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"Where Did the Expression ‘Gung Ho’ Come From?" Topic


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FusilierDan Supporting Member of TMP04 Mar 2025 5:25 a.m. PST

We get this byword for enthusiasm from an officer in the Marines named Evans Fordyce Carlson.

link

Deucey Supporting Member of TMP04 Mar 2025 5:45 a.m. PST

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

Eclectic Wave04 Mar 2025 7:54 a.m. PST

There is a World War II movie, Made in WWII (1943) about Evans Force Carlson and his Raiders, called appropriately,

'Gung Ho!': The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders

It's tagged as "A true Story!", and is about as accurate as any movie made in WWII with the blessings of the US Army can be.

Barcephus04 Mar 2025 12:27 p.m. PST

YOUR DAILY DOSE OF TOO MUCH INFORMATION


Gung ho (/ˈɡʌŋˈhoʊ/) is an English term, with the current meaning of 'enthusiastic or energetic', especially overly so. It originated during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) from a Chinese term, 工合 (pinyin: gōnghé; lit. 'to work together'), short for Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (Chinese: 工業合作社; pinyin: Gōngyè Hézuòshè).[1][2]

jfleisher04 Mar 2025 2:33 p.m. PST

I'm pretty sure the phrase came from the 1986 movie with Michael Keaton.

link

I'll see myself out…

Personal logo Parzival Supporting Member of TMP05 Mar 2025 6:22 a.m. PST

Ah, American English— beating up other language's phrases and telling them "you'll mean what we want you to mean," since Plymouth Rock. laugh

Dn Jackson Supporting Member of TMP06 Mar 2025 5:55 a.m. PST

Parzival – lol

Carlson was known as 'Red Mike' in the Marine Corps due to the philosophy on how to run a unit he picked up from the Chinese communists when he was in China before we entered the war. He was not well like in American military circles, but he gave the Corps Gung-Ho!

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