Words & TermsWar, service and history
Anzac button
A nail used in place of a trouser button.
In a sentence
With no spare fastener, the soldier used an Anzac button to hold his trousers.
Where it came from
Soldiers’ ironic compound: a nail substituted for a missing trouser button. Australian War Memorial direct term list citing W.H. Downing confirms the recorded sense and Australian historical context.
- Initial era
- 1900–1949
- Where used
- Australian Imperial Force usage
- Use today
- Historical; First World War