tonybarebones
Well-Known Member
SALTY SYNTAX... Since sailing was previously the only way that one could get from one continent to another, it is not surprising that many nautical terms have made their way into the fabric of our everyday language. For instance, the traditional greeting to a new employee is "Welcome aboard!" or a private caution not to rock the boat or make any waves, else he might get caught between a rock and a hard place!
Advice such as not to go overboard with anything and to keep everything above board might be given, together with an admonition, to be sure to keep on an even keel, or else he could be in deep water, and the boss might lower the boom! When he sees his office, it might be dreadful and he could be tempted to give a few things the deep six.
At first, the newcomer feels all at sea, and when the gang goes out to lunch without him, he is sure he has missed the boat. He sees so little of his colleagues that they’re exactly like ships that pass in the night, and he might feel he's at the end of his rope.
Soon, however, he has learned the ropes, and has his office shipshape and Bristol fashion, making fewer and fewer trips to the sick bay and is seldom pissed, or three sheets to the wind.
Eventually, he comes to be fairly posh, of all things, and believing philosophically in any port in a storm. On the other hand, the director of the company or office might be said to be at the helm, or in command of the situation. If it is a new company, it would be getting underway or, if a bit older, well underway, with things hopefully in good hands.
The company not doing very well might be sinking, and those leaving it could be like rats deserting a sinking ship. If he is wise, the head of the firm might choose a different tack to keep it from going down, and might call for all hands on deck in order to sound out a new proposal to avoid scuttling the company completely, leaving it high and dry.
A new policy might be adopted, involving sailing close to the wind. In that case, all on board would have to be prepared to take up the slack, or else their efforts would be thrown to the winds, to eventually founder on financial shoals.
The gossips among the crew (on land or sea) could be known as the ones who indulge in scuttlebutt, while a sickly one would be about to keel over. At the office party, a whale of a time might be had, and some truly salty language heard, especially by the galley slaves preparing the tucker (victuals?).
The wise head of a company keeps up staff morale so that his employees do not get into the doldrums. Of course, there are many things about them he cannot fathom, but as long as they are making headway, and are not at loose ends, he will give them great latitude.
The significance of these words and phrases, and their meaning, is fascinating. For instance, posh is a slang term for the wealthy, supposedly derived from the letters P.O.S.H. (Port Out Starboard Home) which used to be printed on the first-class tickets of passengers travelling on the P & O Line rich enough to pay extra for cabins on the port side of the ship going out and the starboard side coming home in order to avoid the heat and glare of the sun in the Indian Ocean.
Shipshape and Bristol fashion, meaning everything neat and seamanlike originated from when Bristol was the major west coast port of Britain before the growth of Liverpool brought competition, and during the palmy days when all its shipping was maintained in proper good order.
Even the original meaning of port and starboard is quite interesting. Ships in the old days had a steering board on the right side near the stern, to enable crew to move the ship's rudder while manoeuvring into harbours, and to and from the wharves. Steering board was soon abbreviated to starboard, and the opposite was larboard in the early days, that being the side of the ship which was the loading board. Sometimes it was called port too, as it was the side which was always next to the wharf or port at which unloading took place.
There are many more phrases or terms which have made their way from the sea into land-based life, such as above board. Now referring to honest and fair dealing, it originally meant business carried out in the open, for all to see and inspect.
Likewise we all now know what showing true colours (or the opposite, sailing under false colours) means: when in battle, a ship made known her nationality by flying her country's flag. Not to do so would confuse (and possibly defeat) the enemy.
Haven’t we all been told to pipe down at some time or other? This was the last boatswain's whistle of the day, indicating to sailors that it was time to settle for the night.
Do you sometimes say that you're pooped? On ships, the poop deck is the one taking the onslaught of waves over the stern, and has thus become a slang term for being swamped or tired. Or perhaps you feel under the weather. On ships, the weather side is the one taking severe wind and waves.
Those in charge might well pour oil on troubled water, a common practice in heavy weather, as oil poured over the side calms the waves, to an extent. Being on the wrong tack could get you into trouble, especially if you went too long on a tack and sailed close to land. Everyone knows that being in dire straits means in great difficulty, in danger.
Not enough room to swing a cat in referred to the punishment meted out for discipline on the old sailing ships. It took a considerable amount of room to have a hefty swing of the cat-o'-nine tails (leather whips with knots in them) to lash a sailor properly!
As for mate, some say it comes from gamaton, a Teutonic word meaning those who break bread or meat together; others believe it came from the French matelot, for sailor. No matter what its derivation, it has become a naval term and rank, as well as an expression of friendship, at sea or on land. Whether one sails or not, there is no doubt that sailing has made a permanent contribution to our everyday language and vocabulary. T.D.
Advice such as not to go overboard with anything and to keep everything above board might be given, together with an admonition, to be sure to keep on an even keel, or else he could be in deep water, and the boss might lower the boom! When he sees his office, it might be dreadful and he could be tempted to give a few things the deep six.
At first, the newcomer feels all at sea, and when the gang goes out to lunch without him, he is sure he has missed the boat. He sees so little of his colleagues that they’re exactly like ships that pass in the night, and he might feel he's at the end of his rope.
Soon, however, he has learned the ropes, and has his office shipshape and Bristol fashion, making fewer and fewer trips to the sick bay and is seldom pissed, or three sheets to the wind.
Eventually, he comes to be fairly posh, of all things, and believing philosophically in any port in a storm. On the other hand, the director of the company or office might be said to be at the helm, or in command of the situation. If it is a new company, it would be getting underway or, if a bit older, well underway, with things hopefully in good hands.
The company not doing very well might be sinking, and those leaving it could be like rats deserting a sinking ship. If he is wise, the head of the firm might choose a different tack to keep it from going down, and might call for all hands on deck in order to sound out a new proposal to avoid scuttling the company completely, leaving it high and dry.
A new policy might be adopted, involving sailing close to the wind. In that case, all on board would have to be prepared to take up the slack, or else their efforts would be thrown to the winds, to eventually founder on financial shoals.
The gossips among the crew (on land or sea) could be known as the ones who indulge in scuttlebutt, while a sickly one would be about to keel over. At the office party, a whale of a time might be had, and some truly salty language heard, especially by the galley slaves preparing the tucker (victuals?).
The wise head of a company keeps up staff morale so that his employees do not get into the doldrums. Of course, there are many things about them he cannot fathom, but as long as they are making headway, and are not at loose ends, he will give them great latitude.
The significance of these words and phrases, and their meaning, is fascinating. For instance, posh is a slang term for the wealthy, supposedly derived from the letters P.O.S.H. (Port Out Starboard Home) which used to be printed on the first-class tickets of passengers travelling on the P & O Line rich enough to pay extra for cabins on the port side of the ship going out and the starboard side coming home in order to avoid the heat and glare of the sun in the Indian Ocean.
Shipshape and Bristol fashion, meaning everything neat and seamanlike originated from when Bristol was the major west coast port of Britain before the growth of Liverpool brought competition, and during the palmy days when all its shipping was maintained in proper good order.
Even the original meaning of port and starboard is quite interesting. Ships in the old days had a steering board on the right side near the stern, to enable crew to move the ship's rudder while manoeuvring into harbours, and to and from the wharves. Steering board was soon abbreviated to starboard, and the opposite was larboard in the early days, that being the side of the ship which was the loading board. Sometimes it was called port too, as it was the side which was always next to the wharf or port at which unloading took place.
There are many more phrases or terms which have made their way from the sea into land-based life, such as above board. Now referring to honest and fair dealing, it originally meant business carried out in the open, for all to see and inspect.
Likewise we all now know what showing true colours (or the opposite, sailing under false colours) means: when in battle, a ship made known her nationality by flying her country's flag. Not to do so would confuse (and possibly defeat) the enemy.
Haven’t we all been told to pipe down at some time or other? This was the last boatswain's whistle of the day, indicating to sailors that it was time to settle for the night.
Do you sometimes say that you're pooped? On ships, the poop deck is the one taking the onslaught of waves over the stern, and has thus become a slang term for being swamped or tired. Or perhaps you feel under the weather. On ships, the weather side is the one taking severe wind and waves.
Those in charge might well pour oil on troubled water, a common practice in heavy weather, as oil poured over the side calms the waves, to an extent. Being on the wrong tack could get you into trouble, especially if you went too long on a tack and sailed close to land. Everyone knows that being in dire straits means in great difficulty, in danger.
Not enough room to swing a cat in referred to the punishment meted out for discipline on the old sailing ships. It took a considerable amount of room to have a hefty swing of the cat-o'-nine tails (leather whips with knots in them) to lash a sailor properly!
As for mate, some say it comes from gamaton, a Teutonic word meaning those who break bread or meat together; others believe it came from the French matelot, for sailor. No matter what its derivation, it has become a naval term and rank, as well as an expression of friendship, at sea or on land. Whether one sails or not, there is no doubt that sailing has made a permanent contribution to our everyday language and vocabulary. T.D.
