Peter Swarbrick gave a captivating talk about the many ways our language has inherited terms originating from maritime activities. For example…
Taken Aback: A sailing term for wind pushing sails against the mast.
Bitter End: The final length of a rope or cable.
Cut and Run: Quickly cutting anchor cables to escape.
By and Large: A ship’s capability to sail both into and with the wind.
Chock-a-Block: Two pulley blocks tightened together.
Three Sheets to the Wind: A phrase for a drunkard, describing a ship with loose sail ropes.
Pipe Down: Signal from a boatswain to end the day.
Learn the Ropes: Sailors learning to manage the ship’s rigging.
Toe the Line: Sailors standing along a deck seam.
Groggy: Originating from “grog,” the watered-down rum served to sailors.
Show Your True Colours: Pirates hiding their identity before attacking.
Loose Cannon: A dangerous, unsecured cannon on deck.
Batten Down the Hatches: Securing ship hatches before a storm.
Clean Bill of Health: Certificate for a healthy ship crew.
Son of a Gun: A child born on a ship’s gun deck.
High and Dry: A vessel stranded out of the water.
At Loggerheads: Tools that became tangled in ship construction.
Skyscraper: A high, small sail for light winds.
Sling Your Hook: An order to leave or depart.
And, as you can see, his talk had some of our members tied up in knots!
