"Doughboy" was a popular

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

for the American

infantryman Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s, when it was gradually replaced by "

G.I. G.I. is an informal term that refers to "a soldier in the United States armed forces, especially the army". It is most deeply associated with World War II, but continues to see use. It was originally an initialism used in U.S. Army paperwork f ...

" as the following generation enlisted in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Background

Philology

The origins of the term are unclear. The word was in wide circulation a century earlier in both Britain and America, albeit with different meanings.

Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

's sailors and the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

's soldiers in Spain, for instance, were both familiar with fried flour dumplings called "doughboys",Evans, Ivor H. (ed.) (1981) ''

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', sometimes referred to simply as ''Brewer's'', is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions, and figures, whether historical or mythical. The "New Edi ...

'' New York: Harper & Row, p.353 the precursor of the modern

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...

. Independently, in the United States, the term had come to be applied to bakers' young apprentices, i.e., "dough-boys". In ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'' (1851),

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

nicknamed the timorous cabin steward "Doughboy".

Average age

Infantrymen recruited for World War I were very young, often teenaged boys. The average age of a "doughboy" in World War I was less than 25 years old. Fifty-seven percent of infantrymen were under the age of 25, with some enlisting as young as seventeen.

History

Doughboy as applied to the infantry of the U.S. Army first appears in accounts of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

of 1846–1848,Beale, Paul (ed.) (1989) ''A Concise History of Slang and Unconventional English: From "A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English" by

Eric Partridge Eric Honeywood Partridge (6 February 1894 – 1 June 1979) was a New Zealand–United Kingdom, British lexicography, lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the ...

'' New York: Macmillan. p.134. without any precedent that can be documented. A number of theories have been put forward to explain this usage: * Cavalrymen used the term to deride foot soldiers, because the brass buttons on their uniforms looked like the flour dumplings or dough cakes called "doughboys", or because of the flour or pipe clay which the soldiers used to polish their white belts.Taylor, David A. (March 1998
"The History of the Doughnut"
''

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is a magazine covering science, history, art, popular culture and innovation. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' magazine ...

'' * Observers noticed U.S. infantry forces were constantly covered with chalky dust from marching through the dry terrain of northern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, giving the men the appearance of unbaked

dough Dough is a malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from flour (which itself is made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops). Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes ...

or the mud bricks of the area known as

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

, with "adobe" transformed to 'dobies' and then further into "doughboy".Hanlon, Michael E
"Origins of 'Doughboy'"
''Doughboy Center: Stories of the American Expeditionary Force'' * The soldiers' method of cooking

field ration A field ration is a type of prepackaged military ration designed to be easily and quickly prepared and consumed in the field, in combat, at the front line, or where eating facilities are otherwise unavailable. Field rations are primarily used ...

s of the 1840s and 1850s into doughy flour-and-rice concoctions baked in the ashes of a camp fire. This does not explain why only infantrymen received the appellation. One explanation offered for the usage of the term in World War I is that female

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

volunteers went to France to cook millions of doughnuts and bring them to the troops on the front line, although this explanation ignores the usage of the term in the earlier war. One jocular explanation for the term's origin was that, in World War I, the doughboys were "kneaded" in 1914 but did not rise until 1917.

Postwar

Examples from the

Interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

and WW2 eras include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland", recorded by

Dennis Day Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor, comedian and singer. He was of Irish descent. Early life Day was born and raised in the Throggs Neck Clason Point section of Bronx in New Yor ...

, Kenny Baker, and

Kay Kyser James Kern Kyser (June 18, 1905 – July 23, 1985), known as Kay Kyser, was an American bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s. Early years Kyser was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Emily Royster Kyser ...

, among others, the 1942 musical film ''

Johnny Doughboy ''Johnny Doughboy'' is a 1942 American black-and-white musical comedy film directed by John H. Auer for Republic Pictures. It stars Jane Withers in a dual role as a 16-year-old actress who is sick of playing juvenile roles, and her lookalike fan ...

'', and the character "Johnny Doughboy" in ''Military Comics''.

Monuments and memorials

A popular mass-produced sculpture of the 1920s called the ''

Spirit of the American Doughboy ''The Spirit of the American Doughboy'' is a pressed copper sculpture by E. M. Viquesney, designed to honor the veterans and casualties of World War I. Mass-produced during the 1920s and 1930s for communities throughout the United States, the ...

'' shows a U.S. soldier in World War I uniform. In September of 2024, the National World War I Memorial unveiled a sculpture called ''A Soldier's Journey'' which depicts a single “doughboy” as he leaves home, witnesses death and destruction on the front lines and makes his way back.

Tommy Atkins Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army.Faulstich, Edith. M. "The Siberian Sojourn" Yonkers, N.Y. (1972–1977) * Gawne, Jonathan. ''Over There!: The American Soldier in World War I'' (1999)- 83 pages, heavily illustrated * Grotelueschen, Mark Ethan. ''The AEF Way of War: The American Army and Combat in World War I'' (2006
excerpt and text search
* Gutièrrez, Edward A. ''Doughboys on the Great War: How American Soldiers Viewed Their Military Experience'' (2014) * Hallas, James H. ''Doughboy War: The American Expeditionary Force in World War I'' (2nd ed. 2009
online edition
includes many primary sources from soldiers * Hoff, Thomas. ''US Doughboy 1916-19'' (2005) * Kennedy, David M. ''Over Here: The First World War and American Society'' (1980
excerpt and text search
* Nelson, James Carl. ''The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War'' (2009) * Ranck,

dwin Dvin ( or ; , ''Doúbios'' or Τίβιον, ''Tíbion''; , Dabīl or Doubil) was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along t ...

Carty. ''The Doughboys' Book'' (1925) * Rubin, Richard ''The Last of the Doughboys: the forgotten generation and their forgotten world war'' plus
online webcast presentation of book
* Schafer, Ronald. ''America in the Great War'' (1991) * Skilman, Willis Rowland. ''The A.E.F.: Who They Were, what They Did, how They Did it'' (1920) 231 pp
full text online
* Smith, Gene. ''Until the Last Trumpet Sounds: The Life of General of the Armies John J. Pershing'' (1999), popular biography. * Snell, Mark A. ''Unknown Soldiers: The American Expeditionary Forces in Memory and Remembrance'' (2008) * Thomas, Shipley. ''The History of the A. E. F.'' (1920), 540pp
full text online
* Votow, John. ''The American Expeditionary Forces in World War I'' (2005) - 96 pp
excerpt and text search
* Werner, Bret. ''Uniforms, Equipment And Weapons of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I'' (2006) * Zieger, Robert. ''America's Great War: World War 1 and the American Experience'' (2000)

External links

*
The Doughboy Center: The Story of the American Expeditionary Forces
at Worldwar1.com {{Authority control Infantry Military slang and jargon