 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
simultaneous 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 ill.
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.
Balls
off a Brass Monkey If ever we say it is cold enough to
freeze the balls off a brass monkey, it is pretty damn cold!
At sea, cannon balls
were piled on deck beside the cannon pyramid fashion and retained in a
brass ring called a monkey. If it became very cold, some of the cannon
balls would topple over. It has been suggested that this occurs due to
the different thermal coefficients of linear expansion of brass and iron
- as the brass shrinks more quickly than the iron, the stack of balls
become unstable. However the difference between the coefficients of
brass and iron is very small and it is more probable that the cause is
not due to the brass contracting more quickly than iron, it's the sea
water pooling in the monkey, along with any water between the balls
freezing and pushing the balls out of the monkey.
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'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
QUARTERDECK 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.]
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