A Gedunk bar or geedunk bar ( ) is the canteen or snack bar of a large vessel of the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard. The term in this sense was first recorded in Leatherneck Magazine in 1931. A service member who works in the geedunk is traditionally referred to only as that "geedunk guy" or "geedunk girl", or more informally as a "geedunkaroo". The term was popular during World War II.
Overview
thumb|Gedunk bar aboard , in 1938.
The origin of the word is uncertain. One theory suggests the name is derived from the "gee-dunk" sound that vending machines made when operated. Another theory is that the term is derived from the comic strip Harold Teen, in which Harold eats Gedunk sundaes, chocolate ice cream with ladyfingers "ge-dunked" into it, at the local soda shop. Navy ships would have soda shops rather than bars, as the Navy was bone-dry afloat since alcohol was banned by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels in 1911. Yet another theory suggests that the word's origin is from a Chinese word meaning "place of idleness".
See also
- U.S. Navy slang
- List of established military terms