Shipshape & Bristol Fashion "Shipshape and Bristol fashion", meaning something is neat and in good order, definitely has salty origins.

In the heyday of sail Bristol, in south west England, had a worldwide reputation of efficiency in shipbuilding and repair. As Bristol has a large tidal range ships had to be strong enough to withstand this buffeting and all the goods and equipment on board had to be very securely stowed to prevent accidents or damage.

Admiral W H Smyth in his wonderful (1867) "The Sailors Word Book" defines it thus: "said when Bristol was in its palmy commercial days, unalloyed by Liverpool, and its shipping was all in proper good order."

Sling your Hook Today, if someone is told to "sling your hook" elsewhere it indicates they are unwelcome in the present company and should seriously consider a quick departure...

The saying certainly has a salty origin. In Kydd's day each seaman was issued with at least one hammock, often two so that one could be cleaned and dried in turn. Hooks were placed under the upper deck beams for fixing the hammocks. The seamen were certainly crowded by today's standards – 500 men had to berth in an area of 6000 square feet aboard a 74-gun ship-of-the-line, for example – and tensions sometimes arose between neighbours. "Sling your hook elsewhere" was an informal invitation to move away from the complainant. This was easier said than done, however, as it had to be sanctioned by the first lieutenant, who had to ensure that men from the same part-of-ship were kept together so they could be easily mustered in an emergency. (Julian is "Old Navy" - in his time at sea hammocks were still on issue, and these were fitted with metal hooks to secure to the ship's deckhead.)

No-man’s-land Many of our everyday words and phrases owe their origins to the language of the mariner. Today, the expression “no man’s land” means something is neither here nor there. Many think it dates from the First World War – but it goes back much further in time.

Falconer, in his Universal Dictionary of the Marine, 1769, gives us this definition of the term: “a space between the after-part of the belfry and the fore-part of a ship’s boat, when the said boat is stowed upon the booms, as in a deep-waisted vessel. These booms are laid from the forecastle nearly to the quarter-deck, where their after-ends are usually sustained by a frame called the gallows, which consists of two strong posts, about five feet high, with a cross piece, reaching from one to the other, athwart-ships, and serving to support the end of those booms, mast and yards, which lie in reserve to supply the place of others carried away etc. The space called no man’s land is used to contain any blocks, rope, tackles etc. which may be necessary on the forecastle. It probably derives its name from its situation as being neither on the starboard nor larboard side of the ship, nor on the waist or forecastle, but, being situated in the middle partakes equally of all those places.”

Flimsy Today, if we say something is flimsy we mean it is weak, without substance, not up to the task. A flimsy excuse, for example, is likely to be seen through.

The origins of this word are definitely salty. In Kydd’s day a certificate of conduct was issued in the Royal Navy by the ship’s captain to a midshipman or an officer on his transfer to another ship. The certificate was written on thin (“flimsy”, probably derived from “film”, as in a thin layer) paper. When a midshipman appeared before a board for examination for lieutenant he was expected to produce his flimsies as evidence of previous good character and conduct.

Fall foul of These days, if you fall foul of someone, you are rubbing him or her up the wrong way and headed for trouble of some sort.

To fall foul of something at sea means to become entangled with it, such as an anchor becoming fouled by something on the sea bottom. And if a ship has a “foul bottom” her way through the water is seriously impeded by seaweed and barnacles growing on the hull.

Press On Today, if we press on, we push ahead with all speed in order to get a task completed as soon as possible. (A related expression is “hard pressed”, meaning that all one’s resources are being used.)

At sea, a captain would often crowd on as much canvas as conditions would allow to complete a voyage speedily. Thus rigged, the ship would be said to be under a “press of sail”.

Losing Bearings Today, if we say someone has lost his bearings, he does not know where he is. The saying is often used metaphorically to indicate mental bewilderment.

A ship’s position when in sight of land was determined by the intersection of the compass bearings of two objects ashore. If one of the objects was obscured, those aboard would have lost their bearings and the position of the ship would be unknown.

Windfall Today, a windfall is an unexpected stroke of good fortune.

At sea, a ship close in to land could sometimes encounter a strong gust of wind blowing down and away from high land. Canny captains would take this into account to maximise their speed.

Lifeline Today, if we talk about a lifeline, it is something that is regarded as a source of salvation in a crisis

The origins of this word are definitely salty. In Kydd’s day in foul weather ropes were rigged fore and aft along the deck of a ship to provide a secure handhold, something for a sailor to grab onto in heavy seas to prevent him from being washed overboard. In extremely rough weather a sailor would grab the line and wrap it around his arm for extra security – then hang on for dear life! Lifelines aloft were stretched from the lifts to the masts to enable seamen to stand securely when manning yards, as in a salute to an admiral etc.

Keelhaul Today, if we talk about the someone being keelhauled, he receives a savage rebuke for some action. Fortunately the experience of being keelhauled today is somewhat less severe than in the past!

The practice was not actually an official punishment in the Royal Navy, although it was reportedly used by some Royal Navy captains and merchant marine captains. In the Dutch Navy it was legally permitted, and not formally abolished until 1853. (The term is from the Dutch kiel, keel and halen, haul.) The unfortunate victim of keelhauling was suspended over the water by a rope attached to his back with a weight on his legs. Another rope fastened to him lead under the ship’s bottom and through a block at its opposite yard arm. He was then hauled under the ship to the opposite side of the vessel to the other yard arm. If he didn’t die from drowning, he would likely be torn to pieces from barnacles on the ship’s hull.

Bow and Scrape Today, if we talk about a person “bowing and scraping” we mean he/she is excessively servile to someone else or trying too hard to please.

The origins of this phrase are definitely salty. In Kydd’s day, an officer's cocked hat was known as a “scraper” (after its similarity to the cook's wooden slush scraper for his coppers). When greeting a superior officer, it was customary for the junior officer to remove his headgear and bow.

Know the Ropes These days, this phrase refers to someone who has skill and experience in his job.

Aboard ship in Kydd’s day, rope was put to hundreds of uses, supporting yards and masts, and in hoisting, lowering and trimming the sails, to name just a few. Running aloft as well as fore and aft, ropes were secured at the end to a belaying pin on rails along the length of each side of the ship. Interestingly, most ropes are called “lines” by seamen – only a small number were called ropes, including the bolt rope, the boat rope and the man rope. In Victory there was over 26 miles of hemp used for the standing and running rigging. It took years of experience to understand the function of, and be able to locate and control, the multitude of ropes aboard ship. This skill was considered so important that discharge papers were once marked “knows the ropes”, thus constituting an honourable discharge.

Strike Today, one major use of this word is to denote the action of ceasing work due to a dispute with an employer. Its origins are definitely salty – and in Kydd’s day there were a number of ways in which “strike” was used aboard ship.

• Strike down! – the order to lower casks etc. into the hold.

• A ship was said to strike if she touched the bottom.

• To strike soundings was to gain the bottom or the first measure of depth of water by the deep-sea lead.

• In a gale the order was given to strike (lower) the yards, topgallant masts etc.

• To strike the colours was a sign of surrender to the enemy.

During the great mutinies of Spithead and the Nore the sailors gave special meaning to the term “strike”; lowering the sails meant the ships could not sail and the Navy was at a standstill.

Deliver a Broadside Today, this refers to a crushing remark that ends all further discussion, an all-out verbal attack.

On sailing ships in Kydd’s day, a broadside was the firing of every cannon which could be brought to bear on the enemy from one side. In a three-deck ship-o’-the line with fifty guns or more a side this meant a considerable weight of ironmongery!

Batten down the Hatches Today, if we batten down the hatches, we prepare ourselves as best we can in a dangerous situation.

Battening down the hatches is the process of securing the deck openings, or hatches, against the effects of bad weather.This is done by securing protective canvas over the hatch cover by means of battens, flat pieces of wood, which were firmly hammered into cleats. An open hatch could of course cause a disastrous ingress of water....

Over a Barrel Today, if you have someone “over a barrel”, they are in a position where they have little choice over their fate.

Before the development of modern resuscitation techniques a near-drowned person was placed face down over a barrel, which was then rolled vigorously back and forth in an attempt to revive him by draining the water from his lungs. The victim was not given any say in this treatment; his survival – or not – was out of his hands...

Plenty of Scope Today, “plenty of scope” means to have room to move, sufficient wherewithal to carry out a task.

The word “scope” is from the Greek skopos, meaning to mark or aim and is the length of cable run out when a vessel rides to its anchor. It is the amount by which a ship swings about its anchor, its freedom of movement.

Keep Aloof Today, this phrase means to stand apart from, to be indifferent in manner.

The origins of this phrase probably derive from the old Dutch word “loef”, meaning windward. It was adopted by English sailors in the sixteenth century. The luff is the leading edge of a sail and “to luff” is to point a ship further into the wind. The helmsman of a ship in Kydd’s day cried “aluff” if a gale threatened to blow the ship too close to shore. Luffing the ship would head her into the wind and thus keep her away from harm.

Coast is Clear Today, “the coast is clear” refers to an absence of anything that might hinder activity.

It first appeared in print in 1531, describing a vessel which had safely cleared the coast, and was later used in Shakespeare’s Henry VI. In the heyday of smuggling, a boy led a white horse along the cliff as a signal that there were no Revenue men about – and it was thus safe for the smugglers to land their contraband cargo.

Close Quarters Today, “at close quarters” refers to something done hand-to-hand or at close range.

In the seventeenth century hand-to-hand fights aboard ships were known as “close-fight”, and the term was also applied to the barriers that sailors erected to keep the enemy at bay. By the mid-eighteenth century this confined defensive space was also called “close quarters”. Falconer, in his dictionary first published in 1769, defined it thus: “Close-quarters, certain strong barriers of wood stretching across a merchant ship in several places. They are used as a place of retreat when a ship is boarded by her adversary, and are ... fitted with... loop holes (from the French ‘louvre’ for window) through which to fire.” And yes, “loop holes” is another salty saying, now meaning gaps in the law.

Spin a Yarn Today if we say someone is spinning a yarn we mean they are at worst lying outright, or at best, stretching the truth.

Aboard even the smallest ship in Kydd’s day there were miles and miles of rope, which needed regular maintenance and repair. Spun yarn was the basic material used for this. Often, a group of sailors got together for the task, swapping old sea stories as they worked – and the tales were usually embellished in the telling. And quite often the work took a little longer than strictly necessary... From this we get the variant saying “spin it out”; if someone spins something out, like the sailors taking extra time on deck with their rope-work, he or she is stretching out a task beyond a time that would be considered reasonable.

Under the Weather Today if we say someone is under the weather, he or she is feeling ill, or perhaps a little worse the wear for drink...

On board ship in Kydd’s day one of the least favourite lookout positions was on the bow on the windward or weather side. During storms this position was pretty miserable, and the lookout was continually soaked with cold, harsh spray, often causing him to become miserable.

High and Dry Today, if someone is left high and dry, they find themselves stranded, without resources or support.

A beached ship, or one that is up on blocks and in the yard for repair or storage, is said to be “high and dry”. Sailors speak of the emotional effect of seeing a ship in this state, out of her natural element, the sea.

Touch and go Today, if we talk about it as being touch and go we mean a highly uncertain or precarious situation in which the slightest change in circumstances could result in failure or disaster.

Sometimes a sailing ship touched ground but then lifted off again quickly, thus avoiding disaster by a narrow margin. When about to engage the enemy Lord Nelson reportedly had his own variant of this saying: “Touch and take!”

Jury rig We say something is jury rigged if it is assembled in a makeshift manner.

In sailing ships, a jury rig was a replacement mast and yards improvised after the loss of the original mast, in battle, or during a storm. The origin of the word “jury” may be the late Middle English word “iuwere”, meaning help or aid, in turn borrowed from the Old French “ajurie”. Ships carried a number of spare spars such as topmasts, but the lower masts, which could be over three feet in diameter, were too large to have spares onboard. Faced with the need to save their ship, sailors often came up with ingenious replacements. Although ships could perform reasonably well under jury rig, it was obviously weaker than the original and the captain would sail to the nearest friendly port as soon as practicable to get a replacement mast.

Mainstay Today, this is said of a person who is of great support and help.

In a sailing ship, a stay is a part of the standing rigging that supports a mast. Stays take their name from the mast they support, thus the mainstay supports the mainmast. If the mainstay was shot away the consequences could be disastrous.

Son of a Gun We use this phrase to refer to someone who is a bit of a rough diamond, but a good guy nevertheless – or, interjectionally, to express surprise or disappointment.

In Kydd’s day, “wives” of seamen were allowed on board in harbour, and occasionally at sea. As the gangways had to be kept clear, the only place where women in labour could give birth was in the spaces between the guns on the gundeck. Thus a male child born on board was known as “a son of a gun”; collectively they became “sons of the sea” :

“Begotten in the galley and born under a gun
Every hair a rope yarn, every tooth a marline spike
Every finger a fishhook and his blood right good Stockholm tar”

 Slush Fund “Slush fund” means a reserve fund, often used for political bribery and corruption.

 One of the perks of the sea cook was the fat skimmed off the cooking liquor as meats were boiled. This murky fluid was solidified and then sold to the purser for making candles. (Remember the foul-smelling, sputtering “pusser’s glims” in Kydd). It was also used in merchant ships to grease standing rigging, a practice that continued until early in this century. The slush fund came in handy to pay for such items as extra rum rations or tobacco.

 Loose Cannon If someone is described as a “loose cannon”, he is unpredictable, and likely to cause trouble or embarrassment.

Cannon were secured with breeching, some of the strongest ropes found in a ship. They were mounted on wheels so that they could be quickly moved in and out of gunports but this meant that if they got loose they could career all over the decks, doing great damage to the ship and injuring men. In fact, in a rolling sea, a cannon (which weighed up to 3 tons) could get up enough momentum to smash even through the side of the ship.

 Square Meal Today, if we’re talking about a square meal we mean a pretty substantial repast.

In Kydd’s day sailors ate their food off square wooden plates which had a raised edge called a fiddle. This design was partly to stop food falling off the plate, partly to set a limit on the amount of food taken. If a sailor overfilled the plate he was said to be “on the fiddle”, and could be punished, but he always insisted on a square meal.

 Devil and Deep Blue Sea When we say someone is between the devil and the deep blue sea, we mean he’s in a position of being between two equally undesirable alternatives.

In the eighteenth century, the “devil” was the longest seam of the ship, running from the bow to the stern. When at sea, the “devil” had to be caulked as part of routine maintenance – and the sailor who had the task of doing so was swung out precariously in a bosun’s chair over the sea.

 Clean Slate Someone who starts with a clean slate is one who has a fresh start, sometimes a cancellation or settlement of a debt.

In the age of sail all the current orders at the conn were chalked up on a special slate by the quartermaster, as instructed by the officer of the watch. Then, variations in the course to steer, prevailing winds, the set of the sails and other vital information were noted or amended. The slate was kept in the binnacle box. The slate was wiped totally clean at the beginning of a new voyage or when the ship was safely at anchor in harbour.

 By the Board If we say something has gone by the board, it has been neglected, omitted or discarded.

At sea “board” was a word with a variety of meanings – such as the distances which the vessel ran between tacks when working to windward. The more frequently the ships tacked, the shorter the boards, the less frequently, the longer the boards. Board also meant the side of the ship, thus “by the board” was over the ship’s side. If a mast, for example, was carried away, it was said to have gone by the board.

 Taken Aback Someone who has been taken aback has been jolted by unpleasant news and is at a momentary loss, unable to act – sometimes unable to speak.

A very real danger faced by sailing ships was a sudden shift in the wind from an unexpected squall striking the ship head on. The sails could be blown back against the masts, resulting in serious damage to spars and rigging, and in the worst scenario, the masts breaking, leaving the ship helpless. Sails were laid aback purposely on occasion – to stop a ship’s way through the water or to assist in tacking – but these were controlled manoeuvres.

 Bitter End Talking about “the bitter end”, we mean carrying on to the very end, in spite of difficulties.

Aboard ship, if the crew lets all the cable run out while anchoring, the rope will come to its bitter (inner) end. A bitter is a turn of the cable around the mooring bitts at the ship’s bow.

 Three sheets to the wind A person who is intoxicated and out of control is often said to be three sheets to the wind.

Aboard ship sheets are the lines of rope used to control the tension and position of the sails. On square-rigged ships, each sail has its own set of sheets so the sails can be controlled independent of each other. Sometimes the wind pulled the sheets out of a sailor's hands and the sails flapped. This was bad enough, but if three sets of sheets were loose, the situation was out of control.

 Cut and Run Today, we say to cut and run means to make off suddenly. And we offer two explanations.

If the enemy suddenly came on a ship when she was at anchor, or if a sudden storm threatened to force the ship onto a lee shore, the Captain would order the crew to cut the anchor cable and run downwind to escape. An alternate derivation of the phrase is the process of furling the sails on their yards and “stopping” them there with light spunyarn, which could be cut with a knife so that the sail fell and drew almost immediately.

 At Loggerheads  Saying a person is at loggerheads with someone else, we mean he is in a state of permanent and serious disagreement, a sort of metaphysical butting of heads!

For seamen a Loggerhead was an instrument with a hollow iron sphere at the end of a shaft. This was heated in a fire and then plunged into a bucket of tar in order to melt pitch for caulking the seams in the ship’s timbers. A hot loggerhead was definitely a thing to keep away from!

 Turn a Blind Eye Saying we will turn a blind eye to something means to know just what is happening, but to ignore it.

Most people correctly associate it with Lord Nelson. At the Battle of Copenhagen, Admiral Sir Hyde Parker hoisted a signal to Nelson to discontinue the action. Nelson said to his flag captain, “You know, Foley, I have only one eye. I have a right to be blind sometimes.” He then put the glass to his blind eye and said, “I really do not see the signal. Keep mine for closer battle flying.” Some two hours later the battle was over, with the bulk of the Danish fleet destroyed.

 By and Large The phrase by and large has come to mean “in general”, “for the most part”. The origins of this phrase are really to do with descriptions of a ship’s sailing abilities.

A ship that sails well by and large sails smartly into or “by” the wind, and performs creditably with a following wind, or “going large”,  i.e. she is a good sailer under most conditions of wind.

Toe the Line If we say to toe the line this is to follow the rules of the group, to keep within the limits of defined behaviour.

The space between deck planks in a wooden ship was sealed with a mixture of pitch and oakum. These formed a series of parallel lines a half foot apart, running the length of the deck. When a warship’s crew was ordered to fall in at quarters, sailors mustered in a given area of the deck and stood with their toes just touching a particular seam.

 Shake a Leg “Shake a leg” is now an exhortation to wake up, or hurry up!

Originally in the Navy “show a leg” derives from the practice of sometimes allowing females to stay onboard overnight while a ship was in harbour. The ladies could linger an extra hour in their hammocks, providing they could prove their gender by showing a hairless leg to the bosun's mates as they did their rounds. The full cry was “show a leg or else a purser’s stocking”.

 Cuts no Ice Something that “cuts no ice” means that it has made little or no impression.

Back in Kydd’s day it was difficult for any sailing ship to make much progress in the autumn pack ice of the Baltic!

 In my Black Book Today, if a person is in someone’s black book, he is out of favour, or in disgrace.

This actually derives from the Admiralty Black Book which dates from the 14th century and is concerned with ship conduct and discipline. The Admiralty Black Book is preserved in the Public Records Office at Kew.  Its full title is “Rules for the Office of Lord High Admiral; Ordinances for the Admiralty in Time of War; the Laws of Oleron for the Office of Constable and Marshall; and other Rules and Precedents”.

 Chock-a-Block  If something is “chock a block”, or “chocker” for short, we mean that it is completely full, packed extremely close-fitting.

Aboard, when the sails were pulled in tight so that the ship could sail as close to the wind as possible the blocks (pulleys) would be pulled “hard up” together until they could go no further. This was called “chock-a-block” or “chock full”.

 In the Offing Something in the offing means something is about to happen.

In fact in Kydd’s time the offing is the distance a ship at sea keeps from the land because of navigational hazards etc. It is generally in waters too deep for anchoring. If inconvenient, or dangerous to approach a coast, a ship waited in the offing, or just out to sea, and was visible from the land.

 Weather Eye Open Telling someone to keep a weather eye open means we want them to be on the alert for a sudden change in the situation.

Far out at sea the lookout watched on the weather (or windward) side of the ship. This meant facing into the wind, spray and rain, but the first sign of a change in the weather always came from this side.

 All Standing Someone at a stand today is puzzled, unsure what to do next.

In Kydd’s day, “all standing” meant that a vessel was fully equipped, or all sails set; a vessel could be “brought up all standing” if she was forced to lose way suddenly because her sails had been put aback by a sudden change of the wind.This is the origin of our modern-day useage of “at a stand”. As well, any seaman turning into his hammock still fully-dressed was said to be “turning in all-standing” as being still “fully-rigged”.

 First Rate We say that something is first rate if it is excellent – of the highest quality.

In Nelson's day the mighty warships of the Royal Navy were “rated” (classified) on a scale from one to six, based on the ordnance they carried. The system was set up by Lord Anson during the years 1751-1756. The largest of the ships, first rate, (like Victory) carried 100 or more guns (second rate, 84; third rate, 70; fourth rate, 50; fifth rate, 32, sixth rate, 32 guns or less).

 Round Robin A round robin refers to a letter signed by a number of people, or a sports tournament where all contestants play each other at least once.

Back in Kydd’s time sailors had a ploy for challenging conditions aboard ship or airing grievances against an officer – they’d sign a petition in which their names were written in a circle; no-one could then be identified as the ringleader! The practice, although quickly taken up by sailors, did not originate at sea – the term is a corruption of the French words “ronde” (round) and “ruban” (ribbon); French officials signed petitions on ribbons that encircled documents

 In the Doldrums Someone in the doldrums is in a state of depression or stagnation.

In actuality the Doldrums is a belt of calm or variable winds which lie between the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres. As sailing ships passed through these latitudes there was often no wind to fill the sails or cool the living spaces and they were becalmed in sweltering conditions.

 Plain Sailing Today, if we say something is plain sailing, we mean it is easy, or straightforward to do.

At sea in Kydd’s day plain sailing was using navigation techniques that assume the earth is a flat plane. This makes computations fairly simple. Obviously, this is only possible over fairly short distances, longer distances require spherical trigonometry. “Plane sailing” originated with the plane charts of the sixteenth century, drawn on the assumption that the earth was flat. Over time the expression changed to “plain sailing”. If a ship is said to be carrying all plain sail, or under all plain sail, she is rigged with the ordinary working sails – not studdingsails, upper staysails etc.

 Clean Bill of Health  A clean bill of health it generally means it is are in good shape, for example a company with respect to its financial dealings.

This expression derives from the certificate issued by a port authority in Kydd’s day confirming that no member of a ship’s crew suffered from a reportable contagious disease, and that no contagion was known to be present in the ship’s point of departure. Plague was of special concern for obvious reasons. If there was a problem, a “foul bill of health” was issued.

 Brought up Short Today if we say a person is brought up short he is forced to a standstill by a sudden reversal of fortune.

In the days of fighting sail a vessel underway could be brought to an emergency standstill or “brought up short” by dropping the anchors. Imagine a 1000-ton man-o’-war lurching to a sudden halt against the drag of anchors. As the anchor bit, the ship shuddered to a standstill – accompanied with tremendous noise and whipping and clattering of masts and rigging. This action was sometimes due to a shot fired across a vessel’s bows, done as a warning; if she failed to stop the next shot would be fired true.

 Money for Old Rope If we say “money for old rope” we mean money or reward obtained with little or no effort.

In Kydd’s day old and frayed ropes were sold to shoreside traders. This old rope was often sold back to ships, to be then used as caulking between a ship’s planks. Money for old rope was a perk of the boatswain (but sometimes the rope was not so old, and the offence of cappabar, or misappropriation of government stores was committed...)

 Copper Bottomed If we talk about a copper-bottomed investment we mean one that is strong and secure – in other words, a pretty safe bet.

After some unsuccessful experiments with lead, in 1783 the Royal Navy started routinely sheathing the hulls of wooden warships with copper to prevent infestation from wood-destroying parasites like the gribble worm and the infamous teredo. The process was successful in preventing worm attack but a new problem occurred – galvanic action of the copper on the iron bolts used in the construction of the ships. This was solved by switching to copper fastenings. For HMS Victory, over 3,900 copper plates and nearly 550,000 copper nails were used to sheath the hull. Each plate was four feet long and fourteen inches wide; there were two weights of plate, depending on where they were used in the hull. The estimated weight of the copper was close to eighteen tons.

 Making Headway Making headway generally refers to forward progress of a general nature.

At sea, headway is the ship’s forward movement through the water. Sometimes considerable effort was involved to achieve this, as when a ship attempted to tack in a very light breeze. The manoeuvre might have to be repeated several times before the sails filled and the cry was heard, “She’s making headway.”

 Run the Gauntlet If someone has to run the gauntlet they risk being assailed or criticised from all sides.

In the age of sail it was a form of punishment for stealing, which involved a sailor having to make his way between two opposite and facing rows of his shipmates, each man armed with a knotted rope. The master-at-arms went in front of the unfortunate man, walking backwards with a cutlass drawn to prevent him running through too quickly. The term comes not from any association with a glove, but from a corruption of “gantlope”, which in turn derives from two Swedish words, “gata” (lane) and “lopp” (running).

 Cut of his Jib If we say “I don’t like the cut of his jib”, we are judging a person on his outward appearance, often taking an instant dislike to him.

For an experienced sailor, the cut of a jib (a triangular sail set on the stays of the foremast) was a dead giveaway of the type of ship, and sometimes the nationality; French and Spanish ships often had their jibs cut very much higher than those of British ships.

 Pooped Today, when somebody says he is pooped he has taken a figurative beating, and is overwhelmed by exhaustion.

This comes from the Latin “puppis”, stern. The poop deck is a high deck above the quarterdeck; although only the larger sailing ships had poops. A ship is “pooped” when a heavy sea breaks over her stern while she is running before the wind in a gale – a very dangerous situation because the vessel&squo;s speed in this circumstance is approximately the same as the following sea. She therefore loses steerage way and becomes uncontrollable, with the likelihood of broaching-to and foundering. Readers of Tenacious will recall the tragic fate of the Lord Woolmer which was pooped before she could reach the safety of Halifax.

 Hand over Fist “Hand over fist” today has become synonymous with financial gain due to a rapid ascent up the ladder of success.

When Kydd was first at sea Jack Tar prided himself on the speed and agility with which he could climb aloft into the rigging; this procedure involved considerable upper body strength with the free hand passing over the fist in which the rope was clenched as the sailor swarmed up the rigging rapidly and smoothly, without stopping for a fresh grip.

 Swinging the Lead Someone who is “swinging the lead” we know is skiving to avoid work.

The depth of water was measured by lowering a lead weight on the end of a rope over the size of a ship. It was necessary to twirl the line and shoot it ahead so that by the time the lead had sunk to the bottom the ship’s headway would have brought the line perpendicular and the correct depth could be seen. Some seamen would make a great display of twirling the lead around their heads, pretending to be active rather than doing the job properly.

 Devil to Pay If we say this, we probably mean we are in a situation with seriously bad consequences.

Aboard wooden sailing ships, caulking (or “paying”) the seams on the hull with pitch to make them watertight was painstaking and difficult work. It was particularly challenging when the seam was “the devil”, at the junction of the covering board that capped the ship’s sides and the deck planking. The full saying among sailors, when given a formidable job for which they were ill prepared, was: “The devil to pay, and no pitch hot!”

 Cut a Fine Feather Somebody who cuts a fine feather is one who is a nifty dresser, of pretty smart appearance.

Kydd would say this of a ship which was sailing well, her bow wave looking like a white feather, sometimes said to be “a bone in her teeth”.

 Nail Colours to Mast Someone nailing their colours to the mast has publicly made their intention clear.

Ship’s flags in Kydd’s day were known as colours. In battle, the combatants would try to force the surrender of the opposing ship, and capture their colours; if a captain ordered the colours be nailed to the mast he made it clear that surrender was not an option.

 Skyscraper Few cities in the world today are without these majestic buildings soaring skyward.

Chicago’s Home Insurance Building, erected in 1884, is generally considered to be the world's first tall building supported by an internal frame, and was dubbed a “skyscraper” by the press. In the time of sail a skyscraper was the highest one in a ship, a small triangular canvas set above the skysail in order to maximise effect in a light wind. [Sometimes a square sail was set in the same place and this was called a moonraker; and if one was set above this again it was a star-gazer.]