Military slang for a set of cutlery — the fork, knife, and spoon a soldier uses at meal times. The phrase brings some battlefield swagger to the humble act of eating, which makes sense in a world where mealtime is a brief relief from combat. Used primarily in British military contexts, it reflects the forces' tradition of giving everything — however mundane — a suitably robust nickname.
He dropped his fighting irons on the floor of the mess and had to wash them before dinner.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(military, slang) A set of cutlery.
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