The phrase "Roger Dodger" originated during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and was verbally circulated throughout the United States military as a part of a story about a pilot or soldier that added his own flair to

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

phraseology. The punch line of this story is, "Roger Dodger, you old codger!" The story was passed along by servicemen in all branches of the military. Here is one version of the story set in the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II:

:A squadron of
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
aircraft was returning to base after a wildly successful mission. One pilot in particular was feeling especially cocky. After receiving landing instructions, the pilot signed off his radio message with, "Roger Dodger!" :The next transmission was from an irate-sounding naval officer. He bellowed, "In this man's Navy, there will be no flippant remarks on the radio!" He went on to say that he was a U.S. Navy
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
and intended to find the offender to personally reprimand him. :The rambunctious pilot acknowledged by saying, "Roger Dodger, you ol' codger. I'm a Commander too!"Cardey, C: ''ICUFR Newsletter'', page 3. ICUFR, November 2005

It is easy to see how the story can be adapted to different military branches and duties but still retain the essential ingredients: the successful war hero in the thick of the action and the overbearing officer concerned only with strict adherence to the regulations. Over several decades, the story faded into

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, but the phrase "Roger Dodger" retains widespread recognition in the United States even though most people do not know what it really means or its origin. It is generally used in a flippant way, often in seeming mocking of

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

or military authority. The

International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sc ...

(ICAO) officially defines the word "roger" to mean "I have received all of your transmission." For example, a pilot would say "roger" in response to an advisory from

Air Traffic Control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

. "Roger" is not currently the word for the letter " R" in most radio alphabets; "Romeo" is. However, in modern times, pilots must read back (repeat) Air Traffic Control clearances to verify they heard them correctly, but most instructions may be "rogered." The word "roger" is still used in modern aviation radio communication, but the phrase "roger dodger" is not recognized by ICAO.

References

{{Reflist Figures of speech