Thanks to all who made it to the Friday Harbor gathering. For those who didn’t make it, we look forward to seeing you next year. While some of you are off to your next nautical adventure, the rest of us are home reading C-Brats and dreaming of our next voyage. Safe summer voyages to all.
At our potluck, we had a quiz on nautical terms that are used in common language. Some of these we know: batten down the hatches, give a wide berth, all hands on deck, etc. But some, including me, were surprised to learn the original meaning of some of these phrases. For instance, have you ever wondered about the origin of the phrase “Not enough room to swing a cat?” This gave me an unpleasant image of a cat being swung by it's tail! Following is a list of nautical phrases used in common language with interesting origins. (This info was gathered from numerous online sources.) We hope you enjoy them.
Gary & Colleen F (DayBreak)
Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat … A small space
This is believed to have been derived from naval slang. Sailors were once punished for various crimes at sea by being whipped with a small, multi-lashed whip called a cat-o-nine-tails. In a small space, such as below deck on a boat, there wouldn’t be enough room to swing such a whip, hence the term.
Slush Fund … A stash or account of money usually associated with something illegal or underhanded. Most often, it refers to money involved in political bribery or shady deals.
It comes from a fund of money that a ship’s crew would raise by selling something called slush. Slush was the term for the fat they scraped out of the cooking pots and sold to tallow makers. This slush fund was not part of the ship’s accounts, and the crew could use it to buy small items for themselves at port.
Turning a Blind Eye … to ignore intentionally
In 1801, during the Battle of Copenhagen, Admiral Nelson deliberately held his telescope to his blind eye to not see the commander's flag signal to stop the bombardment. He won.
Bottoms Up … An encouragement to drink or to finish one's drink.
This originates from an era when English sailors were commonly hoodwinked into joining the navy. The trick involved giving the unsuspecting man a beer with a coin at the bottom. Once the poor man possessed the cash, he was deemed to have accepted payment and swiftly enrolled or press-ganged into the Royal Navy. As people began to wise up to the con trick, they would say "bottoms up" to the people they drank with so that they could check for any hidden coins at the bottom of their glasses.
First Rate … something of high quality or value
This term originates with ship building. The largest warships (100+ guns, 800+ crew, 2500+ tons weight) were classified as “first rate” vessels. Today we consider “second rate” to mean inferior or poor quality. But in the past, using this ranking system, “second rate” simply meant a smaller class of ship (80-90 guns/cannons, 700-750 crew, 2200 – 2499 tons weight).
Adrift … Not moored, at the will of the wind and tide. Thus Drifter, to mean aimless, drifting through life.
From the middle English drifte (to float). Sailors used the word to describe anything missing, or that has come undone. From this word came drifter, a person without purpose or aim in life.
Batten Down the Hatches … Prepare for trouble and take precautionary measures.
The sailing practice of securing a ship's hatchways to prepare for bad weather. These hatchways were usually covered by a grill or left open to allow fresh air circulation. However, when bad weather threatened, the crew would cover these openings with tarpaulins and fasten them in place with wooden battens.
Black Book … Being listed in someone’s black book means you have offended them in some way.
From the 1300’s – a collection of maritime laws and conduct that became known as the Black Book of the Admiralty. The punishments for offenses were harsh. For instance, drowning, starvation, and marooning were punishments for serious offenses such as repeatedly sleeping on watch.
Blood Money … or bounty money
The financial reward for sinking an enemy ship. The reward amount, however, was not based on the size or importance of the ship but on the number of crew members killed.
Boot Camp … military boot camp
During the Spanish-American War, sailors wore leggings called boots, which came to mean a Navy (or Marine) recruit. These recruits trained in ‘boot’ camps.
By and Large … to consider everything
In the late 17th century if you were sailing close to the line of the wind you were sailing by. Sailing with the wind on quarter meant you were sailing large. So the meaning was “alternating close-hauled and not close-hauled.” To go back and forth is to go by and large, covering all points of sail.
Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea … In a predicament or a dangerous place with no easy way out.
The devil was the longest seam of the ship, thought to be the first plank on the outer hull of a wooden vessel from stem to stern. It was typically the most prone to leaking. When the devil had to be caulked at sea, the sailor hung from a rope to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea, a very precarious position when the ship was underway.
Deep Six … Getting rid of something.
A fathom, the unit of measurement in most maritime countries for the depth of the sea, is six feet. Sailors used the term to refer to throwing something overboard.
Devil to Pay … A lot of trouble, difficulty, punishment, anger, etc.
Originally, this expression described one of the unpleasant tasks aboard a wooden ship. The devil was the ship’s longest seam in the hull. Caulking was done with pay or pitch (a kind of tar). The task of ‘paying the devil ‘ (caulking the longest seam) by squatting in the bilges was one of the worst and most difficult jobs onboard. The term has come to mean a difficult, seemingly impossible task. ‘The devil to pay and no hot pitch’.
Down in the Doldrums … Describes being stuck in a rut, not making progress.
Idiom used by sailors to describe a situation in which no wind is present—sometimes for weeks at a time. This originates from the time when sailors only had wind power, meaning their ship was stuck at se, going nowhere.
Even Keel, Keeled Over … Calm and steady (Even Keel), or falling down or dead (Keeled Over).
A vessel that floats upright without a list is said to be on an even keel, and this term has come to mean calm and steady. A keel is like the vessel's backbone, the lowest and principal centerline structural member running fore and aft. Keeled over (upside down) was a sailor’s term for death.
Fits the Bill … Things check out OK.
A Bill of Lading was signed by the ship’s master acknowledging receipt of specified goods and the promise to deliver them to their destination in the same condition. Upon delivery, the goods were checked against the bill to see if all was in order. If so, they fit the bill.
Flake, Flake Out … Either a weak link or about to disappear.
To keep a ship's anchor chain in good condition, the chain would be laid out up and down the deck (flaked) to locate and replace any worn or weak links. The term is still in use, as the captain will often instruct the crew to flake out the anchor line in preparation for anchoring. The anchor line is looped on the deck so that it does not become fouled (tangled) when the anchor is dropped.
Flogging a Dead Horse … The difficulty of getting anything extra out of someone or something.
A ceremony held by British crews when they had been at sea four weeks and had worked off their initial advance, usually one month’s wages (and usually long gone). This term alludes to the difficulty of getting any extra work from a crew during this period since, to them, it felt as though they were working for nothing.
Flotsam and Jetsam … Odds and ends of no great value.
Legal terms in maritime law. Flotsam: any part of the wreckage of a ship or her cargo that is lost by accident and found floating on the water's surface. Jetsam: goods or equipment deliberately thrown overboard (jettisoned) to stabilize the ship in high winds or heavy seas. (Lagan are goods cast overboard with a rope attached so that they can be retrieved later.)
Fly-by-Night … Not reliable, ‘here today, gone tomorrow’, or a less-than-stellar reputation
An easily set extra sail used temporarily when running before the wind (wind coming from behind).
Footloose … Difficult to control, not easily tied down.
The foot is the bottom of a sail, whether triangular or square, that is attached to the boom to keep it stretched. A sail that is not attached to the boom is said to be footloose and is very difficult to control as it moves with the wind. The term ‘footloose and fancy-free’ refers to the motion of a footloose sail.
Give a Wide Berth … Leave space for, veer around
At sea, a berth is a location where a ship drops its anchor. In harbors, a berth is allocated to each boat within it. However, any boat, ship, or yacht will still move with the tide when anchored to the degree that its anchor rope's length limits its movement. Hence, giving other ships a wide berth or plenty of room is always sensible to prevent accidents.
Hand Over Fist … Easily and quickly (about making money).
Hand over hand was a British term for the act of moving quickly up a rope or hoisting a sail, which was a matter of pride and competition among sailors. It is thought that American sailors changed this term to ‘hand over fist’ which now means to advance or accumulate rapidly.
Knock Seven Bells … Launch an attack on someone to the point where they are exhausted.
This idiom has its source in the bell-ringing system that ships use to indicate how much of a four-hour shift has passed. For example, a ship's bell is struck once every thirty minutes. Therefore, a sailor's shift is over after eight bells have rung.
Limey … A British person.
This was a slang word for an English sailor commonly used in the 19th century. It refers to the Royal Navy’s practice of issuing its seamen with rations of limes to prevent scurvy.
Long Shot … Pressing your luck. A long shot is something unlikely, and you’ll need some luck to pull it off.
In the early days of cannons on ships. They were known to be incredibly inaccurate at a distance, so if a cannon hit a target that was far afield, it was a long shot, and considered lucky.
Loose Cannon … Something or someone unpredictable, spontaneous, and potentially dangerous
On a ship at sea, a loose cannon was not just a serious risk, it was hard to control. Ship cannons could weigh between half a ton to about two and a half tons. You can imagine the risk if one was loose and rolling with the sea.
Off to a Flying Start … Starting something very well or successfully.
This comes from racing sailboats. The vessels are sailing before hitting the actual starting line. If your vessel gets a favorable wind and fills the sails, you’re flying at full sails as you start; this is as good as you can hope for.
On the Right Tack/Track ... Taking the line/course of action that leads to the correct conclusion.
When you take the correct sailing line, you end up where you want to be. If sailors take the wrong tack/line, they end up heading in the wrong direction.
Pipe Down … Be quiet.
The Bosun (a position on the sailboat) would sound the bosun's pipe at the end of each day to signal lights out.
Scraping the Barrel … Obtaining the last dregs of something, procuring someone or something of inferior quality.
On 17th-century ships, sailors scraped empty barrels used to store salted meat to recover any remaining scraps.
Through Thick and Thin … For better or for worse, no matter what happens.
This phrase comes from the use of both thin and thick pulleys and ropes to hoist sails.
To Show One's True Colors … To show who one really is, reveal one's character (usually used negatively).
It was once common practice for ships to hoist their national flags before commencing battle. Some ships would carry flags from many countries and hoist "false flags" to confuse or mislead their enemies at sea, a practice that was especially common among Spanish ships in the 17th century.
Toe the Line … In the modern world, to toe the line means you are conforming to rules or doing what you’re told.
This phrase seems to date back to the British Navy. Sailors were ordered to line up for inspection along planks on the boat’s deck. Barefoot, their toes were literally supposed to be on the line, so they were all neatly in order, doing as they were told.
Trim One's Sails … Adapt or change to fit altered circumstances.
The act of changing a ship's sails to take advantage of the wind conditions better.
Turn the Corner … Pass a critical point on the way to somewhere better or safer
This idiom was used by sailors who had passed the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. It is also said when passing Cape Horn at the southern end of South America.
Under the Weather … Feeling sick.
Under the weather is a polite euphemism for feeling sick. During bad weather, the boat's motion in rough seas could cause seasickness. Sailors who became seasick would be sent below deck to a spot on the ship that was the most stable in an attempt to ride it out.
Unfathomable … Something you cannot understand or believe. This comes from depth measuring on a ship.
A fathom is about 6 feet. Sailors used a lead line (a length of line weighted on one end and marked every 6 feet, or one fathom) to measure depth. If they were in a place where the ocean's depth was beyond the length of the lead line to measure, it was “unfathomable.” The depth was something they couldn’t know.
Until the Bitter End … To continue something until it’s complete, even though it will likely not be pleasant.
The bitt end (or bitter end) is the final part of the anchor line near to where it is fixed to the ship's deck. The end of the line is attached to the “bitt.” When the sailors lowered the anchor and saw the rags at the bitter end, they knew no more rope was left, meaning the water was too deep to set anchor. To go to the bitter end means to go to the very end (i.e., right to end last few yards of the anchor rope).
