"Wha's a Jeep?"

With most things in life, the answers to many questions aren't very simple. One example of that is where the name "jeep" came from. There are many answers to this question and every one is hard to verify.

The jeep itself was a vehicle designed for the army in World War II as a means of quick transportation for troops and/or supplies that was low to the ground, had a windscreen capable of laying flat on the hood, a bumper that could hold troops, extra gas tank, was light, was a 4x4, and basically was an overall primary light vehicle used by the army. It found great favor with troops, and has since moved into the civilian domain also. Now the term jeep is used to describe any vehicle of a certain type, but it is also a brand controlled by Chrysler.

The most common answer when asked the origin of jeep is the story about GP vehicles. Many people know the story about jeep coming from the sound of saying GP in one syllable. However, this is disputed by members of the army since many of them say that the jeeps were used for specific duties and was never referred to as "General Purpose". The GPW designation made by Ford for the jeep was simply similar to a short VIN: G for Government, P for the 80-inch wheelbase, and W for the Willys-Overland engine.

A dictionary of military slang published in 1942 (called Words of the Fighting Forces) had a definition of jeep as being a vehicle that did reconnassaince and other army duty, but also defined it as being "any small plane, helicopter, or gadget". There were such things as "jeep carriers", which was the name given to the Navy's escort carriers.

The term jeep also referred to any vehicle that was untried and untested. This was a term used primarily by army mechanics.

It is known how the term jeep came out into the public sector. In 1941, as a publicity showing, the new jeep showed up at the Capitol for pictures and a demonstration. The driver was instructed to drive up the Capitol steps, which he did. He'd heard army personnel refer to it as a jeep before the demonstration, so when asked what it was, he simply said, "It's a jeep." A columnist for the Washington Daily News reported the vehicle as being a jeep, and the name went on into the public's consciousness.

One of the more unusual theories as to where the name jeep came from is actually one of the more likely. On March 16, 1936, Eugene the Jeep made his first appearance in the Popeye comic strip. On August 9, 1936, the headline of the Popeye strip was "Wha's a Jeep?" and Professor Brainstine explained it as being "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems." Many of the army personnel were extremely impressed with the jeep's abilities that they called it "jeep" after Eugene the Jeep.

As said earlier, it isn't exactly clear where the name jeep came from, but the only thing that is clear is that it played an important role in World War II and every war since, and it still exists today in military and civilian life.

Bet you didn't know that!