General
scaley
What does scaley mean?
A Royal Signals soldier — the bloke handling radios, comms kit and signals across the British Army. Often heard as 'scaley-back', a reference said to come from the old days of carrying heavy battery sets that rubbed the skin raw.
"Get the scaley over here — the net's gone down again and nobody can raise zero."
Origin
British Army slang for Royal Signals personnel, dating back to early 20th century. 'Scaly-back' is sometimes linked to skin chafing from heavy radio/battery kit worn on the back.
Frequently asked questions
What does scaley mean?
It's slang for a Royal Signals radio operator — the army's communications technician.
How do you use scaley in a sentence?
"Ask the scaley to sort out the radio link."
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