Previously I have written about the hidden meanings and origins of a number of idioms in common usage in our daily language - with a focus on animalistic, musical and general themes, This one is for the sailor who dwells in the heart of many of us - with all the phrases actually having quite a deal more than nuances to their nautical nature.
So now we're ready to set sail and it's 'anchors away'...or is it? Well, actually...no. The spelling should be 'aweigh' - in the sense of weight...in this case, the anchor as its weight is first felt on the rope of chain hauling it up. And the 'a-' in front? Well, the sailors of years gone by were notorious for adding 'a-' to make new words, like...adrift, aground, afloat, ashore. I didn't know that.
Whatever the period in history, it has been of importance (and common sense) not to be unpredictable, or liable to cause harm if left unchecked. In other words - a 'loose cannon'. It's not hard to visualize this happening in stormy weather, but we may not be equally happy to share Victor Hugo's description of a 'carronade' (or cannon) that '...hurled forward...crushed four at the first blow, and cut in two a fifth poor fellow...'. This harrowing description is in his novel 'Ninety Three'.
"Well, 'shiver my timbers' if I'm not telling the truth!", is an example of an oft-used sailor's sacred oath. But what did it mean? It helps when you know that the word 'shiver' once meant 'to break into pieces' - and the timber of course, refers to the boat. And so, a translation would be - "Well, let my boat break into pieces if I'm not telling the truth!" Quite an oath for a sailor.
Yet another kind of shivering would surely happen when it's 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. Once again, nothing is what is seems. The story goes that on the old sailing ships, stacks of iron cannon balls would be supported by triangular frames, called 'monkeys'. In the coldest weather, the iron would contract and rough weather could cause the cannon balls to fall away. Whatever the truth of this particular idiom, few would argue that it certainly is an apt description for the bleakest weather way out in the 'Cruel Sea'.
After the storm comes the calm - time for the crew to enjoy a 'square meal' - or a warm meal at last, served on square wooden platters that wouldn't slide like regular crockery - and all this still only possible in good weather and calm seas.
Another dilemma after a storm, when a ship could easily have been blown off its course, was to find the nearest shore - 'as the crow flies'. A caged crow, brought along for this exact purpose, would be released and the directness of its flight would be charted for a navigational focus point. And guess what the best vantage point for all of this was? Where else, but the 'crow's nest' atop the tallest mast.
When we hear the phrase 'three sheets to the wind' and find it has a nautical origin, the first thought is of those great billowing sails of old-time ships, filled with wind powerful enough to propel the largest sailing ship forward, almost in leaps and bounds. Romantic? Beautiful? Most certainly...but true? Unfortunately, no. Sheets aren't sails in Sailor-talk - they are ropes, or chains, actually attached to the lower corners of sails to hold them firm.
Three sheets (or ropes) loose, and a ship would roll and pitch and lurch around like a drunken sailor. And so a scale of inebriation was created with tipsy coming in as 'one sheet in the wind', up to the well-known 'three sheets' level of total drunkenness.
Many references are made to 'slush funds' these days, often in political circles and it's strange to think of a nautical origin to this one. The unwanted fat or grease (often rancid) from boiling untold amounts of salt pork and beef would be stored in empty barrels, to be sold at the next port of call. It was known as 'slush' or 'slosh' - and it doesn't take too great a stretch of the imagination to work out why.
Consequently, the money earned this way became known as the 'slush fund' - and could, in turn, be used to better the life of the unfortunate cook with bribes and the like. The name remains a derogatory term for money put aside for less than honourable pursuits - so completely opposite to the admirable 'saving for a rainy day' concept.
It seems fitting to end with being 'between the Devil and the deep blue sea'. Yet another quite surprising explanation. It's not the Devil you're thinking of - actually, on a ship's hull there is a seam that runs between the deck's planking - and the topmost plank of the ship's side. It is called the 'Devil' or the 'devil seam' - and as it would need to be watertight, it would require caulking (r sealing) on a regular basis. A sailor charged with this duty would either need to stand at the edge of the deck and lean out most precariously, or more likely, actually be suspended over the side. 'Between the Devil and the deep blue sea'? I would most certainly say so.
I hope I've whetted your appetite to learn more about these and so many other expressions, so that you're not 'all at sea' with a sudden need to 'cut and run' when asked, "...but what does it all mean?"
© 2012 Christine Larsen All Rights Reserved Worldwide
If you enjoyed this article, maybe you would like to read about the origins of some idioms of other kinds? Just look for my ezine articles with the prefix 'Wacky Words of Wisdom....' These include a general theme, as well as commonly used animal and musical phrases.
And look for Prefer Wacky Words? or Wise? at my website - ceedee moodling
Oh yes, and while you're there, feel free to wander around that particular corner of my world - all brand new and developing, day by day.
0 comments:
Post a Comment