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a shoulder decoration worn by government and military officials indicating rank

English translation: a kind of epaulet

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:shoulder board
Selected answer:a kind of epaulet
Entered by: Roddy Stegemann

12:17 Jan 29, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Textiles / Clothing / Fashion / uniforms
English term or phrase: a shoulder decoration worn by government and military officials indicating rank
Shoulder decorations come in various forms, so please be wary in offering your response.

These decorations sit on top of the shoulder, like little planks of wood when seen from a distance. They are probably made out of cloth with stays in the middle.
Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 12:19
shoulder board?
Explanation:
Whose government and armed forces are we talking about here? What you describe sounds like what in Russian are called "pogony", usually translated as "shoulder boards". "Epaulettes" are for ceremonial uniforms, often extending from the shoulder with a fringe hanging down from them. The straps on the shoulder on combat and other non-dress uniforms on which badges of rank are worn are just called that - shoulder straps.
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:19
Grading comment
This fits my description well, and I am very happy with it. Thanks ever so much to both you and Clauwolf. When I first posed the question, I had in mind the word epaulet (also spelled epaulette), but could not think of it. I am truly glad I waited to learn about the term shoulder board.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +8epaulette
Charlie Bavington
5 +6epaulette
David Moore (X)
2 +8shoulder board?
Jack Doughty
5 +1Jack is right
Clauwolf
4 +1cloth insignia
Wenke Geddert
5Shoulder straps
Alex Zelkind (X)
3Some interesting pictures, etc, supporting epaulettes & shoulder boards
DGK T-I


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
epaulette


Explanation:
Sounds like what you mean to me....

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Note added at 6 mins (2004-01-29 12:23:24 GMT)
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OED: \"ormamental shoulder piece worn on military or other uniform, usu. as a sign of rank.\"
Consider my confidence level moved up to 5 :-) !!

Charlie Bavington
Local time: 20:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Steffen Walter
4 mins
agree  DGK T-I: in Napoleonic or modern ceremonial uniforms certain ranks of officer had attractive golden pits hanging down from ends.Metal studs of diff shapes &no's for some ranks-some called shapes pips and crowns in British circles ~
15 mins
agree  pike
16 mins
agree  Marie Scarano
1 hr
agree  Patricia Baldwin
1 hr
agree  Gordon Darroch (X)
3 hrs
agree  Jörgen Slet
11 hrs
agree  Mario Marcolin
20 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +6
epaulette


Explanation:
Often of metallic woven fabrics.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2004-01-29 12:23:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In British usage, almost exclusively restricted to the military.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 21:19
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Steffen Walter: snap!
7 mins
agree  MJ Barber
9 mins
agree  DGK T-I
11 mins
agree  vixen
11 mins
agree  Patricia Baldwin: in Usa military, police officers,security ...
1 hr
agree  Jörgen Slet
11 hrs
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
cloth insignia


Explanation:
Also shoulder boards, but cloth insignia indicates ranks. See attached ref for illustration purposes. HTH


    Reference: http://www.rhodesian-chronicle.co.uk/cloth_insignia.htm
Wenke Geddert
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:19
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Steffen Walter: This term's more general than just referring to pieces sitting on the shoulder (nb. mention of all sorts of badges in your source...). - Hamo expressly specified "shoulder".
2 mins
  -> Yes, thanks - started off with "shoulder boards" and veered off...
neutral  BerylA: Interesting to note your source! Refers to my place of birth!
9 hrs
agree  Patricia Baldwin: shoulder boards
14 hrs
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +8
shoulder board?


Explanation:
Whose government and armed forces are we talking about here? What you describe sounds like what in Russian are called "pogony", usually translated as "shoulder boards". "Epaulettes" are for ceremonial uniforms, often extending from the shoulder with a fringe hanging down from them. The straps on the shoulder on combat and other non-dress uniforms on which badges of rank are worn are just called that - shoulder straps.

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
This fits my description well, and I am very happy with it. Thanks ever so much to both you and Clauwolf. When I first posed the question, I had in mind the word epaulet (also spelled epaulette), but could not think of it. I am truly glad I waited to learn about the term shoulder board.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Clauwolf: yes Jack, I saw the term in Heritage - a synonyn is shoulder mark
1 hr
  -> Thank you. I should think "shoulder mark" is the badge - pip, crown, whatever - worn on the shoulder strap
agree  John Bowden: Yes, if it looks like "a little plank", this must be it. Definitely "board" when referring to Russian uniforms
2 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Leah Aharoni
6 hrs
agree  DGK T-I: shoulder boards is very respectable for these (although I would argue that they are also a form of epaulette of the "simpler"kind rather than the golden nugget variety:-) LATER:"absolutely -and the English don't confine their epaulettes in that way:-)"
7 hrs
  -> The Russians use the word "epolety" for the more elaborate form.
agree  Martin Perazzo: I would have said "epaulet" (AE spelling) at first, but after reading your comments, I did some research and came to the same conclusion as you. Learn something new every day!
10 hrs
  -> Vek zhivi, vek uchis, as they say in Russian (live a century, learn for a century)
agree  Jörgen Slet
11 hrs
agree  Patricia Baldwin
14 hrs
agree  Mario Marcolin
19 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Jack is right


Explanation:
:) From Heritage:

shoulder board n. One of a pair of oblong pieces of stiffened cloth worn on each shoulder of a military uniform and carrying insignia identifying the wearer's rank. Also called shoulder mark.

Clauwolf
Local time: 16:19
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jack Doughty: Thank you for quoting this definition.
1 hr
  -> thanks
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Shoulder straps


Explanation:
Hi, Hamo
Here is another option.
It all depends on the country and branch of military service.

In the US Army it is called "shoulder straps"

Alex Zelkind (X)
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Some interesting pictures, etc, supporting epaulettes & shoulder boards


Explanation:
An epaulet badge (so called because it is positioned on the epaulet)
(see top right of top right picture - Australian Army Corps)
http://www.lawranceordnance.com/new/images/uniforms-aust-ww1...

Pictures of epaulets (4 versions - shoulders of officer uniforms of the Kent Ambulance Service - find by searching page using "epaulette")
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gi4xfr.dave/patches.htm

the point of these is to illustrate that "epaulettes" are not only the "big gold things with fringes" worn by historical military officers and as part of ceremonial uniforms today, but are also something much simpler.

epaulet as a shoulder strap for someone of lower rank (from: an RAF airman's daily diary)
"1964 El Adem Failed to salute a Flying Officer and a Squadron Leader whilst crossing the dispersal area... I said I couldn't salute because my hat was in my epaulette, he corrected me by saying that I should have been wearing my beret but I corrected him by saying that Unit Routine Orders stated that we were not to wear any hats on the 'pan' as foreign objects may get sucked/blown into jet intakes. He told me to report to his office at 1400 hrs prompt....he bollocked me for my previous action and then asked me if I would like to go in for my Corporal Technicians board. I told him the RAF owed me no favours therefore I owed them none"

splashdown2.tripod.com/HandleyPageHastingsTG579/ id18.html


"[Russian]infanty tank riders....five enlisted men and one NCO or officer with "pogony" or shoulder straps (epaulettes)."
1944 quilted combat uniform
http://misc.kitreview.com/figurereviews/halftrackcrewreviewc...

Don Cossacks and Black Sea Cossacks
1825-1855
A.V. VISKOVATOV
Compiled by HIGHEST direction
Saint Petersburg, Military Typography Office, 1862

[TRANSLATED BY MARK CONRAD, 1994]

- lower ranks [of the Don host] to have:
shoulder straps [pogony] with a cut-out of the regimental number,
- For uniformity, non-combatant lower ranks are to have the same pattern of shoulder straps [pogony] on the chekmen as non-combatants in the Life-Guards Horse Artillery,
- Shoulder straps [Pogony] — on a base of blue cloth, of red cloth with the No of the regiment cut out and backed by yellow cloth, with the same regimental No on the buttons.

Soviet military insignia of rank "shoulder boards"
http://www-math.mit.edu/~igorvp/Russia/Other/Pogony/pogony.h...

personally I would argue they are all sorts of epaulettes with varying size and stiffness, or non stiffness. The 'plank like' Soviet pogony is at one end of the scale, as Jack has interestingly pointed out, and shoulder board is a respectable translation for it (the Georgian term), but I would argue it is a type of epaulette too.



















which is also sometimes translated as epaulette and shoulder strap).

"Button down shoulder epaulet tabs" (on everyday smart uniform shirts of pilots for major airlines such as British Airways - the button down tabs can also accomodate detachable epaulettes). [Picture]. This is partly to illustrate that 'epaulette' isn't only used for "the big gold things with fringes" worn ceremonially or by Napoleonic officers - it is also used for something much plainer, especially on modern everyday uniforms.
http://www.transair.co.uk/pages/shirt.htm

British DPM Camouflage JUNGLE COMBAT Jacket
with 2 shoulder epaulet tabs



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Note added at 8 hrs 25 mins (2004-01-29 20:42:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Apologies to asker - those of my refs which refer to \"floppy\" epaulettes or floppy shoulder straps don\'t meet the criteria of the question (not wary enough!). Anyway, my main point is to argue that shoulder boards (for the USSR/Russia at least, and epaulettes (of the plainer, stiff variety) are both reasonable terms (and everyone is right:-)

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Note added at 8 hrs 39 mins (2004-01-29 20:57:07 GMT)
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typo. please ignore:
\'\'which is also sometimes translated as epaulette and shoulder strap).\'\' - not meant to be there :-(


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Note added at 1 day 3 hrs 3 mins (2004-01-30 15:20:32 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

a final reference from the BBC using \'epaulets\' for the stiff Russian/Soviet pogony/epaulets/shoulder boards, with a nice picture of them.

\"Servicemen hold the star as something sacred,\" said Mr Ivanov at his meeting with Mr Putin and Russia\'s top brass.

\"Our fathers and grandfathers fought under the star and we carry stars on our epaulettes now.\"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2515515.stm
Tuesday, 26 November, 2002, 14:53 GMT
Red star set for Russian comeback

Shoulder board is a very respectable translation for it too (and when I said \'the Georgian term\' above, I meant that the Georgian for \'pogony\' is \'shoulderboard\' in Georgian).




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Note added at 1 day 6 hrs 21 mins (2004-01-30 18:38:18 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

(Apologies: in the Georgian: \'shoulder piece\')

DGK T-I
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:19

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Martin Perazzo: I'm neutral about your comment restricting shoulder boards to the Russian example. See Webster's definition of "shoulder board": one of a pair of narrow, stiff, cloth patches bearing an insignia of rank and worn on the shoulders by a commissioned officer.
2 hrs
  -> I didn't restrict shoulder boards to the Russian/Soviet example - I said shoulder boards is a reasonable term"for the USSR/Russia AT LEAST"(as well as epaulettes,which I like) -"at least" meaning "potentially other places too".Nice Webster ref.though :-)
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