Sailor Speak Part 1

Hello Fishies!

I thought some of you might find the following interesting as well as educational.

Leeway The weather side of a ship is the side that the wind hits. The “lee side” is the side of the ship that is sheltered from the wind. A lee shore is land that is downwind of a ship. If a ship does not have enough "leeway" it is in danger of being driven onto the shore.

Over a Barrel The most common method of punishment on board a ship was flogging. The unfortunate sailor was tied to a grating, a mast or over the barrel of a deck cannon.

Know the Ropes There were miles and miles of cordage in the rigging of a ship. The only way of keeping track of and knowing the function of all of these lines was to know where they were located. It took an experienced seaman to “know the ropes.”

Dressing Down Sails that had become thin and worn were often treated with oil or wax to renew their effectiveness. This was called "dressing down". An officer or sailor who was reprimanded or scolded received a dressing down.

Footloose The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it flaps in the wind.

Booby Hatch Aboard ship, the booby hatch is a sliding cover or hatch that must be pushed away to allow access or passage.

First Rate Implies excellence. From the 16th century, until steam powered ships took over, British naval ships were rated as to the number of heavy cannon they carried. A ship of 100 or more guns was a First Rate line-of-battle ship. Second rates carried 90 to 98 guns; Third Rates, 64 to 89 guns; Fourth Rates, 50 to 60 guns. Frigates carrying 48 to 20 guns were fifth and sixth rated.

Pipe Down Means stop talking and be quiet. The Pipe Down was the last signal from the Bosun's pipe each day which meant "lights out" and "quiet".

Chock-a-Block Meaning something is filled to capacity or over loaded. If two blocks of rigging tackle were so hard together they couldn't be tightened further, it was said they were "Chock-a-Block".

Windfall A sudden unexpected rush of wind from a mountainous shore.

Groggy In 1740, British Admiral Vernon (whose nickname was "Old Grogram" for the cloak of grogram which he wore) ordered that the sailors' daily ration of rum be watered down. The men called the mixture "grog". A sailor who drank too much grog was "groggy".

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.

Pooped The poop is the rear or stern section of a ship. To be pooped is to be swamped by a following sea.



As the Crow Flies When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, a ship would release a caged crow. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land thus giving the vessel some sort of a navigational fix. The tallest lookout platform on a ship came to be known as the crow's nest.

By and Large By meaning into the wind and large meaning with the wind: as in, "By and Large the ship handled very well."

Cut and Run - If a captain of a smaller ship encountered a larger enemy vessel, he might decide that discretion is the better part of valor, and so he would order the crew to cut the lashings on all the sails and run away before the wind. Other sources indicate "Cut and Run" meant to cut the anchor cable and sail off in a hurry.

In the Offing - From the 16th century usage meaning a good distance from shore, barely visible from land, as in - "We sighted a ship in the offing."

Skyscraper - A small triangular sail set above the skysail in order to maximize effect in a light wind.

The Bitter End - The end of an anchor cable is fastened to the bitts at the ship's bow. If all of the anchor cable has been played out you have come to the bitter end.

Toe the Line - When called to attention, the ship's crew would form up in a line with their toes touching a seam in the deck planking.

Back and Fill - A technique of tacking when the tide is with the ship but the wind is against it.

Overhaul To prevent the buntline ropes from chaffing the sails, crew were sent aloft to haul them over the sails. This was called overhauling.

Slush Fund A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called "slush" was often sold ashore by the ship's cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund.

Bear Down To sail downwind rapidly towards another ship or landmark.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

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