an excellent account of the word origin of camouflage

Philip Hale, music critic

There were at least two prominent people named Philip Hale, who were contemporaries and both from New England.

Philip Leslie Hale (1865-1931) was an American Impressionist artist, who was related to Nathan Hale and Harriet Beecher Stowe. His father was Edward Everett Hale. We mentioned him in our previous post, because one of his students was ship camoufleur Thomas Casilear Cole. Another was Henry Wadsworth Moore, also a ship camoufleur.

The second was a musician and prominent newspaper critic named Philip Hale (1854-1934). Beginning in 1903, he was affiliated with The Boston Herald, for which he wrote a column called As the World Wags. In one of his columns, which was published on January 24, 1918, he offered what is—undoubtedly—the most detailed and authoritative account of the origin of the French word camouflage, which had become widely adopted as an English term during World War I.

There is nothing else like it. Since it is long out of copyright and otherwise hard to locate, we are republishing the entire column, for the convenience of researchers, as follows—

A correspondent, whose letter was published last Monday, rejoices because "camouflage" has found its way into the English language. He prefers the word to "disguise."

"Camouflage," however, is loosely used, absurdly used by many, who are glad to Include in a sentence any word that seems to them new or "the thing,” although they are wholly ignorant of the true meaning.

In the definition of "camouflage" the standard French dictionaries are of little or no use. Littre gives "camouflet," the noun, meaning “a thick smoke that one blows maliciously into the nose of one with a lighted paper cone." To give a "camouflet" is to affront, mortify a person. "Camouflet" is also a mining term. This French word is an old one. It is defined in Cotgrave’s dictionary (1678) as "a snuft or cold pie, a smoakie paper held under the nose of a slug or sleeper." Now, a cold pie in old colloquial English meant an application of cold water to wake a sleeper. “To give cold pig" was another form, and it is still used. In dialect a "cold pie” is an accident to a train or carriage in a pit, a fall on the ice, a disappointment of any kind.

In more modern French-English dictionaries, a camouflet is a whift of smoke in the face; a stifler; an affront, rap over the knuckles, snub.

In Larousse, we find the noun”camouflement," slang for a disguise; the verb, "camoufler," slang, to disguise, or to paint oneself; and "camouflet," mortification. The word "camouflage" does not appear.

Let us look at the French slang dictionarles. Le Roux, edition of 1752: "Camouflet. A blow on the face." Scarron is quoted. Then: "It is also a trick played on a person asleep; here is the explanation. One takes a half sheet of paper, rolls it in the form of a cone, and lights one end, puts the lighted end in the mouth, and blows smoke through the other end into the nose of a sleeper. This makes him wake up at once. In this manner one breaks a person of the habit of sleeping at any moment. The word is also figuratively employed, and in this case means affront, mortification."

Delvau's "Dictionnaire de la Langue Verte," 1889. We find “Camouflement: disguise because the 'camoufle' of instruction and education deceives one.” "Camoufler, to instruct oneself, to serve oneself with the camoufle of intellectual and moral light." It should be remarked that in thieves' slang “camoufle” means candle. Delvau also gives “camouflerise," reflective verb, to disguise oneself. "Camouflage" is not given.

"Camouflement," disguise, is in Larchey's "Excentricites du Langage" (1865) and in Vidocqu's "Les Voleura" (1837).

Let Us look at more modern dictionaries. "Camouflage" is not in Marchand's "Modern Parisian Slang: Argot des Tranchees,” but "camouflet," a rebuke, is listed, also "se camoufler,” to make up one's face.

"Camouflage"' is not in Jean La Rue’s "Dictionnaire d'Argot."

We find "Camouflage" in Aristide Bruant's "L.'Argot au XXe Siecle," vol. I. Francals-Argot, as an equivalent of "Deguisement." The second volume, Argot-Francais, has not been published. Bruant is dead.

"Camouflage" with its present meaning was a French slang term in 1901 and probably for some years before.

We find "Camouflage" in the "Dictionnaire des Termes Militaires et de l'Argot Poilu," published in Paris (1916). “Camoufle. A lamp. Painting the face." "Camoufler. To make a ‘Camoufle,’ to paint." "Camouflage. The action of painting." “Camoufleur. An artist that transforms, by modifying the disposition, the general aspects, immovable things, cannon, anything exposed to the aim of the enemy.

Then there is the huge “Dictionnaire de la Langue Verte." by Hector France, a volume of nearly 600 pages, quarto, with three columns to the page. "Camouflage. The art of making up." There Is this quotation from Guy Tomel's “Le Bas du Pave Parisien": "The police show themselves very reserved on the subject of ‘camouflage,' because each one of them has his own methods which he does not wish to divulge; also because they make their transformations instinctively and would have all the trouble in the world to join theory with practice.” France also defines a "camoufle" (acute accent on the "e") as “a man wearing a false beard, or otherwise disguised." A "camoufleur" is a disguised policeman. "Camoufler la bibine" is to sell adulterated drinks.


It thus appears that the word “camouflage" did not come into the French language during the present war, and is not purely military slang. It is certainly as old as 1901; it was used in connection with policemen and with actors. Aristide Bruant defined it in 1901. Hector France began the publication of his dictionary, in bi-monthly parts, in 1898. "Camoufage" is on the 35th page.

In defining "se camoufler," the definition "se maquiller" is usually given. “Se maquiller" means to paint one's face, to put on rouge, to ruddle, to make up.

In his learned "Etudes de Philologie comparee sur l’Argot" (1856), Francisque-Michel, discussing the old word “camouflet,” says that as the smoke was usually blown into the face of sleeping lackeys, the word soon came to mean a flagrant affront, a great mortification. Pray, in what sense was the word used by the anonymous author of "L'Histoire de Camouflet, souverain potentat de l'empire d' Equivopolis” (1751)?