Australian and New Zealand military slang for hardtack — the extremely dense, dry biscuit issued as field rations to soldiers when fresh food was unavailable.
Australian and New Zealand military slang for hardtack — the extremely dense, dry biscuit issued as field rations to soldiers when fresh food was unavailable. The term comes from World War I, when ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops were issued hardtack biscuits as part of their field rations. The "wafer" label is ironic given hardtack's notoriously tough, jaw-challenging texture. The term is primarily historical and is associated with ANZAC military heritage.
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Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
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(AU, NZ) A biscuit made from oats, coconut and golden syrup.
In civilian use, sheet iron is simply thin flat iron rolled into sheets — a basic industrial material. But in military slang, particularly among soldiers who endured it, "sheet iron" was a derogatory nickname for hardtack, the rock-hard crackers issued as field rations. The comparison was brutally apt: hardtack was notoriously nearly inedible without soaking, and soldiers joked bitterly that eating it risked breaking teeth.
(derogatory, military slang) hardtack.
The museum display included a tin of original Anzac wafers alongside the mess kit and identification tags.
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Australian and New Zealand military slang from World War I for hardtack, the notoriously hard and unpalatable biscuit issued to soldiers as field rations. The term reflects the dry humor of ANZAC troops coping with army food. Today primarily of historical interest, appearing in discussions of WWI, military history, and Australian and New Zealand national identity. The biscuit's legendary hardness became almost a point of pride among veterans, who swapped stories about breaking teeth on it or soaking it in tea until edible.
The ration packs included what the men called Anzac wafers, which required soaking before anyone risked their teeth.
Anzac wafer means: Australian and New Zealand military slang from World War I for hardtack, the notoriously hard and unpalatable biscuit issued to soldiers as field rations. The term reflects the dry humor of ANZAC. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. This is a food-related word and harmless in itself.
Anzac wafer means: Australian and New Zealand military slang from World War I for hardtack, the notoriously hard and unpalatable biscuit issued to soldiers as field rations. The term reflects the. Register: informal, military jargon. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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(AU, NZ, military slang) Hardtack.
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