Definition of charlie

The origin of the word "charlie" can be traced back to the American Civil War. The term "charlie" was originally used as a derogatory name for Confederate soldiers by Union troops, primarily due to the common mispronunciation of the first name "Charles" in the South. At the time, many Confederate soldiers were named Charles or some variation thereof, and Union soldiers often pronounced the name as "charlie" or "charley." This led to the widespread use of the term "charlie" as a slang term for Confederate soldiers, which was later extended to refer to all enemy combatants in conflicts like World War I and World War II, especially in aviation, where pilots of allied planes referred to enemy planes as "charlies." Today, "charlie" is still used in various contexts, including as a slang term for a police officer (caused by the popular TV show "Chips"), as a term for a soldier in some military contexts (such as the Australian Army), and more recently, as a slang term for a disposable e-cigarette. The origins of the word remain deeply rooted in the history of the American Civil War, however, and it continues to evoke the spirit of that pivotal time in American history.