Where does the term Jarhead come from?
Me being a former SSGT in the Marines, decided to do some research on the term jarhead. Most people could not give me an answer. So I went with the most viable source, from the Marine Corps League.Which states that large vats or jars contained pickles for marines. Apparantly they ran out of targets for practice so instead they used Marines, that were brought up on disciplinary charges. To some they were considered as expendable and this was a way for them to earn their place, which was to hold up these jar lids as targets down range.I’m assuming they were behind burms.The term was coined by the army to insist how crazy Marine would go. Semper Fi!
If you go to Boston and take a tour of the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides), the sailors who man the warship tell the tale of the origin of the term “jarhead.” According to the sailors, most of the Marines were quite a bit taller than the sailors on the ships. When they were below the decks, the ceiling of the areas was lower than most people would like. The sailors, being generally smaller and shorter, would walk around the lower decks without too much problem. The Marines were generally taller, and they would regularly run into the beams supporting the decks, hence the name “Jarhead.” Being an Air Force alum, I might question the integrity of Navy guys telling a story like that, but it sounds cool, so I accept it as gospel. The other possibility comes from my father, a fighter pilot for more than 32 years in the Air Force. He was told that the caps that the Marines wear in their dress uniforms and threaded and they are screwed onto the Marines heads (which are counter threaded becaus
I have found several possible roots of origin on the Internet. One account suggests that it refers to the Marine high and tight haircut, which is cut almost to the skin at the ears with a bit more as it goes up the head giving the appearance of a jar. A military history website states that it was a slang term used by sailors in World War II referring to the resemblance of the Marine dress blues uniform, with its high collar, to a Mason jar which at the time was made from blue glass. Another legend says that during World War II the Mason Jar Company stopped making jars and made the helmets for Marines. Furthermore, some old-timer Marine’s insist that the term originated in the Corps back in the days when mules were still used. Mules were often referred to as Jugheads or Jarheads and that certain stubborn or hard to deal with Marines were also called Jarheads. Additionally, the American Heritage Dictionary of English states that the term is perhaps from the shape of the hat the Marines o
The term “jarhead” as referring to a Marine comes from the same thing that gave them the nickname “leathernecks” — the leather collars on some of their uniforms. Before rubber was commonly available, the rings used to seal canning jars were made of leather. So the implication is that the Marine’s leather collar is akin to the leather sealing rings once used on canning jars, making him, litterally, a “jar head.” Which also gives you an idea about how far back the term goes! fatcabral: It’s nice that you were able to add that the leather collars helped protect from saber cuts. But it wasn’t necessary to answer the question. The key point is leather collars relating to the leather rings once used in canning. Please remember to rate answers on whether they answer the question that was actually asked.
