| Taken
Aback - Meaning: One of the hazards faced in days of sailing
ships has been incorporated into English to describe someone who has been
jolted by unpleasant news. We say that person has been "taken aback."
The person is at a momentary loss, unable to act or even to speak. Example: A danger faced by sailing ships was for a sudden shift in wind to come up (from a sudden squall), blowing the sails back against the masts, putting the ship in grave danger of having the masts break off and rendering the ship totally helpless. The ship was taken aback. |
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| Above
board - Meaning: Legal, out in the open, activities not
concealed. Example: All of my business dealings have been above board. At least all that you know about. Origin: Early trading ships would hide illegal cargo below the ship's deck. Legal cargo could be placed in plain view on deck, or above the boards of the deck. |
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| Armed
to the Teeth - Meaning: To be heavily armed. Example: Don't even think about going into Chicago's housing projects unless you are armed to the teeth. Origin: This is a pirate phrase originating in Port Royal Jamaica in the 1600's. Having only single shot black powder weapons and cutlesses, they would carry many of these weapons at once to keep up the fight. In addition they carried a knife in their teeth for maximum arms capability. |
| Thanks to Robert W. |
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| Bakers Dozen |
| In the Middle Ages in England there were severe penalties for anyone who gave short weight. Bakers were often uneducated and unable to count. To guard against miscounting twelve as eleven they habitually gave thirteen loaves when selling a dozen. |
| Cold
enough to Freeze the Balls off a brass monkey
- Meaning: Cold.in the Extreme. Example: I am not going outside. It is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey and mine are considerable more sensitive. Origin: One explanation has it that the balls were stacked in the familiar pyramid configuration with a wooden triangle holding the bottom layer together. These wooden triangles were also referred to as "monkeys". The trouble with wooden monkeys was that they couldn't take much abuse before shattering under the impact of dropped cannon balls. The next material used to make monkeys was brass. These worked perfectly in warmer weather. The trouble with brass monkeys was that they tended to shrink a little when the weather turned cold enough. This shrinkage squeezed the bottom layer up, sending balls rolling all over the deck. |
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| Beggars Belief |
| Example: "What you have just said "beggars belief!" |
| Meaning: Outstanding; Unbeliebable |
| Origin: The word "beggar" can also be a transitive
verb, meaning to exceed the boundaries, resources or capabilities of. It
survives today primarily in set phrases, such as to beggar belief, the example
you cite, or to beggar description. The word/meaning must spring from the
same root as the noun beggar, who is someone who has also exhausted all
his/her resources. I think it's Old German in origin, but someone else will
no doubt confirm this. Webster's Second traces it to Middle English < Anglo-French < Old French < Low German < probably Middle Dutch "beggaert," beggar. |
| This explantion was givien by R. Berg |
| Bite the Bullet |
| Meaning - Pay a painfull price and move on. |
| Example - If you want to clear those 8 tickets off your driving record, you will need to bite the bullet and pay the fines. |
| Origin - Before the advent of ether, the first anesthetic, surgery was a pretty desperate and painful affair. With the patient (although victim might be more descriptive) fully conscious and feeling the pain. These early surgeries were typically limb amputations or the removal of some object lodged into the body such as a bullet or arrowhead. A typical amputation consisted of the "surgeon" using a saw to hack off the unwanted limb. The skin was then pulled down over the stub and sutured shut. Amazingly, some of these patients survived, but certainly the success ratio was low. Note that poorly skilled physicians today are called "hacks". Even after the advent of anesthetics such emergency surgery has had to be performed at times. Particularly in times of war when anesthetics may be in limited supply or unavailable. To ease the pain the patient was given a couple of stiff belts of whiskey to numb the senses, then given a stick or lead bullet to bite down on as the surgeon went to work with knife and saw. The bullet or stick was given to let the patient focus their energy and attention on the biting instead of the cutting and pain. It may also have helped to reduce the screaming, which probably benefited the surgeon and attendants. Why bite on a bullet? Made of lead, bullets are malleable. Although quite strong they will actually deform somewhat when bitten hard. Hence teeth would not break as would likely happen from biting a stone for example. Bullets are also readily available in times of war, when this type of surgery is frequently called for. "Bite the bullet" may have originated in the civil war. The patient who bit the bullet was cooperating with the surgery. Clearly this poor fellow saw the surgery as unavoidable and absolutely necessary. He had decided to "bite the bullet" and get on with the surgery. "Biting the bullet" has been captured in countless war movies and westerns. Thanks to Jane, Kyle, John Gold, Kevin Morefield, Frederick Blume, Laurie Lee, and Melchor Balaguer |
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| Right to the Bitter End |
| Meaning: o see something the very end. The limit of one's efforts. |
| Origin: A'bitt' is a bollard used for tying off ropes and cables on board ship. If you let out the anchor to the full extent of the cable you are known to be at the "Bitter End" with no more cable left. The end of the cable that is fixed to the bollard is the bitter end. After this point there is no more left to give. |
| Boskey - To be Elated with liqour - taken from William Cope's Glossary of Hampshire Words and Phrases, 1883 |
|
Bully
for You- The phrase 'Bully for you' (or him) Means 'good for
you' (or him) but where does it derive from? In Shakespeare the use of
the word 'bully' is not as we know it to-day. i.e. in A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Peter Quince refers to Nick Bottom as, "Good bully Bottom".
In older times, the word "bully" had a couple of positive meanings
and the only trace appears to be left in the expression "bully for
you", which is still occasionally used in British English. However,
nowadays, it seems to be used mostly in a derisive or sarcastic way, along
the lines of "Well then, aren't *YOU* the clever one?". Then blow, my bullies, all together,
And who d'you think is the captain
of her? ********** On the other hand- could the origin be from the French Verb "Bouillir". Perhaps French bouilli, boiled meat, label on canned beef, from past participle of bouillir, to boil, from Old French boilir. Hence the term "Bully Beef" (boiled beef) A term associated with US President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, was his favorite phrase "Bully!", meaning "Fantastic!": |
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| Letting the Cat out of the bag - So here we are then with a sailor having been caught "on the fiddle" or "fiddling" extra food. His mess mates would now be saying of him that he has really "let the Cat out of the bag" this time! The 'cat' being the 'cat of nine tails' and not a domestic cat! Therefore, the saying "to let the cat out of the bag" is derived from when sailors were found guilty of an offence punishable by flogging. |
| Not
enough room to swing a Cat - Meaning: A confined space. Example: This bedroom doesn't even have enough room to swing a cat. Origin: This colourful phrase evokes strange images of feline cruelty. In fact it has nothing to do with cats, but the real story is at least as cruel. Taking the story line from 'letting the cat out of the bag', now imagine that same guilty sailor tied to a grating on deck. He is about to receive his punishment by flogging which was generally carried out by the bosun. There he is trying to lay out the cat of nine tails but other sailors having to witness the punishment are too close. So close that the bosun has insufficient room to "swing the cat". |
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| Chock-a-block -Meaning something is filled to capacity or over loaded. A 'chock' is simply a 'wedge' or 'block' used for making sure items in storage do not roll about. If two blocks of rigging tackle in store on an old sailing ship, were so hard together they couldn't be tightened further, it was said they were "Chock-a-Block". Recovered from the wreck of the Invincible were items called "chocking blocks". |
| Clean
bill of health - Meaning: To be healthy. Example: I visited the doctor today and was given a clean bill of health. Origin: This widely used term has its origins in the "Bill of Health", a document issued to a ship showing that the port it sailed from suffered from no epidemic or infection at the time of departure. |
| Thanks to Donald R. Swartz |
| Chewing the Fat - "God made the vittles but the devil made the cook," was a popular saying used by seafaring men in the 19th century when salted beef was a staple of the diet aboard ship. This tough cured beef, suitable only for long voyages when nothing else was cheap or would keep as well (remember, there was no refrigeration), required prolonged chewing to make it edible. Men often chewed one chunk for hours, just as if it were chewing gum and referred to this practice as "chewing the fat." |
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|
Being in Clink
- Meaning - to be in prison. |
| To get Cold Feet |
| Example: He did not turn up for his wedding - he got 'cold feet' at the last moment. |
| Meaning: To lose ones nerve at the last moment. |
| Origin: I heard on the radio this week that this saying comes from historic times when soldiers were fighting overseas. If they were in very cold climates/conditions, some would end up with feet so cold that when the time came to charge the enemy they were unable to do so through extreme 'cold feet' or even frost bite. To be the proverbial "fly on the wall" when this happened, these men would 'appear' to losing their nerve just like someone not turning up for an appointment where they had lost their nerve at the last moment. |
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| Cut-Throat - A dark lantern, in which there is generally horn instead of glass, so constructed that the light may be completely obscured when this is found necessary for the perpetration of any criminal act. |
| John Jamieson's Etymological Scottish dictionary - 1808 |
| Dead Ringer |
| In earlier times, after several coffins were excavated and found to have scratches on the inside, morticians began the process of tying a string to the finger of the corpse. If the person was alive and they pulled the string, they were called a dead-ringer. This is also the origin of the term Graveyard Shift. The person from the mortuary who was assigned the task of sitting at the new grave sight to listen for the bell to ring was said to be working the Graveyard Shift. |
| The person being brought back to civilisation would be seen by others who once knew him/her. They would call that person a 'dead ringer' - meaning - one who was buried alive and managed to ring the bell to be recovered from the fate. Since then, if you see someone who is so similar to one recently deceased, you would consider that person someone who managed to ring the bell and be brought back from the grave. |
| Between the Devil and the deep blue sea. - Meaning - between two evils or alternatives, so that one is in a hazardous or precarious position. In wooden ships, the "devil" was the longest seam of the ship. It ran from the bow to the stern. When at sea and the "devil" had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bo'sun's chair to do so. He was suspended between the "devil" and the "deep blue sea"... a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway.. (see, Devil to pay and no pitch hot'. |
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| The
Devil to pay no pitch hot. - Meaning - problems, trouble,
unpleasant consequences. Today the expression "devil to pay" is
used primarily to describe having an unpleasant result from some action
that has been taken, as in someone has done something they shouldn't have
and, as a result, "there will be the devil to pay." 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 despised by every seaman. The 'Devil' was the longest seam between the outboard plank and the waterways of a wooden ship and very awkward to reach. It also, needed more pitch when caulking and 'paying' (covering with pitch), hence the 'Devil'. |
| Origin - Originally, this expression described one of the unpleasant tasks aboard a wooden ship. The "devil" was the wooden ship's longest seam in the hull. |
| In
the Doldrums - Meaning: To be depressed or unmotivated.
Example: Id like to provide a good example, but I'm feeling in the doldrums. Origin: Doldrums is the name of a place in the ocean that is located near the equator and is characterized by unstable trade winds. A sailing ship caught in the Doldrums can be stranded due to lack of wind. |
| Doss - Meaning - to Sleep |
| Origin - In the old pugilistic days, a man knocked down, or "out of time", was said to be "sent to dorse". But whether because he was sensless, or because he lay on his back, is not known, though most likely the latter. Formerly spelt dorse; [from] Gaelic dosal, slumber. - John Camden Hotten's slang dictionary, 1887. |
| To Dorse with a woman means to sleep with her. - Capt. Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1785. |
| Down
the hatch - Meaning: Drink or eat. Example: Enough talk, let's put some food down the hatch. Origin: Here's a drinking expression that seems to have its origins in sea freight, where cargoes are lowered into the hatch for transport below deck. The freight appears to be consumed by the ship. Thanks to Donald R. Swartz |
| Losing Face - The noble ladies and gentlemen of the late 1700s wore much makeup to impress each other. Since they rarely bathed, the makeup would get thicker and thicker. If they sat too close to the heat of the fireplace, the makeup would start to melt. If that happened, a servant would move the screen in front of the fireplace to block the heat, so they wouldn't "lose face." |
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| Fathom - Fathom was originally a land measuring term derived from the Ango-Saxon word "faetm" meaning to embrace. In those days, most measurements were based on average size of parts of the body, such as the hand (horses are still measured this way) or the foot (that's why 12 inches are so named). A fathom is the average distance from fingertip to fingertip of the outstretched arms of a man.. about six feet. Since a man stretches out his arms to embrace his sweetheart, Britain's Parliament declared that distance be called a "fathom" and that it be a unit of measure. A fathom remains six feet. The word was also used to describe "taking the measure of" or "to fathom" something. Today, of course, when one is trying to figure something out, they are trying to "fathom it" or "get their arms around it." |
| Feague - Meaning - to make a hose lively. |
| To put ginger up a horses fundament, and formerly, it is said, a live eel, to make him lively and carry his tail well...... A forfeit is incurred by any horse-dealers servant who shall shew a horse without first feaguing him. Feague is used figuratively for encouraging or spiriting one up. - Capt. Francis Grose's Claissical dicionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1796. |
| On the Fiddle - As mentioned in the text of "Square plate", fiddles were the raised edges on a naval issue square plate. These were there not only to stop food items such as peas falling off the plate but also to set the limit of food for each sailor. In the event a sailor was found to have so much food on his square plate that it touched or lay on one of the 'fiddles', he was accused of 'fiddling' or taking something not rightfully his. I.e. the next mans share of food. In the Navy "Fiddling" was an offence punishable by flogging. Although not confirmed, I am led to believe that the maximum sentence for fiddling was twelve lashes of the cat. |
| Flash
in the pan - Meaning: Something that shows great promise,
then disappoints by being over too quickly. Example: Ross Perot's political career turned out to be a flash in the pan. Origin: Flintlock muskets have small pans to hold the gunpowder fuse. Sometimes the gunpowder in the pan would flare up without firing the gun. That would be a "flash in the pan". Alternatively, Derives from the early gold prospectors who would literally see a flash of light as they panned for gold, but who would often fail to find the nuggets on closer inspection. See the related expression "pan out". |
| Thanks to Nina Zhito |
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| Fluffing |
| Fluff [is] railway ticket clerks' slang for short change given by them. The profit thus accrued are called fluffings, and the practice is known as fluffing. - John Camden Hotten's slang dictionary, 1887. |
| Fluffer, an operator of the short-change swindle.- Eric Partridge's Dictionary of the underworld 1950. |
|
Passed
with Flying colors - Meaning:
To exceed expectations, to do better than expected. Alternatively, a metaphor drawn from parades, which do not merely pass, but rather do so with flags raised, "with flying colors." Thanks to Dennis Reed Jr. See the related phrase "show your true colors". |
| Grog- Meaning A term for watered down Rum - In 1740 Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water down the Navy's rum. Needless to say, the sailors weren't too pleased and called Admiral Vernon, Old Grog, after the stiff wool grogram coats he wore. The term "grog" soon began to mean the watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you were "groggy", a word still in use today. |
| Go
off Half Cocked - Go off Half Cocked - Meaning:
To be less than fully prepared. Example: Before you go in half cocked demanding a raise, you better think through what you are going to say. Origin: "Cocked" refers to the action of cocking a gun. Interestingly the term cocking a gun comes from flintlock muskets of 17th century, the hammer was very ornate and resembled a rooster (a cock). The phrase was originally "going off half cocked". The half cock position of the cock on a flint or cap lock weapon was a "safe" position to which the cock was drawn to permit access to the priming pan (flint lock) or to permit capping (cap lock). The cock could be placed in the half cock position while, hopefully, not risking having the weapon go off accidentally. Pulling the trigger of a flintlock at "half cock" will not fire the weapon. The hammer, which contains the flint, will not strike the frizzen with sufficient force to produce a spark and the primer charge in the pan will not be ignited. The loading process of a flintlock is quite involved. 1) Draw the hammer to the "half cock" position Particularly in the heat of battle, it was easy to forget the last step and continue with the platoon, change position (with the loaded gun in "safe" mode), shoulder the weapon to be fired, and pull the trigger with the result being that nothing happens. Embarrassing and potentially dangerous. Thanks to C.A. Eubanks, Nathan Hillman, and Robert Marciszewski |
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| Head
- The "head" aboard a Navy ship is the bathroom. The term comes
from the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves
was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit, the integral part
of the hull to which the figurehead was fastened. This was also as far away
as one could get from the Captain's cabin at the stern of the ship. |
| Holystone - The last Navy ships with teak decks were the battleships, now since decommissioned. Teak, and other wooden decks, were scrubbed with a piece of sandstone, nicknamed at one time by an anonymous witty sailor as the "holystone." It was so named because since its use always brought a man to his knees, it must be holy! |
| Jeffy - A slang term among thieves for lightning. It is probable that "in a jiffy", in a moment, may have originated in this connection. - John Farmer's Americanisms Old and New - 1889 |
| Ketchcraft - The hangmans craft; [from Jack Ketch, a famous London executioner, c. 1663-1686]. - James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1901 |
| Lant |
| Urine; to Lant or leint ale, to put urine into it to make it strong; Northern England. - Capt. Francis Grose's Provincial Glossary 1787. |
| Loose
cannon - Meaning: A person who is out of control,
unpredictable, who may do damage. Example: The typical Engineer is too honest for his own good, they can be like a loose cannon around customers. Origin: On sailing ships that had cannons, it was important that they be secured. Cannons are very heavy, and a loose cannon on a ship's deck in a rough sea could be thrown about in an unpredictable fashion, causing a lot of damage. More than just needing to be lashed down during normal travel, cannons needed to be secured during use, or else the recoil would send the cannon on its way causing injury or damage. Thanks to Kensmark |
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| Olwers- Meaning - Those who privately in the night carry wool to the seacoasts, near Rumney Marsh in Kent, and some creeks in Sussex, and ship it off for France against the law. - B.E.'s Dictionary of the Canting Crew 1699. |
| Mind your P's & Q's- Meaning - watch your manners. |
| Source - According to one record I read, the source is from early English pubs when ale was ordered by Pints and Quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. Hence grew ther phrase to "mind your P's and Q's." |
| Philip T wrote to me with an explanation that sounds far more likely - He Say's: - |
| *My* understanding is that it is a term that comes from the
early days of printing where the letters used to form words and sentances
were cut on small blocks of metal. The letters were cut in reverse so as to print properly on the paper, and the lower case p and q could easily be confused. The printer would have to check his p's and q's to ensure they were the right way round! |
| Pipe Down - Meaning to stop talking and be quiet. The Pipe Down was the last signal from the Bosun's pipe each day which meant "lights out" and "silence". |
| Taking the Piss |
| In times when urine was used extensively in the cloth making industry (see weeting), the tubs containg the saved urine were transported on carts from all over the country to the mills. If a person driving the cart was stopped by customs men top check what was being transported, often, through embarresment, the driver would lie and say wine. When found to be urine he would be laughed at and accused of "taking the piss". |
| Put a Sock in it - Meaning to quiet down. In the mid 1900's records were played on gramophones which had the old large trumpet for amplifying the sound. If someone in the room thought it to be too loud, they would ask for a 'sock' to be put into the trumpet to mute the level of sound. |
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| To be caught Red Handed |
| Meaning - to be caught in the act. |
| Origin: One of the four kinds of offences in the king's forest,
by which the offender is supposed to have killed a deer. In Scotland, in
such like crimes they say, "Taken in the fact, or with red
hand". The red of course being the blood from the slaughtered animal. From Thomas Blount's Law Dictionary and Glossary, 1717 |
| Rule of Thumb - |
| Meaning - roughly, approximately. |
| Probable Origin - An old English law declared that a man could not beat his wife with a stick any larger than the diameter of his thumb. |
| Another Possible Origin - Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn't grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the phrase "rule of thumb." |
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| Round Robin |
| Meaning: Repeatedly taking successive turns in the same order.
Example: Everyone in this family will take round robin turns putting out the trash, everyone that is except me. Origin: "Round robin" originated in the British nautical tradition. Sailors wishing to mutiny would sign their names in a circle so the leader could not be identified. Thanks to Erin and Justin Bengry The "round" part of the phrase is clear. The "robin" less so. This may just be alliteration. Alliteration is two or more neighboring words in a phrase that start with the same letter and is constructed largely because it sounds good. It is a type of rhyme |
| You Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours |
| Meaning - If you help me then I will help you. |
| From BBC program about antiques: This phrase came from the use of the Cat O Nine Tails - the whip used in the British Navy. This saying effectively meant that if the person went easy with the whipping on them when the punishment was reversed they would go easy with them. |
| Shake a leg or Show a Leg |
| Meaning - to get ready for work or specific task. |
| Origin - At the end of a stay in harbour, particularly when overseas, the sailors would often smuggle the local women aboard. On the day of departure from the anchorage, it was the job of a midshipman or petty officer to go along the rows of occupied hammocks tapping each with a rattan shouting, "show a leg" or "shake a leg". The occupant of the hammock would show a leg from under the cover. The officer would then make sure that the person asleep in the hammock was in fact male and not a woman! |
| Mark wrote: I have been led to believe that having women aboard ship, often wives and girlfriends visiting while the ship was in home port, led to this phrase. When the petty officer's came through the compartments rousing the men in the morning, a women could avoid being dumped out of the hammock by "shaking a leg," showing that the occupant was female and not required to turn to for work. |
| Stay on the Straight and Narrow |
| Meaning - To stay out of trouble. |
| Example - Ever since getting out of jail on bond I have been on the straight and narrow. |
| Origin - This phrase comes from the Bible and describes the path to heaven. Matthew 7:14 to be exact: "Broad is the way that is the path of destruction but narrow is the gate and straight is the way which leadeth to the house of God." |
| Sun is over the Yardarm - Toni asks: When sailors say "The sun is over the Yardarm" does it mean that it is late enough to have a drink and call it a day? |
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| Three Sheets to the Wind - A sheet is a rope line which controls the tension on the downwind side of a square sail. If, on a three masted fully rigged ship, the sheets of the three lower course sails are loose, the sails will flap and flutter and are said to be "in the wind". A ship in this condition would stagger and wander aimlessly downwind. Similarly, someone who is under the influence of too much alchohol might stagger and wander aimlessly down the road. That person might well be accused of being 'Three sheets to the wind". |
| Son of a Gun - After sailors had crossed the Atlantic to the West Indies, they would take the native women on board the ship and have their way with them in between the cannons. Some of the women the sailors left behind would have boys, who were called sons between the guns. |
| Here is a variation from Peter at the BBC: In the early days of the Navy, women were allowed to join up in (presumably) non combative roles. The long voyages and feelings of loneliness ended up with babies born whilst at sea. If the woman concerned would not name the father, the Captain would log the birth as being the son of a gun - the gun deck(s) being the only place where decent privacy may be had for such an event. |
| Rosemary comments: By the way, your explanation of "son of a gun" referred to irresponsible sailors, which may either pre-date or post-date the meaning our book reports. It says that a soldier was called a "gun" (probably, I presume, for the same reason a woman is called a "skirt" and a hippy was called a "beard" - you're nicknamed by that which you carry around on your body). So a son of a gun was a son of a sailor - used increasingly less pejoratively as time went on. I seem to recall my grandfather, a career Navy CPO, calling his son "you son of a gun" with great pride and affection. My uncle was neither illegitimate nor conceived on the deck of a ship, by the way! |
| Paul adds: The History Channel had a program on its "Great Ships" series about English Ships of the Line, and they gave a slightly different story. According to that program, desertion was so likely that when in port the seamen were not allowed shore leave. Their wives were, however, allowed to board on the gun decks with their mates. It was said on the show that if a woman was having a difficult labor, the cannons on either side of her were fired as an "aid" to the process. It was these (male) children who were referred to as Sons of a Gun. |
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| Splice the Main Brace - A sailing ship's rigging was a favorite target during sea battles since by destroying the opponent's ability to maneuver or get away you would be at an obvious advantage. Therefore, the first thing tended to after a battle was to repair broken gear, and repair sheets (sails) and braces (lines, improperly, ropes, passing through blocks and holding up sails). It was the custom, after the main braces were properly spliced, to serve grog to the entire crew. Thus, today, after a hard day (or, not so hard day), the phrase has become an invitation to have a drink. |
| Three
square meals day - According to the history reference
books, square plates came into existence in the mid nineteenth century.
You can imagine our surprise therefore, when we came across a small number
of square wooden plates on the wreck of the Invincible, which sank in the
mid eighteenth century, in 1758. Only a small number were found complete
with the raised edges still intact. All were the same size although the
raised edges (fiddles) were slightly different on each plate. When a sailor
joined the navy in this period, he would have been issued with one of these
square plates, off which he would have been fed "three times daily",
according to Admiralty instructions. This then gives rise to the saying
- "Three square meals a day". Or "A good square meal". However, contrary to popular belief, this was a 'maximum' measure of food and not a 'minimum' one! |
| Starboard
- The Vikings called the side of their ship its board, and they placed the
steering oar, the "star" on the right side of the ship, thus that
side became known as the "star board." It's been that way ever
since. And, because the oar was in the right side, the ship was tied to
the dock at the left side. This was known as the loading side or "larboard".
Later, it was decided that "larboard" and "starboard"
were too similar, especially when trying to be heard over the roar of a
heavy sea, so the phrase became the "side at which you tied up to in port" or the "port" side. |
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| Storm Signal - A sugnal for indicating to mariners, fishermen &c. the probable approach of a storm. It consists of a hollow cylinder and cone, either of which, or both simultaniously, may be suspecnded from a mast or staff; their positions denotting the probable direction of the wind in an approaching storm. Thus, cone point[ing] upward (a) to the right of the staff, northerly gale; cone point[omg] downward (b) to the left of the staff, southerly gale; cylinder (c), dangerous winds from both quarters successively; upright cone above cylinder (d) dangerous wind from the north; reversed cone below cylinder (e), dengerous wind from the south. - Edward Lloyd's Encyclopedic Dictionary 1895 |
| From Stem
to stern- Meaning: Thorough, complete. Example: I searched the house from stem to stern for that cat, then found him sleeping on a shelf right in front of me. Origin: The very front of a ship is called the stem, the rear is called the stern. From stem to stern includes the entire ship. Thanks to Susan Stevenson |
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| Toe the line
- Meaning: Follow the group, don't disagree, do what others are
doing. Example: Your lifestyle has gone on for too long. It is time for you to "toe the line" - get a wife, a job, some kids etc. Origin: Many mistakenly think the phrase is "tow the line", thus obscuring the meaning. This term comes from military line-ups for inspection. Soldiers are expected to line up, that is put their toes on a line, and submit to the inspection. |
| Alternatively but similar, the space between each pair of deck planks in a wooden ship was filled with a packing material called "oakum" and then sealed with a mixture of pitch and tar. The result, from afar, is a series of parallel lines a half foot or so apart, running the length of the deck. Once a week, as a rule, usually on Sunday, a warship's crew was ordered to fall in at quarters -- that is, each group of men into which the crew was divided would line up in formation in a given area of the deck. To insure a neat alignment of each row, the sailors were directed to stand with their toes just touching a particular seam. |
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Another use for these seams was punitive. The youngsters in a ship, be they ship's boys or student officers, might be required to stand with their toes just touching a designated seam for a length of time as punishment for some minor infraction of discipline, such as talking or fidgeting at the wrong time. A tough captain might require the miscreant to stand there, not talking to anyone, in fair weather or foul, for hours at a time. Hopefully, he would learn it was easier and more pleasant to conduct himself in the required manner rather than suffer the punishment. From these two uses of deck seams comes our cautionary word to obstreperous youngsters to "toe the line." Thanks to Donald R. Swartz |
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| Tying the
Knot - Tying the knot of the ropes in the marriage bed. James in Japan writes: ... the priest performing the wedding would bind the bride and grooms hands with rope during the ceremony. In modern day, you will often see the priest place a sash around their hands rather than rope, and it is from this that the saying comes. Although the practice is not as common as it was, depending on your denomination it is still done. |
| Karen: This is also from the old marriage custom of actually tying the couple's hands together as part of the ceremony. They were not allowed to untie it until they had consummated the marriage. |
| Claudie wrote: A Swedish exchange student told me that illiterate sailors and soldiers of yesteryear would send a piece of rope to their sweethearts when they wanted to get married. If the rope came back with a knot in it, that meant she said "yes" to the marriage proposal. He demonstrated this by tying two ornate knots in a length of rope. When the ends were pulled, the knots came together in the middle. Even if this isn't the origin of the expression, it was a charming demonstration. |
| Mike wrote: Having recently attended a Hindu wedding it would seem that the phrase is a quite literal one where the bride and groom each tie a necklace of flowers to consummate the marriage. |
| Tantalus - from Greek mythology Tantalos. Mythical King of Phriygia, and son of Zeus and the Nymph Pluto. He was condemned for revealing the Gods, to stand up to his chin in water, which perceptually shrunk away when he attempted to quench his thirst. He had branches of fruit hanging above him that always evaded his grasp. Tantalise - to tease or torment by holding out some desirable object and continually disappointing by keeping it out of reach. |
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Getting Tanked - When you drank too much out of the above "tankard" you were said to be "tanked" ... if you got so "tanked" that you passed out, there was a chance that somebody might think you had actually died. Since back then they didn't have experience with taking pulses, they often buried people alive who were actually in a drunken stupor or otherwise comatose. |
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| Showing your True Colours |
| Meaning: To reveal your true intentions, personality, or behaviors.
Example: Everyone is on best behavior on the first date, but soon enough you will show your true colors. Origin: Color(s) has numerous meanings. An early use of the word is flag, pennant, or badge. Early warships often carried flags from many nations on board in order to elude or deceive the enemy. The rules of civilized warfare called for all ships to hoist their true national ensigns before firing a shot. Someone who finally "shows his true colors" is acting like a warship which hails another ship flying one flag, but then hoisted their own when they got in firing range. Thanks to Donald R. Swartz See the related phrase "passed with flying colors". |
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| Touch Wood - Knock on Wood |
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To touch wood is a superstition action to ward off any evil consequences, say of untimely boasting; it can also be a charm to bring good luck. The origin is quite unknown, though some writers have pointed to pre-Christian rituals involving the spirits of sacred trees such as the oak, ash, holly or hawthorn. There is, I'm told, an old Irish belief that you should knock on wood to let the little people know that you are thanking them for a bit of good luck. Others have sought a meaning in which the wood symbolises the timber of the cross, but this may be a Christianisation of an older ritual. The children's game of tag in which you are only safe so long as you are touching wood is not likely to be connected (an indicator of this may be that at times iron was substituted for wood if there was no wood handy). The phrase itself seems to be modern, as the oldest citation for touch wood in the Oxford English Dictionary dates only from 1908; my searches haven't turned up anything earlier. (Incidentally, that work doesn't have a single example of knock on wood, which is the American version of the British touch wood.) |
| Toss Pot |
| My own understanding: I always understood the term to describe the losers in a drinking contest, often the favourite pastime of sailors on shore leave in the 18th century. Each contestant who, through having had too much to drink, could no longer find his mouth when trying to drink his "pot of beer", ended up tossing it all over himself - hence a "Toss Pot". Kathy wrote to say: |
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| Under
the weather - Meaning: To be ill. Example: I'd love to help you move all your furniture next weekend, but I expect to be feeling a bit under the weather. Origin: Passengers aboard ships become seasick most frequently during times of rough seas and bad weather. Seasickness is caused by the constant rocking motion of the ship. Sick passengers go below deck, which provides shelter from the weather, but just as importantly the sway is not as great below deck, low on the ship. On a ship the greatest swaying action is on deck, and the most stable point is down near the keel. Hence seasick passengers tend to feel better below deck. More likely - is this Comment from Frank: "Under the weather" is a nautical term that was originated, I believe, in the British navy. When a sailor was ill, he was kept below decks, and thus, under the weather. (The upper deck being known as the 'weather deck' open to all weather) - Thanks to Joel Finkel Some illnesses like rheumatism and arthritis act during time of poor weather. Sufferers from those ailments are literally under the influence of the weather - Thanks to John Gold |
| The insulting 'V' sign. |
| Meaning - The "V" sign (consisting of sticking up the two first fingers on the hand, with the palm facing towards you) is used throughout Britain as an insult. |
| Origin - These are a little hazy and steeped in myth. The most well-known origin dates back to the Battle of Agincourt between the armies of the English and French kings. The English bowmen were an important part of their kings army and the French king decided that any captured english soldier was to have his first two fingers cut off, to prevent him from being able to use a longbow. As an act of defiance against the french generally, the english came to stick their two (attached) bow-fingers at them - a way of saying "we can still fire our longbows at you" (or more generally, just be mean "go stuff yourself!" or stronger). Over the years, this simply became a general way of insulting people in the British Isles. |
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| Walter - The rolling of the sea in a storm. [1400's]. Of a ship, to be tossed on the waves; [1300's to 1500's]. Of the sea Tempestuous. - James Murry's New English Dictionary, 1928. |
| Weeting - Stale urine is so called because in the process of manufacture, cloth is wetted with that liquid when sent to the mill, the object being to bring out the grease. Weeting is also called lecking. There are instances of persons using this substance instead of soap, even for washing themselves. - Alfred Easther's Glossary of Almondbury and Huddersfield 1883. |
| Not many years ago, this was employed very largely in the process of fulling, and it was carefully preserved by every means that could be adopted. The woolen factories used to supply to any householder who would receive it and undertake to save the [urine], a tub or vat for the purpose, (See "taking the piss") and moreover paid an annual sum to the good wife for doing so. - Frederick Elworthy's West Somerset Word-book, 1888 |
| Wherry - A small boat such as is commonly used for carrying passengers, probably so called of ''to hurry', from its swiftness. - Nathaniel Bailey's Etymological Ebglish Dictionary, 1749. |
| To be able to read - The Writing on the Wall |
| Sixty two miles south of Baghdad, in what is now Iraq, lies the ruins of one of the most powerful and greatest cities in the history of the world, Babylon. In September 539 BC, Babylon was the fabled heart of the legendary Babylonian empire. The city was considered militarily impregnable. It had walls that Herodotus claims were 15 miles in circumference, sixty feet high, and thick enough to race six chariots abreast on top of the walls. The mighty Euphrates river flowed through the center of the city, providing virtually unlimited water in the event of a siege. Vast storehouses of food and even growing space existed within the city walls. On October 10, 539 BC Belshazzar, the co-regent of Babylon, was informed the mighty armies of Cyrus the Persian were raiding Babylonian territory. Rather than prepare, Belshazzar threw a great party for the nobles and intelligentsia of the city. After all, the city was unconquerable, so why worry? After a lavish celebration full of debauchery, King Belshazzar was terrified to see a disembodied hand scrawling a cryptic message on the wall of his royal banquet hall. He was so scared, he offered to make anyone who could interpret the message the third most powerful man in the Babylonian kingdom. The conventional astrologers, soothsayers, and analysts could not decipher the text, as it was in code form and also in another language. The famous Hebrew prophet Daniel was brought in to read the cryptic scrawlings on the wall before the king and his court. Daniel understood, and told Belshazzar his kingdom had been weighed and was found wanting, and that Babylon would be taken by the Persians that very night. Belshazzar, of course, was in a state of disbelief and denial until he was executed several hours later by the Persians. Cyrus, a military genius, had his army divert the Euphrates river into a Babylonian canal system in the north. The river water level dropped to thigh level under the walls of Babylon, and Cyrus's general Ugbaru and his troops were able to walk in and subdue the greatest city in history without a battle. |
| Getting the - Wrong end(or the shitty end) of the stick |
| This saying comes from the usage of the toilets in Norman castles. These were slopped holes out of the castle in the outer walls into the moat, down the wall. Once a person had "dumped" they took a hand full of straw and threw it onto their waste and took a stick and pocked it all out and replaced the stick for the next person............who had to grab the RIGHT end of the stick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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