boaty words

[Renegade_Master]

I believe the loo being referred to as the "Head" is from when you would go to the "head" of the ship/boat i.e. to the bow, and squat over a hole in the bow deck, probably behind a screne. Days before internal flushing loos, and the word Head stuck.

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[Talbot]

Believe it or not, but the Press Gang is still legal as I dont think the legislation was ever repealed. May be that is how our wonderful Sec of State for Defence is going to man the ships following his defence CUTS.

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[Talbot]

How about POSH - believed to be derived from Atlantic Liner days when cabins on the Port side going to the States, and Stbd on the way back were the ones that got the sun, and were thus more expensive - Port Out Starboard Home

I wonder where port comes from as the original word for the bit to the left of the pointy end was "larboard" I guess someone fired the wrong guns on one occasion and they thought they had better change it!

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[BarryH]

Hate to be the bringer of bad news, but it was India, not the states.

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[Bejasus]

Ahh, the Raj, I remember it well....../forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

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[barryjl]

Talking about things still legal/illegal...apparently double taxation has never been repealed as illegal from the day of the Magna carta..Council Tax? VAT? Fuel Tax? etc etc all illegal..anyone want to start an action group?

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[MainlySteam]

<<<I now know where Port and Starboard come from>>>

Where did "port" (not the drinkie stuff, I know that bit) come from?

John

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[BrendanS]

The original term was "larboard" . . . but the possibility of confusing shouted or indistinct orders to steer to larboard with steering to starboard at a crucial moment was both obvious and serious, The term was legally changed to 'port' in the British Navy in 1844, and in the American Navy in 1846, The word 'port' was taken from the fact that ships traditionally took on cargo over their left sides, i.e., the side of the vessel facing the port. This was probably a holdover from much earlier times when ships had Steering-boards over the right side aft; obviously, you couldn't maneuver such a vessel starboard side to the pier without crushing your steering oar

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[MainlySteam]

Many thanks Brendan.

I can add that we are moored port side onto the dock, so even in my ignorance I did it right it would seem!

Regards

John

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[ccscott49]

....and to avoid the sun, not get it!

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[Solitaire]

Re: Hunky-Dory

Belive it or not a naval derived word! Meaning everything is O.K Hunky-Dory. was coined from a street named "Honki-Dori" in Yokohama, Japan. Since the inhabitants of this street catered to the pleasures/forums/images/icons/wink.gif of sailors, the street's name became synonymous for anything that is - umm - "enjoyable" or at least satisfactory. And, the logical follow-on is "Okey-dokey."

The "log" is also if interest! In the early days of sailing ships, the ship's records were written on shingles cut from logs. These shingles were hinged and opened like a book. The record was called the "log book." Later on, when paper was readily available and bound into books, the record maintained it name.



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[Solitaire]

Re: Toe the Line

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, seen from a distance, was a series of parallel lines a half-foot or so apart, running the length of the deck. Once a week, 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 told to stand with their toes just touching a particular seam.
Another use for these seams was punishment. 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 order the offender 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."



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[Bejasus]

Re: Hunky-Dory

The explanation I have for 'Log', is that a lump of wood(log) with a knotted string attached was thrown over the side and the number knots passing over in a given time, gave an indication of the ships speed. Also where 'Knot' derived from.

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[boatone]

Re: Hunky-Dory

me too.......and i am world authority on misc marine trivia AYWK

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[ccscott49]

Re: Hunky-Dory

The Log is just that a log of the speed. The log was then written up, so the same word was used. As I was told anyway.

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[BarryH]

Re: Hunky-Dory

Is that why you SWING THE LEAD so much!!

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[Mike21]

Couple of places to try
www.history.navy.mil/trivia/trivia03.htm
www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/terms0101.htm

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[Mike21]

Re: KISSING THE GUNNER\'S DAUGHTER

Only reference I can find is to a book ?
nautical term?

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[BrendanS]

Re: KISSING THE GUNNER\'S DAUGHTER

MainlySteam has already answered it - it's when an able bodied seaman violated
the Captain's shipboard rules. The guilty seaman was bent over a ship's
cannon, his legs and hands secured, and whipped

<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate

 

[BrendanS]

If you're looking for sites with nautical terms, try this one
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.termisti.refer.org/nauterm/dicten.htm>http://www.termisti.refer.org/nauterm/dicten.htm</A>

<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate