| It has been widely debated as to where the | | | | use of the word 'jeep' appears to have been |
| word 'jeep' came from, and it is no easy task | | | | during the First World War. Soldiers would |
| to locate the truth. The general consensus is | | | | assign it to vehicles and recruits who were |
| that the assignation 'GP', standing for | | | | new to the army. In the U.S Army magazine the |
| 'General Purpose', is its origin; with the | | | | 'Quartermaster Review', Maj. E. P. Hogan told |
| phonetic conjoining of the consonants with | | | | that these assignations were even in use |
| ease of effort adding a couple of vowels and | | | | during the Second World War. 'Jeep' became a |
| changing the first letter, ending up with | | | | common name for tractors and planes. It was |
| 'jeep'. In contradiction to this theory, R. | | | | adopted by the company 'Modine' for their |
| Lee Ermey contends that the jeep was intended | | | | tractor. The unnamed vehicle was sent to Camp |
| to be used towards more particular ends. He | | | | Holabird for testing and the name 'jeep' was |
| believes that the jeep was not intended for | | | | assigned to it by officers there. The |
| general purpose, but rather that its modern | | | | confusion over its origin perhaps came about |
| name originated from Ford; the 'G' indicating | | | | as engineers were unaware of the military |
| government use, and the 'P' the vehicles | | | | slang 'jeep', and so assumed that the |
| eighty inch wheel base. He claims that it is | | | | nickname came from the Popeye comic strip. In |
| from these assignations that the 'nickname' | | | | 1941 the vehicle was driven up the steps of |
| jeep has been derived. The confusion was | | | | the United States capital by Irving 'Red' |
| thickened when a locomotive manufacturer, in | | | | Haussman to show its versatility on terrain. |
| 1949; the Electro-Motive Division of General | | | | The newspapers quoted him as naming it a |
| Motors, jumped on the moving train of popular | | | | 'jeep'. He had spent time at Fort Holabird |
| terminology by coining its 'General Purpose' | | | | and this is probably where he had picked up |
| line by the phonetically, but not | | | | the term. The entire nation had this |
| grammatically, identical 'Geep'. To try and | | | | terminology placed in front of them with |
| identify the etymology of the word jeep, Ermy | | | | their morning coffee, and from then on in it |
| hypothesised that the word had derived from | | | | has been the only name for the 4x4 all |
| 'Eugene the Jeep' - a versatile character | | | | terrain vehicles. So, when you jump in your |
| from the Popeye comics who could climb up | | | | Jeep and start it up, remember that you now |
| trees, fly in the air, walk up walls and | | | | know a little bit more about your loyal |
| through ceilings, and transcend any terrain | | | | vehicle than a lot of other people who have |
| it wanted. The theory forwards the idea that | | | | loved them for years. Maybe you can make your |
| military officers, in admiration of the | | | | friends more aware with this little bit of |
| vehicle's commendable maneuverability, gave | | | | knowledge or maybe you can just use it to |
| the comic character's name to it. The first | | | | impress them! |