MovieChat Forums > The Great Santini (1979) Discussion > Buenos dias, Russpickers!

Buenos dias, Russpickers!

posted 14 years ago by ctex
7 replies | jump to latest

Bull Meechum used the term "russpicker" several times during the film, i.e. "To all squids and russpickers, haroogah haroogah haroogah!" I know "squid" is a derogatory terms that's used by other services (this former "zoomie" included) to refer to someone in the Navy. I couldn't find an exact definition using Google or Dictionary.com for the term "russpicker" however. I get the gist of it, that he's slamming on the Navy pilots they're flying against in the combat exercises, but could somebody give me a more precise definition for russpicker, including the word's history? Thanks very much!

[–] jdbna 14 years ago

Rust ... not russ. But I don't remember the context.

[–] ctex 14 years ago

That makes sense...I'd betcha it has something to do with scraping rust (along with barnicles) off the hulls of the ships while in dry dock...right after they swabbed the decks!

[–] rmax304823 14 years ago

Some joke.

Ex swabbie.

[–] nutsberryfarm 11 years ago

he's a comedian, that's for sure.

Season's Greetings!

[–] mrjbaptist 8 years ago

Rust Pickers

Literally: People who pick (or scrape) rust off of boats.

I've had a few friends who made the unfortunate mistake of joining the Navy, and they tell me that untrained seamen spend a lot of time doing menial work such as scraping rust off the decks and then repainting the metal, to protect it from the saltwater.

Therefore, "rust-picker" is not just saying that someone is in the "worst" of the armed services, but that they have the worst job in that service.

It is considered an insult.

Here's a reference:

sailor
acceptable: bluejacket, tar.
Not so acceptable: gob, swab, swabbie, squid.
Probably fighting words: anchor clanker, rust picker, deck ape.

source: https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/lingo/s#

[–] Slew_Foot 8 years ago

Well, this brings me back a ways. My very first day aboard the USS John Rodgers, DD-983, I spent forever cleaning up the chaff system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_John_Rodgers_(DD-983)

[–] liscarkat (19418) 2 years ago

My dad was on a U.S. Navy destroyer in WWII. While he was still a seaman, before getting promoted to petty officer, he spent a lot of time doing what was called "chip and red-lead", which consisted of chipping, scraping, and sanding off rust, then applying a reddish, lead-based primer coat.