Argot Definition and Examples

Argot Definition and Examples Argot is a specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular social class or group, especially one that functions outside the law. Also called cant and cryptolect. French novelist Victor Hugo observed that argot is subject to perpetual transformation- a secret and rapid work which ever goes on. It makes more progress in ten years than the regular language in ten centuries (Les Misà ©rables, 1862). ESL specialist Sara Fuchs notes that argot is both cryptic and playful in nature and it is . . . particularly rich in vocabulary referring to drugs, crime, sexuality, money, the police, and other authority figures (Verlan, lenvers, 2015). Etymology From the French, origin unknown Examples and Observations The Argot of the RacetrackThe argot of the racetrack is responsible for piker small town gambler, ringer illegally substituted horse, shoo-in fixed race, easy win, and others.(Connie C. Eble, Slang Sociability. UNC Press, 1996)The Argot of PrisonersPrison argot, originally defined as the jargon of thieves, is a particular form of slang (Einat 2005)- in some circumstances, a complete language- capable of describing the world from the perspective of the prison. It has been argued that prisoners live, think, and function within the framework defined by the argot (Encinas 2001), whose vocabulary may supply alternative names for objects, psychological states of minds, personnel roles, situations and the activities of prison life. Experienced inmates use argot fluently and can switch between regular names and their argot counterparts, and the degree of familiarity with argot is an important symbol of group membership among prison inmates (Einat 2005).(Ben Crewe and Tomer Einat, Argot (Pri son).Dictionary of Prisons and Punishment, ed. by Yvonne Jewkes and Jamie Bennett. Willan, 2008) The Argot of Pool PlayersThe poolroom hustler makes his living by betting against his opponents in different types of pool or billiard games, and as part of the playing and betting process he engages in various deceitful practices. The terms hustler for such a practice and hustling for his occupation have been in poolroom argot for decades, antedating their application to prostitutes.Like all other American deviant argots I know of, [hustlers argot] also reveals numerous facets that testify against a secrecy interpretation. Some examples: (1) Hustlers always use their argot among themselves when no outsiders are present, where it could not possibly have a secretive purpose. (2) The argot itself is not protected but is an open secret, i.e., its meanings are quite easily learned by any outsider who wishes to learn them and is an alert listener or questioner. (3) The argot is elaborated far beyond any conceivable need to develop a set of terms for deviant phenomena, and even far beyond any need to develop a full-scale technical vocabulary . . ..(Ned Polsky, Hustlers, Beats, and Others. Aldine, 2006) The Argot of Card PlayersA cardsharp who is out to cheat you may be dealing from the bottom of the deck and giving you a fast shuffle, in which case you may get lost in the shuffle. You might call such a low-down skunk a four-flusher. Flush, a hand of five cards all of one suit, flows from the Latin fluxus because all the cards flow together. Four-flusher characterizes a poker player who pretends to such good fortune but in fact holds a worthless hand of four same-suit cards and one that doesnt match.All of these terms originated with poker and other betting card games and have undergone a process that linguists call broadening. A good example of movement from one specific argot to another is wild card berth or wild card player as used in football and tennis. In these sports, a team hopes for back-to-back victories- from a fortuitous ace-down-ace-up as the first two cards in a game of five-card stud.(Richard Lederer, A Man of My Words. Macmillan, 2003)The Lighter Side of ArgotA strea k of humour runs through the traditional argot. Prisons were often described as schools, as in the contemporary College of Correction, and the hulks used to accommodate prisoners were the floating academies. Brothels were convents or nunneries, the prostitutes who worked in them were nuns, and the madam was an abbess.(Barry J. Blake, Secret Language. Oxford University Press, 2010) Pronunciation: ARE-go or ARE-get

Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War

Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War The Battle of Dak To was a major engagement of the Vietnam War and was fought from November 3 to 22, 1967. Armies Commanders US Republic of Vietnam Major General William R. Peers16,000 men North Vietnam Viet Cong General Hoang Minh ThaoTran The Mon6,000 men Background of the Battle of Dak To In the summer of 1967, the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) initiated a series of attacks in western Kontum Province. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. This was designed to sweep PAVN forces from the jungle-covered mountains of the region. After a series of sharp engagements, contact with PAVN forces diminished in August, leading the Americans to believe that they had withdrawn back across the border into Cambodia and Laos. After a quiet September, US intelligence reported that PAVN forces around Pleiku were moving into Kontum in early October. This shift increased PAVN strength in the area to around division level. The PAVN plan was to utilize the the 6,000 men of the 24th, 32nd, 66th, and 174th regiments to isolate and destroy a brigade-sized American force near Dak To. Largely devised by  General Nguyen Chi Thanh, the goal of this plan was to force the further deployment of American troops to the border regions which would leave South Vietnams cities and lowlands vulnerable. To deal with this build up of PAVN forces, Peers directed the 3rd Battalion of the 12th Infantry and the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Infantry to launch Operation MacArthur on November 3. Fighting Begins Peers understanding of the enemys intentions and strategy was greatly enhanced on November 3, following the defection of Sergeant Vu Hong who provided key information regarding PAVN unit locations and intentions. Alerted to each PAVN units location and objective, Peers men began engaging the enemy the same day, disrupting the North Vietnamese plans for attacking Dak To. As elements of the 4th Infantry, 173rd Airborne, and the 1st Brigade of the 1st Air Cavalry went into action they found that the North Vietnamese had prepared elaborate defensive positions on the hills and ridges around Dak To. Over the ensuing three weeks, American forces developed a methodical approach to reducing PAVN positions. Once the enemy was located, massive amounts of firepower (both artillery and air strikes) were applied, followed by an infantry assault to secure to objective. To support this approach, Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 173rd Airborne established Fire Support Base 15 on Hill 823 early in the campaign. In most instances, PAVN forces fought tenaciously, bloodying the Americans, before vanishing into the jungle. Key firefights in the campaign occurred on Hills 724 and 882. As these fights were taking place around Dak To, the airstrip became a target for PAVN artillery and rocket attacks. Final Engagements The worst of these took place on November 12, when rockets and shellfire destroyed several C-130 Hercules transports as well as detonated the bases ammunition and fuel depots. This resulted in the loss of 1,100 tons of ordnance. In addition to the American forces, Army of Vietnam (ARVN) units also took part in the battle, seeing action around Hill 1416. The last major engagement of the Battle of Dak To began on November 19, when the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne attempted to take Hill 875. After meeting initial success, the 2/503 found itself caught in an elaborate ambush. Surrounded, it endured a severe friendly fire incident and was not relieved until the next day. Resupplied and reinforced, the 503rd attacked the crest of Hill 875 on November 21. After savage, close-quarters fighting, the airborne troopers neared the top of the hill, but were forced to halt due to darkness. The following day was spent hammering the crest with artillery and air strikes, completely removing all cover. Moving out on the 23rd, the Americans took the top of the hill after finding that the North Vietnamese had already departed. By the end of November, the PAVN forces around Dak To were so battered that they were withdrawn back across the border ending the battle. Aftermath of the Battle of Dak To A victory for the Americans and South Vietnamese, the Battle of Dak To cost 376 US killed, 1,441 US wounded, and 79 ARVN killed. In the course of the fighting, Allied forces fired 151,000 artillery rounds, flew 2,096 tactical air sorties, and conducted 257 B-52 Stratofortress strikes. Initial US estimates placed enemy losses above 1,600, but these were quickly questioned and PAVN casualties were later estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,445 killed. The Battle of Dak To saw US forces drive the North Vietnamese from the Kontum Province and decimated the regiments of the 1st PAVN Division. As a result, three of the four would be unable to participate the Tet Offensive in January 1968. One of the border battles of late 1967, the Battle of Dak To did accomplish a key PAVN objective as US forces began to move out from cities and lowlands. By January 1968, half of all US combat units were operating away from these key areas. This led to some concern among those on General William Westmorelands staff as they saw parallels with the events that led to French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.  These concerns would be realized with the beginning of the Battle of Khe Sanh in January 1968. Resources and Further Reading Vietnam Studies: Tactical and Material InnovationsEdward F. Murphy, Dak To. New York: Presidio Press , 2002.