Gung-ho

Gung-ho is a phrase borrowed from Chinese, frequently used in English as an adjective meaning enthusiastic. The original Mandarin phrase is gonghe, or "work together." It was used in the WW2-era Chinese Communist Party\'s 8th Route Army, led by Zhu De. The phrase entered the American vernacular when it was picked up by then-Major Evans F. Carlson, USMC, in his travels with the 8th. He later used it during his (unconventional) command of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. From there it spread throughout the Marine Corps (hence the association between the two) and into American society as a whole.