P-47 Nicknames

[A10 NAW]

I see many sources saying unequivocally the the P-47 was called the "Jug" because its outline resembles a milk jug. As an ex Fairchild Republic test crew I was always told the British called the plane a "Juggernaut" and the yanks shortened it to "Jug" The milk jug analogy stretches the point a bit. No fighter pilot I ever knew would refer to his mount as a milk jug. Looking for opinions and validation. Not trying to cause a ruckus.

[Juggernut]

I think the milk jug story holds more water than does the other theory. Case on point; Tommy Blackburn took one look at the F4U Corsair and called it a "Big Hog". After that, the word spread and the Corsair became affectionately known as the Hog. American nicknames usually arise out of a particular feature or physical characteristic of the thing being named, more than it's performance. There are exceptions as always. The Raptor for instance....just sounds mean. The actual aircraft bears no resemblence whatsoever to a raptor (modern or prehistoric) but it's intended to instill a "bird of prey" connotation.

 

My .02 (much more of these and I can buy a new model kit )

 

Tim

[Craig361]

In his book "An Ace of the Eighth", Norman "Bud" Fortier made a statement about the P-47 being called the 'jug' because of its resemblance to a milk jug. I would have to reread the book to find his exact wording but he did use 'milk jug' in it.

[LSP_Kevin]

The 'milk jug' comparison is the one I always see quoted. What I've heard is that the British heard the Americans referring to it as 'the Jug', and assumed they meant 'Juggernaut'. So the British adopted Jug for Juggernaut after misunderstanding the American usage of Jug for Milk Jug. I can't quote any references unfortunately, so it all may be apocryphal.

 

Kev

[CharlesMetz]

Whatever its historical origins may be, this isn't an either-or issue, in my opinion; instead, "Jug" is an excellent nickname for the P-47 because both interpretations of the word suit the aircraft well -- i.e., "Jug" is a double entendre.

 

Charles Metz