Naval sayings

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- I -

In the doldrums:

In low spirits
Sailors referred to the windless area near the equator where the north-east and south-east trade winds converge as the ‘doldrums’, derived from the old English ‘dol’, meaning ‘dull’.

In the offing:

About to happen
The area of sea visible from the shore was known as the offing. Therefore, a ship visible from land was said to be ‘in the offing’; about to enter port.

- J -

- K -

Keel over:

Fall over; faint; collapse
The keel is the bottom-most part of a ship and runs from stem to stern. A ship that had turned over was said to have keeled over.

- L -

Leading light:

Someone outstanding in their field; an example to others; an inspiration
A line of ‘leading lights’ indicated the safe entry that ships followed into port.

Learn the ropes:

Gain a skill
Young sailors were taught what each rope, rigging and knot was for aboard a ship. After ‘learning the ropes’, sailors would then 'know the ropes'.

Leeway:

Margin of freedom; latitude
The lee side of a ship is that opposite the side against which the wind blows. A ship sailing parallel to a shore with the wind blowing against the side furthest from the shore must leave enough leeway, distance between the ship and the shore, to avoid being driven onto the shore.

Let the cat out of the bag:

Reveal a secret
The cat (cat o’ nine tails), the whip used to flog sailors, was usually kept in a cloth bag.

Loose cannon:

Someone who is unpredictable
Heavy cannons were dangerous objects on board ships if not properly secured. In rough weather they could be thrown about the decks; when fired they recoiled violently.

- M -

Make headway:

Progress in any activity
Forward motion of a sailing ship.

Make heavy weather of:

Make a task more difficult than it actually is
Ships struggled sailing against adverse winds and waves, making headway difficult.

Money for old rope:

Financial gain for very little
Sailors in port short of cash would sell lengths of old rope. (see also slush fund)


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- N -

Nail one’s colours to the mast:

Show determination; make intentions known
A ship’s flags were known as ‘colours’. In battle the combatants tried to seize the colours flown on the opposing ship. To nail colours to the mast made them difficult to seize and signalled a resolve not to submit. (see also pass with flying colours and show your true colours)

Nipper:

Young lad
Where the anchor cables on the largest sailing ships were too thick to bend around a capstan, they had thinner, messenger lines attached. Those thinner lines were joined, or ‘nipped’ to the thicker cables by young boys, who became known as ‘nippers’.

No great shakes:

No great value
When a cask became empty, it was taken to pieces, or ‘shaken’, so that it could be stored more easily in less space. The staves and hoops that made up a barrel, which on their own had no use (or value), were known as ‘shakes’.

No room to swing a cat:

in a confined space
Floggings using a cat (cat o’ nine tails) were carried out on deck because of the restricted space and headroom below decks, where there wasn’t the room to ‘swing the cat’.

- O -

Off and on: Intermittently stopping and starting
Describes a ship sailing along the coast frequently visiting and leaving ports.

On an even keel:

Balanced
Provisions and cargo stowed in such a way so that the ship is balanced both port and starboard and fore and aft.

On the fiddle:

Gaining illegally
Fiddle was the name given to the raised rim on a sailor’s square wooden plate. Not only did the fiddle keep food on the plate, it marked the limit as to how much of a helping a sailor was entitled to. If his helping touched or overlapped the fiddle, therefore ‘on the fiddle’, a sailor was said to be ‘fiddling’, depriving another sailor of his share of food, which was an offence punishable by flogging. (see also square meal)

Over a barrel:

An awkward position
To receive his flogging, a sailor was tied either to a grating, a mast, or over the barrel of a cannon.

Overhaul:

Examine; repair; catch and overtake
The ‘bunt’ was the baggy centre of a sail, and ‘buntlines’ were the ropes used to constrain the bunts when sailing. In high winds sailors were sent aloft to release or slacken the buntlines, requiring them to pull more rope over the top of the sails, hence ‘overhaul’.

- P -

Pass with flying colours:

Substantial achievement
A fleet victorious in battle would sail into its home port with flags, or colours, flying from all masts. (see also nail one’s colours to the mast and show your true colours)

Pipe down:

Keep quiet; stop talking
A boatswain’s piped signal at the end of the day for lights out and silence.

Piping hot:

Very hot
A boatswain would pipe a signal when meals were served.

Plumb the depths:

Sink as low as possible
Sailors would use a plumb (lead) weight attached to a line to measure the water’s depth, especially when close to shore or near rocks to avoid running aground. (see also sound off and swing the lead)

Pooped:

Tired; fatigued
In a heavy sea, water would wash over the poop deck, the stern section of the ship.

Press into service:

Force to do something against one’s will
Impressment was the act of seizing private goods or property for public service, and the forcing of men to serve in the navy. Press gangs effectively kidnapped or tricked men to serve aboard ships.

Pull your finger out:

Hurry; get a move on
Cannons were primed with a small amount of gunpowder poured into an ignition hole. A sailor kept this powder in place with a finger, and was ordered to pull his finger out just before ignition.

Put a new slant on things:

Consider from a different perspective
The angle of sail was altered to compensate for changing wind conditions.

Put through the hoop:

Undergo an ordeal; rigorously test
Prior to battle hammocks were rolled tightly and lashed to a ship’s rails providing protection against shot and splinters. Sailors were required to pass their rolled hammocks through a regulation size hoop gauge to check them for tightness, and therefore effectiveness.

- Q -

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