalling conditions: summer neighbor's parties!
    Not really exagerating... sometimes, I miss the good old relative CALM of the war. :-P

    Hey, that's not Denver DareDevil! I recognise that classy-looking profile. Isn't this Dignified Daddy Disraeli? Or Differential Digitations Descartes? Unless it was Decidedly Desocialized Diogenes...
    Some famous classic guy from high school, I'm sure. The beard doesn't lie. "I swear on this goatee!"

    dingue said...

    For CalgaryMark:

    http://thurly.net/p1r