A chow gun is military slang for a field kitchen on wheels — the mobile cooking setup that feeds troops out in the field when there's no mess hall in sight.
A chow gun is military slang for a field kitchen on wheels — the mobile cooking setup that feeds troops out in the field when there's no mess hall in sight. Think of it as the original food truck, military edition: a rolling operation serving up hot meals wherever boots hit the ground. The term blends 'chow' (longstanding slang for food, especially in the military) with 'gun' (shorthand for a large wheeled apparatus). Practical, no-nonsense, and distinctly old-school military in flavor.
The platoon gathered around the chow gun as soon as it rolled into the camp just before dawn.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Chow call is military and institutional slang for an announcement signalling that it's time to eat — the call to the mess hall or dining facility. 'Chow' is established American slang for food (of uncertain but possibly Chinese-pidgin origin), and 'call' refers to the announcement or bugle call. The term is most at home in military, camp, prison, or other institutional settings where meals are communal and announced. Carries a no-frills, no-ceremony register.
Military slang for the mess hall — the cafeteria where service members eat their meals on base. Chow hall carries the no-frills, institutional energy of military life: you grab a tray, get your food, eat fast, and get back to it. Outside the armed forces, the phrase has bled into school, prison, and camp contexts to describe any large communal eating space where the menu isn't exactly gourmet.
Slang for mealtime — the time when food is served or eaten. The word combines 'chow' (informal for food, particularly in military contexts) with 'time', producing a casual, no-fuss term with a slightly institutional or military flavour. It is informal and cheerful in register.
A field kitchen on wheels.
(military slang) mess hall.