DHOBY DUST

Jackspeak - A Guide to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Slanguage.

Dhoby Dust - Washing Powder.

Originally a Hindi word for the business of washing clothes. May also be spelt as Dhobi or Dhobey. There are various useages:-

Dhoby Crusher. Fiendish Chinese Laundry machine which rips off buttons, badges etc. Until very recent times any warship had a crew of Chinese Laundry Wallahs on board. Their presence saved valuable water and ensured the crew could get on with their job.

Dhoby Itch, skin rash from incomplete rinsing of clothes.

Dhoby Palace. Laundromat.

JK Rowling called Harry Potter's house elf 'Dhoby.'

When you join the RN or RM one of your first experiences is a lecture about how to shower properly, how to dhoby your clothes and how to iron them. For a Bootneck there is a set routine at the end of a day. Strip, put on shorts, T shirt and flip flops. Clean your equipment and prepare it for the next day; clean your rifle, take your dhoby to the dhoby room, wash it thoroughly and leave to dry; take your manky body to the showers and get clean, washing your dhoby has helped remove weapon oil etc. Then, and only then, go and feed yourself.

The above may seem extreme, but bear in mind that in a warship or operational area you are living in very close proximity so personal hygiene is a must. It stays with you for life.