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by Mark S. Longo
The Vikings, Columbus, the Pilgrims … they all arrived here by ship. So it stands to reason that some of the phrases we use today were born on the high seas. While sources differ on the roots of many sayings, others have a clear path to the days of sailing across the ocean. Here’s a look at 9 family-friendly phrases that likely came from the mouths of sailors.
1. Clean Bill of Health
The “Age of Sail” in the 18th and early 19th centuries was a glorious time in naval history marked by many epic battles on the high seas, but it was also a time of widespread disease. In order to receive permission to dock at a foreign port, ships were often required to show a bill of health—a document that stated the medical condition of their previous port of call, as well as that of everyone aboard. A “clean bill of health” certified that the crew and their previous port were free from the plague, cholera and other epidemics. Today, a person with a “clean bill of health” has passed a doctor’s physical or other medical examination.
2. In the Doldrums
During the Age of Sail, “The Doldrums” were stretches of ocean north and south of the equator that were infamous for their light winds. If a vessel was caught there, it could languish for days or even weeks waiting for the wind to pick up, which made for a very bored crew. Eventually, The Doldrums became so well known that the name was applied to any area with light winds. Today, someone who is “in the doldrums” is either listless or depressed.
3. Three Sheets to the Wind
Many people are surprised to learn that this expression for drunkenness was born on the high seas. “Sheet” is the nautical term for the rope that controls the tension on a square sail. If the sheets are loose on a three-masted ship, then the sails will flap uselessly in the wind, and the ship will drift out of control until the situation is corrected. Thus, the modern phrase “three sheets to the wind” has come to signify a person who is intoxicated to the point of being out of control.
4. Filibuster
The roots of the term “filibuster” can be traced to the pirates who prowled the shipping trade routes in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The Dutch word for pirate was vrijbuiter—a word that eventually led to the French term flibustier and the Spanish term filibustero. The British, however, pronounced it filibuster.
So how did the word for pirate became associated with obstructionist political tactics? It’s still a bit of a mystery, but some historians speculate that, since pirates were an incessant, obstructing nuisance, they effectively blocked trade in many areas, just as politicians try to block legislation today.
5. Chew the Fat
Before refrigeration, salted beef and pork were staple foods aboard sailing vessels because they could be stored for long periods without spoiling. However, they were also tough and extremely difficult to eat. It often took a great deal of chewing just to soften up the meat and make it edible, which took a lot of time. So, in the spirit of multi-tasking, men would gather to discuss the day’s events while they chewed their fatty, salt-cured meat. According to this theory, whenever people get together to gossip or chat, we say that they are “chewing the fat.”
6. Slush Fund
Most people think this term originated in the smoke-filled boardrooms of corporate America. Surprisingly, however, it can be traced back to some clever ship cooks who saved the slushy mix of fat and grease that was left over after every meal.
The slush would be stowed away in a secret hiding place until the ship returned to port. The cooks would then sell the fat to candle makers and other merchants, earning themselves a tidy sum in the process. Thus, the term “slush fund” refers to an illicit cash reserve.
7. By and Large
A sailing vessel was considered seaworthy if it could sail both “by” (into the wind) and “large” (with the wind). This term has come to mean “generally speaking” in modern parlance.
8. Groggy
Along with salted beef and water, the British Royal Navy issued sailors a daily ration of rum to keep them happy during long months at sea. And, not surprisingly, the men would often save up several days’ worth of their rations before consuming it in one long binge, which frequently resulted in insubordination. In 1740, hoping to reduce the number of alcohol-fueled discipline problems, British Admiral Edward Vernon ordered all vessels to dilute their daily rum ration with water. Vernon was known as “Old Grog” because he always wore a coat made out of grogram, a coarse material that was stiffened with gum. Consequently, the diluted rum drink that he created became known as grog, and sailors who drank too much of it were said to feel “groggy.” Today, people who are overly tired, lightheaded or generally inebriated are still referred to as groggy.
9. Under the Weather
Keeping watch onboard sailing ships was a boring and tedious job, but the worst watch station was on the “weather” (windward) side of the bow. The sailor who was assigned to this station was subject to the constant pitching and rolling of the ship. By the end of his watch, he would be soaked from the waves crashing over the bow. A sailor who was assigned to this unpleasant duty was said to be “under the weather.” Sometimes, these men fell ill and died as a result of the assignment, which is why today “under the weather” is used to refer to someone suffering from an illness. A related theory claims that ill sailors were sent below deck (or “under the weather”) if they were feeling sick.
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Comments (30)
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How sure are you of filibuster?
The Dutch wouldn’t have been pronounced anything like that, but more like its actual English counterpart freebooter.
posted by BassMan on 11-14-2009 at 9:18 pm
BassMan: Here’s a long-winded etymology I found:
Origin: 1852
It began with pirates. The Dutch had a descriptive term for them: vrijbuiter, which roughly translates into English as freebooter–that is, someone free of national allegiance who sought booty. Other languages borrowed vrijbuiter too. The French translated it as filibustier, the Spanish filibustero. And from the Spanish we derived the American English filibuster.
Why Spanish? Because a new kind of filibuster was taking place in the Spanish-speaking parts of North and South America in the nineteenth century, and citizens of the United States were among the most involved. This new piracy occurred on land rather than at sea, and it aimed at capturing whole countries rather than ships. After the revolutions of the 1820s had swept most of Latin America free of Spanish control, the weak new governments provided tempting opportunities for adventurers seeking to bring democracy, or do business, or both. One such adventurer was William Walker of Nashville, who tried unsuccessfully to capture Lower California in 1853-54 and successfully installed himself as president of Nicaragua in 1856. Our government was not amused; the U.S. Navy routed him out one year later. He died in 1860 while attempting to conquer all of Central America.
By 1852 this adventuring was much discussed in Washington, D.C. In January of 1853 one U.S. senator was recorded as accusing another of “filibustering” against the United States. The term then began to be applied to a particular tactic: taking advantage of the Senate’s privilege of unlimited speech to delay action on a bill. A senator can speak on any topic for as long as he or she wishes. This provided a way for the minority party, a small group, or even one determined individual to prevent the majority from having its way. In the mid-twentieth century southerners used this kind of filibuster to block civil rights laws that would end the legality of discrimination based on race. An overwhelming majority of the Senate (formerly two-thirds, now three-fifths) can vote to cut off debate, and that finally happened in 1957 to pass the first civil rights bill.
posted by Brett on 11-14-2009 at 9:32 pm
I was just about to mention the other use of the word “filibuster”, but I see you included it under “comments”.
posted by harold on 11-14-2009 at 9:51 pm
Re #7 (By and Large): these terms originate from the position of the mainsail relative to the boat.
When sailling into the wind, (tacking) the boom (the solid part running at right angles to the mast and used to control its foot and therefore, the overall aerodynamic shape of the sail) and sail are “sheeted in” [see #2] or “close-hauled”) to pull the free end of the boom– and perforce, the sail itselfl– close BY the boat.
Conversely, sailing with the wind, sheets are slacked to varying degrees, alowing the boom to swing as much as perpindicular to the line of travel, creating the LARGEst possible amount of surface area in contact with the wind, thereby maximizes the speed of the boat.
It drives landlubbers crazy but boats– like airplanes– have a huge number of specialized terms for all the various bits required to make it do what it needs to, and because each one has to be addressed specifically and clearly, often under harrowing conditions, where misunderstandings can mean death for everyone. Consider the effects on the boat if in high winds the captain commands “release that rope!” and instead of releasing the halyard (which will drop the sail), the sailor releases a sheet instead.
posted by Maxwell Radcliffe on 11-14-2009 at 9:56 pm
“On deck” and “In the hold” when used in baseball/softball, though the latter is often heard (on the softball diamond) as, “In the hole”
posted by Osk on 11-14-2009 at 11:07 pm
I’ve heard that “son of a gun” is literally in reference to a bastard child. It comes from the habit of sailors bringing their lover, or whatever other term you would like to use, back to the ship and taking their pleasure hidden by the gun turrets (because that area of the ship was the most unoccupied while in port?). If a child was conceived, they were called a “son of a gun” because of the place of their conception. Exactly how true this is, I have no idea, but it is at least amusing!
posted by Mary on 11-15-2009 at 1:20 am
Sweet post.
posted by Bryan on 11-15-2009 at 4:18 am
Thanks, Brett.
It may be long winded, but it is a lot clearer.
posted by BassMan on 11-15-2009 at 1:32 pm
I’ve also heard “the bitter end” as arising from the part of the rope or anchor cable that was tied to the cleats or “bits” onboard.
posted by Jack on 11-15-2009 at 3:29 pm
I have also heard that the S word originated from the term Ship High in Transit (used to keep goods dry in rough seas).
posted by Traecey on 11-15-2009 at 5:11 pm
“Three squares a day” and a “square meal” came from the square plates used aboard old English ships.
“POSH” came to be luxury from the “Port Out, Starboard Home” rule of getting a cabin on the shaded side when traveling to India.
“Between a rock and hard place” came to mean two difficult choices refers the difficult sailing through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.
BTW, “son of a gun” was a kid born between the guns on the gun deck, there were no turrets at the time. The crew, and who ever was with them, slept in hammocks strung from the overhead. There was no such thing as privacy in those ships.
posted by Dave on 11-15-2009 at 7:18 pm
The Patrick O’Brian books are full of references to phrases we might not have known came from nautical days. “Bitter end” is mentioned by another commenter. “The devil to pay” is another that leaps to mind. Plenty more.
posted by Nathan on 11-15-2009 at 9:21 pm
“Showing someone the ropes” is another one, referring to teaching someone new how to use the ropes that operate the sails
posted by CCRevival on 11-16-2009 at 1:36 am
Letting the “cat out the bag” was also from nautical roots. When the captain would feel the need to discipline either travelers or workers, a leather whip with tasseled ends would be used to flail the victim.
posted by Annette on 11-16-2009 at 3:02 am
The term “letting the cat out of the bag” has naval origins as well. A “discipline” tool on many naval ships was a cat of the nine tails (a nine-tailed whip). When not in use, this was kept in a bag. So when one let the cat out of the bag, things were about to get unpleasant.
The sandwich also has naval origins as they were first concocted by Capt Sandwich as a more efficient way to feed his men.
posted by Phil on 11-16-2009 at 11:05 am
“Under the weather” means hungover in Australia. Is anyone able to explain the nautical association if there is one?
posted by squirrelb8.com on 11-16-2009 at 12:00 pm
The Sandwich is named for John Montague the 4th Earl of Sandwich who was said to have liked to eat “sandwiches” so as to not keep him from other activities that might occupy his time. People would supposedly order a similar item by saying “give me the same as sanwich” thus the name stuck. Sandwich did have an involvment with the navy, though I’m not sure exactly what that is.
posted by Brit on 11-16-2009 at 12:08 pm
“Pipe down” Comes from when the bosun’s made the last call on his pipe. Sailors were to be quiet/lights out.
posted by Andy on 11-16-2009 at 12:22 pm
“Cat out of the bag” isn’t from nautical terms. It means revealing a deception and was paired with “buying a pig in a poke” meaning blind purchase.
A poke was a burlap bag that a farmer would put a live pig for market. Fraudsters would put stray cats instead into the bags a sell them as pigs in pokes and once opened one pissed off pussy would come flying out. That was “letting the cat out of the bag”.
posted by Dimwit on 11-16-2009 at 12:31 pm
Ships don’t have three sheets. Square riggers have foresheets. Only the foresails were set during storms to keep the ship moving before the wind. Some movement is needed for the rudder to steer. If you lose the sheets the sails just flap in the wind. With only the foresails set, loosing the sheets would leave the ship uncontrollable. If you’re drunk as a sailor then you’re foresheets to the wind.
Three sheets is a modern twist to say not quite out of control.
Someone should correct Wikipedia.
posted by SM in Katy on 11-16-2009 at 1:24 pm
Shake a leg is another of nautical origin. When coming below to wake their relief for watch at night, Sailors would shake the leg of each other to wake them without waking everyone by talking.
posted by Dave on 11-16-2009 at 1:58 pm
I’ve heard that using the word “BLUE” to describe someone who is sad originated from the practice of flying a blue flag when coming into port. A blue flag meant that a death had occurred at sea.
posted by Dwayne on 11-16-2009 at 2:07 pm
Balls to the wall refers to the throttle on early steam ships. The throttle was a long metal rod with two balls on the end. When the engine was full throttle the balls touched the wall.
posted by gus on 11-16-2009 at 2:44 pm
By and Large does not mean approximately. It means in the main, mainly, on the whole, or generally speaking. And then the origin makes sense too.
posted by Sally Reed on 11-16-2009 at 2:47 pm
Don’t forget, “I like the cut of his jib”.
posted by jeff wilson on 11-16-2009 at 4:30 pm
Three sheets to the wind actually came from windmills. The windmill operators would but linen sheets on the wooden slats that made the blades to make them turn in the wind. If the wind was high they would use two sheets, balancing the windmill by putting them on opposite sides. If the wind was low they would put on four sheets, one on every blade. If they ever put on three sheets then the windmill would be unbalanced and the blades would wobble like a drunk man.
posted by Len Ances on 11-16-2009 at 4:35 pm
“loose cannon” came from a cannon on a sailing ship that had broken free of its mooring lines and made a mess out of anything, or anyone, in its way.
posted by Len Ances on 11-16-2009 at 5:30 pm
Some comments and corrections:
1) “Shake a leg” doesn’t refer to shaking the legs of people to get them up for watch – in the days of sailing ships, everyone was in one of two watches (except for few with specific jobs (e.g., carpenter, cooper, boatswain, etc.)). When the watches changed, everyone except the idlers were mustered on deck, so there was no one to wake below.
Instead, it comes from when a ship was in port, and “wives” were allowed aboard. When the crew was piped to quarters in the morning, the boatswain’s mates would tell anyone still in a hammock to “shake a leg”, that is hang it outside the hammock to verify it was a woman and not someone trying to get out of work.
2) “Turn a blind eye” comes from the Battle of Copenhagen. The British weren’t sure if they were going to have to fight, so they sent a diplomatic admiral (Admiral Sir Hyde Parker) and a fighting admiral (Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, already the hero of the Nile and eventually the man who saved England from Napoleon at Trafalgar).
The Danes rejected the British ultimatum, so the British decided to attack. Admiral Hyde Parker stayed offshore, while Nelson led the majority of the fleet into the port to fight the anchored Danish fleet. In the midst of the incredibly fierce battle, Parker signaled Nelson to withdraw. Nelson, from his position in the midst of the battle, could see that the British were actually winning, but to withdraw would be disastrous. Nelson’s signal lieutenant directed Nelson’s attention to Parker’s signal, but Nelson held his telescope to the eye he had lost while fighting in Corsica and told the lieutenant, “I see no signal.”
Thus was born the phrase “to turn a blind eye.”
posted by Perry McDowell on 11-16-2009 at 9:40 pm
One expression I wish you had mentioned was “take a different tack”, meaning to try a different line of argument or reasoning.
It derives from the sailing term regarding the vessel’s direction relative to the wind; the windward tack and leeward tack.
So many people misstate this as, “take a different tact.”
posted by Joe Cascio on 11-17-2009 at 3:20 pm
Not a phrase, but the electronics retailer “RadioShack” also has nautical origins. The radio shack on a ship was the place where the electronics were located.
posted by Doc Moonlight on 1-25-2010 at 7:16 pm