A sailor who drank too much grog was “groggy”. 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 diluted with water. Gone By the Board – Anything seen to have gone overboard or spotted floating past the ship (by the board) was considered lost at sea. Give (someone) a Wide Berth – To anchor a ship far enough away from another ship so that they did not hit each other when they swung with the wind or tide. A distorted, mixed up message was said to be garbled. Garbled – Garbling was the prohibited practice of mixing rubbish with the cargo. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it dances randomly in the wind. Frigates carrying 20 to 48 guns were fifth and sixth rated.įly-by-Night – A large sail used only for sailing downwind and requiring rather little attention.įootloose – The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. Second rates carried 90 to 98 guns Third Rates, 64 to 89 guns Fourth Rates, 50 to 60 guns. A ship of 100 or more guns was a First Rate line-of-battle ship. From the 16th century on until steam powered ships took over, british naval ships were rated as to the number of heavy cannon they carried. An officer or sailor who was reprimanded or scolded received a dressing down.įirst Rate – Implies excellence. Upon sighting thin foresails on a distant ship a captain might not like the cut of his jib and would then have an opportunity to escape.ĭressing Down – Thin and worn sails were often treated with oil or wax to renew their effectiveness. Other sources indicate “Cut and Run” meant to cut the anchor cable and sail off in a hurry.Ĭut of His Jib – Warships many times had their foresails or jib sails cut thinly so that they could maintain point and not be blown off course. If two blocks of rigging tackle were so hard together they couldn’t be tightened further, it was said they were “Chock-a-Block”.Ĭut 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. From the nautical: by meaning into the wind and large meaning with the wind: as in, “By and Large the ship handled very well.”Ĭhock-a-block – Meaning something is filled to capacity or over loaded. If a sailor slipped on the deck, he could find himself between the devil and the deep blue sea.īooby Hatch – Aboard ship, a booby hatch is a sliding cover or hatch that must be pushed away to allow access or passage.īuoyed Up – Using a buoy to raise the bight of an anchor cable to prevent it from chafing on a rough bottom.īy and Large – Currently means in all cases or in any case. It was sometimes a handy weapon for quarrelling crewmen.īack and Fill – A technique of tacking when the tide is with the ship but the wind is against it.īear Down – To sail downwind rapidly towards another ship or landmark.īetween the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – The devil seam was the curved seam in the deck planking closest to the side of the ship and next to the scupper gutters. When heated it was used to seal the pitch in deck seams. The tallest lookout platform on a ship came to be know as the crow’s nest.Īt Loggerheads – An iron ball attached to a long handle was a loggerhead. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land thus giving the vessel some sort of a navigational fix. If something is open and in plain view, it is above board.Īs the Crow Flies – When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, ships would release a caged crow. A Square Meal – In good weather, crews’ mess was a warm meal served on square wooden platters.Ībove Board – Anything on or above the open deck.
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