You Favorite Mis-Used Naultical Jargon

[Amulet]

Fer Gawd's sake. It's enough to make me fly my ensign upside-down from the jack-staff, leave a fender out while sailing, and misspell jargon - just to annoy the jargan police. The purpose of language is to communicate, not to show how knowledgeable you are. I use the terms most likely to be understood by the hearers. I have been sailing for more than 60 years and understand most nautical terms. I love to introduce new crew to the arcana of jack-speak. I'm just not PRECIOUS about it. Cool your beans.

 

[Poignard]

I have never, ever seen "kedge" used to mean "storm anchor". What the hell's a "storm anchor" anyway?

I'm glad you asked that.

 

[Amulet]

And by the way, I'm very surprised that none of the jargon enthusiasts seem to know what a kedge anchor is. It has many uses apart from kedging. I must remember, in future, just to call it the wee anchor so that people here understand what I'm on about.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

There' a Lee Ho works down our Chinese takeaway. Not confined to things nautical but heard all the time on film, on TV and Martin Brundle on F1 commentary ...... 'Over and out'. ......

 

[Poignard]

It is a shame that so much of the old nautical language that once played such a large part in our maritime heritage has fallen into desuetude.

It slips away unnoticed.

I can't remember when I last heard anyone say "Shiver me timbers".

 

[RobbieW]

...I can't remember when I last heard anyone say "Shiver me timbers".

Probably since the good captain Pugwash

 

[Old Harry]

"Heads"

 

[JohnGC]

Heard a few years ago in the Solent at the end of an otherwise impeccable conversation between yacht and coastguard, " Over and out........... Oh F***!"

 

[Hydrozoan]

"unchartered" territory

‘Uncharted territory’ itself has been sharply on the rise since the mid-1970s, which was presumably when we realised that the old certainties were no more.

Google Ngram Viewer

 

[scottie]

GPS speed achieved ?

 

[LittleSister]

'Sailboat', when applied on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

 

[Poignard]

'Sailboat', when applied on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

Yes, that grates on me too.

Although I don't know why it should. I don't wince when I hear 'motorboat'.

 

[Greenheart]

"...the wee anchor..."

Thank you, I finally understand, because my first mate seems to use that every time she comes out with me. But she apostrophises it... w'

 

[Kukri]

‘Supertanker’...

and one that really, really grates.

‘shipper’ when the Press (including the FT and the Economist, who really should know better) mean ‘shipowner’. The shipper is the seller of the cargo.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

'Sailboat', when applied on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

"Trawler", when appliied to a 12m tupperware gin palace, on the western side...

 

[JumbleDuck]

I can't help feeling that "boating" should be reserved for elegant rowing skiffs with wickerwork backrests, blazers, floaty white dresses, picnic hampers and so on.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I take great pleasure in nautical language for the fun of understanding it. However I'm more concerned about being understood than precious about it. In a tight situation I'll normally say "go to the left of that buoy" not "please leave that buoy to starboard".

Michael Green in his book 'The Art of Coarse Sailing' suggests that the true 'coarse sailor' is one 'who in times of emergency forgets all nautical terms and shouts "For Gods saké turn left" .'

 

[thinwater]

I'll admit to being unable to see why Eric Newby should be connected to this topic. However, the title of that book (which I always thought was a 'Short walk in...") was my introduction to the writer and I've long thought it a fabulous understatement and perhaps typically British (of its era)

Probably because he was a "newbie" when he took on many of his adventures, which was part of his charm as a writer. A fantastic book!

 

[Poignard]

I can't help feeling that "boating" should be reserved for elegant rowing skiffs with wickerwork backrests, blazers, floaty white dresses, picnic hampers and so on.

Oh, absolutely, old bean.

 

[thinwater]

Trawler, sailboat, motorboat, and many others are just differences between US and UK English, like truck for lorry. Not incorrect when used regionally. We find many Britishisms terribly "cute."

Calling a small boat owner "captain" is one that grates on most US sailors. It has become a common way designate the one who is responsible, but it never sits well.