Recruits to the British Army or Navy were once said 'to take the King's - - -' what?

The "King's shilling" (or the "Queen's shilling" if the monarch is female) was the name given to a shilling that was given to soldiers who joined the British Army and the Royal Navy as a reward for enlisting. Therefore, to "take the King's shilling" meant you agreed to serve as a sailor or soldier for Great Britain. This practice dates back to the end of the English Civil War (1651) and officially stopped in 1879.

A shilling is a historical coin and unit of currency formerly used in the United Kingdom. Although shillings are no longer used, joining the army or navy is still sometimes informally referred to as "taking the Queen's shilling".

Quite often, new recruits were enticed by the promise of a shilling to join the army. After signing up, soldiers and sailors were paid one shilling a day, although much of this was spent on uniforms and food.

Occasionally, unwilling recruits were tricked into joining the navy. Recruiters plied their targets with drink and when they were drunk enough, slipped the "King's shilling" into the unsuspecting man's pocket.