Maritime Slang

Maritime slang, a rich tapestry of unique terms and phrases, has been developed over centuries by seafarers navigating the complexities of life at sea. Beyond their traditional use, these terms can serve as valuable cognitive tools. Incorporating maritime slang into daily language can enhance brain functioning by promoting mental agility, improving memory retention, and fostering creativity. This list of maritime slang words not only underscores their nautical origins but also highlights how engaging with them can stimulate cognitive processes and enrich communication.

Above Board

In this case, the ‘board’ is ships’ decks.  Above board refers to that which can be seen on deck – and thus, not hidden.  Conversely, Below Decks are secrets and hidden things – nefarious, for sure.

All Hands on Deck

During a storm or other crises, the boatswain’s cry of “all hands on deck” signaled the entire crew to handle the sail. These days it is an entreaty or order for everyone to pitch in and help with a problem or reach a goal.

Aloof

From the Old Dutch word ‘loef,’ windward.  A ship windward of the others has to keep further away to allow the wind to reach the other vessels; the vessel is stand-off and distant.

As the crow flies

Prior to modern navigational techniques, British ships carried a cage of crows, which would be released to show which direction the closest land was.

Batten down the hatches

To "batten down the hatches" is to prepare for a storm or other difficult situation. This phrase originated from the practice of securing a ship’s hatches with a cover edged with wooden strips, known as battens to keep water from entering the ship during rough seas.

Bitter End

In sailing ships, the anchor line was attached at one end to the anchor (of course) and at the other to a bitt, a stout timber or beam.  The end of the anchor line at the bitt was the bitter end.  If the bitter end comes loose, the anchor is lost and the vessel adrift.

Bombed

Oddly enough, this has nothing to do with explosives.  A Bombard is a pitcher containing 8 pints of liquid; to fully drink a bombard of ale, port, or Madera in one sitting would get a sailor bombarded or, simply, bombed.

By and Large

"By and large" is used to mean "in general" or "on the whole." This phrase comes from nautical terminology where it is used to describe the two points of sailing; "by the wind" and "large." To sail "by the wind" is to sail as close to the wind as possible, while to sail "large" is to sail as far from the wind as possible.

Cast Off

a term used to describe releasing a mooring line or anchor so a vessel can set sail; in everyday language means to “set free”, for obvious reasons!

Clean Slate

Each watch onboard a sailing vessel would write down the observations on a slate board.  At the beginning of the next watch, if there was nothing on the slate to do, the slate was wiped clean for that watch – a clean slate.

Cup of Joe

The days of rum, beer, and officers’ personal wine supply dried up with the appointment of Josephus Daniels as Secretary of the Navy. In 1914 this stern Methodist and prohibitionist banned “…the use or introduction for drinking purposes of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station.” As a substitute, stewards increased orders for coffee. Naval lore has it that the disgruntled sailors tagged the poor substitute “cup of Josephus Daniels,” and later the shorter “cup of Joe.”

Cut and Run

To "cut and run" means to make a hasty retreat or to abandon something quickly. In nautical terms, "cutting and running" referred to the practice of cutting the anchor chain / rope and setting sail in a hurry, usually to escape a dangerous situation.

Cut to the Chase

During the tea trade, the vessel arriving earliest could command the best prices.  Merchant vessels would give chase to leave port early and arrive first.  Setting up the anchor line and rigging so that by cutting those, the vessel could depart quickly – cut to the chase.

Dead in the Water

when there is no wind and the water is completely still, giving no chance of any sailing. The phrase also means a proposal or plan with zero chance of success.

Deep Six

Attested since the 1920s as a noun, most likely from the nautical cry “by the deep six” indicating a depth of 6 fathoms (36 feet, 11 metres) as measured by a sounding line, a depth at which something thrown overboard would be difficult to recover.

Duffle bag

Originally a rough woven cloth bag used by sailors to carry their belongings, the name "duffle" comes from the Belgian town of Duffel near Antwerp, where the cloth was originally made.

Fairway

The fairway is a narrow channel leading into bay, river, or haven – just like the narrow green for golf leading to the hole.

Fathom

a unit of measurement for depth, equal to six feet. This nautical unit of measurement is based on the span of a man’s outstretched arms. The word comes from the Old English “faedem,” to embrace. Sailors measured ocean depths, anchor chains, ropes, and cables in fathoms. Although marines eventually abandoned fathoms for meters, we onshore still reach for the word fathom to express our ability to comprehend, grasp, or get to the bottom of things.

Feeling blue

Comes from the tradition of arriving in port with blue flags up and a blue line painted on the hull when the boat has lost a captain or senior office on a voyage. 

In the Doldrums

Depressed or listless. The "doldrums" refers to the belt around the Earth near the equator. Because there is often little surface wind for ships' sails to use in this geographic location, sailing ships got stuck on its windless waters. Over time, people equated the calmness of the doldrums with being listless or depressed.

Even Keel

The phrase even keel describes a ship that is level and balanced with its keel perpendicular to the surface of the water. Figuratively it has come to mean a calm, stable state of mind. The opposite is to keel over meaning to capsize.

High and Dry

to be run aground is when the bottom of the boat hits the sea floor and stops the boat. For a ship to run aground in a receding tide is to be left high and dry. Getting stuck with the check when everyone else has taken off is also to be left high and dry.

Keel Over

To "keel over" means to collapse or tip over. The keel of a ship is a long beam running along the bottom of the ship that provides stability. If a ship were to "keel over," it would tip over on its side, often as a result of running aground.

Knock Off

In the days of galleys, the cadence was set by knocking on a wooden drum.  When the knocking stopped, rest could be taken.

Know the ropes

To "know the ropes'' means to be familiar with and understand the details of a particular subject or task. Of course, ropes were used for various purposes such as hoisting and controlling sails, steering the ship, and anchoring. Knowing how to handle these ropes effectively was crucial for sailors, hence the phrase "knowing the ropes" came to mean being well-versed in a particular subject or task.

Letting the cat out of the bag

Reminding us again how lucky we have it, this expression comes from the 9- tailed whip used to discipline sailors, which was apparently stored in a bag made of red material so as to hide the bloodstains.  When the cat was let out of the bag, trouble was coming.

Long Shot

An occurrence that would take a great deal of luck. Early ships’ guns tended to be inaccurate. If a shot made impact from a great distance, or a “long shot,” it was considered out of the ordinary.

Loophole

The loophole on a merchant sailing ship is a small hole in bulwarks to allow a rifle or pistol to be shot through to repel boarders.  Not easily seen, and it protects the shooter from direct exposure – as a loophole in the law protects the sly.

Loose Cannon

A "loose cannon" refers to a dangerous or unpredictable person or thing that is out of control. In nautical terms; a loose cannon would be a large gun (cannon) mounted on a ship's deck that has come loose from its moorings, rolling around the deck, and posing a danger to the crew and the ship itself.

Nausea

From ancient Greek – ‘Naus’ is a ship, which in a storm produces those ill effects we associate with nausea.  Thank you, Physician, for your tireless use of Greek to describe illness.

Overwhelm

From Middle English ‘whelven,’ to turn upside down.  A ship which is overwhelmed has completely capsized and is upside down.

Pipe Down

A request or command to be quiet.

Ship crews received a variety of signals from the boatswain’s pipe. One signal was “piping down the hammocks,” which instructed the crew to go below decks and prepare for sleep.

Posh

In case you aren’t familiar with it, the most common explanation for the word ‘posh’ is that on the ships that passed between England and India in colonial days, the wealthier passengers would be allocated the cabins that received the least sunlight, in order to make their long journey more comfortable.    Therefore, port out, starboard home. POSH.

Rub Salt in the Wound

Salt is plentiful onboard a ship, especially in the days of sail, when it was used as a preservative.  It also can be a quick antiseptic, and after a flogging, the sailors would rub salt in the wound of the punished to prevent festering sores.  Feels like more punishment, though.

Scuttlebutt

Small wooden casks called butts were used to store water and other liquids.  For the cask used for daily drinking water, a scuttle, or opening, was drilled about ½ the way up to prevent the water from standing too long.  That cask was the scuttlebutt, where the crew would congregate to drink and share stories.  The term washed ashore in the 1930’s from the Navy.

Sea Legs

The ability to adjust to the motion of a ship and maintain balance; To “have one’s sea legs” is to be able to walk calmly and steadily on a tossing ship, or to become accustomed to a new or strange situation

Ship-shape / Bristol Fashion

Being in "ship-shape" or "Bristol fashion" means being in good order or neat and tidy. This phrase comes from Bristol, a port city in south west England with the second largest tidal range in the world. As the tide dropped ships would often run aground, “keel over”, and if not properly stowed, their cargo would be ruined. As a result, well-maintained ships with properly stored goods were known to be in ship shape and Bristol fashion.

Slush Fund

The slush is leftover fat from rending salt pork.  Cooks would save this fat and sell it to candlemakers and tanneries once the ship got to port.  The monies generated by this were the vessel’s slush fund which the crew could use to buy goods not otherwise on the provisions list.

Squared Away

a term used to describe a ship with square sails. To be squared away, a square-rigged ship had its yards (horizontal bars that held up the sail) positioned at right angles to the deck to best catch the wind. Squared away now means to put things in order or a state of readiness.

Taken Aback

When the wind shifts suddenly due to unsettled weather (or inattention by the helmsman), the ship is taken aback and slows or stops without warning.

(There are Many Ways) to Skin a Cat

The full phrase is ‘…to skin a catfish’ which has a particularly tough skin for its delicate flesh.  Catfish were a common food for pirates and sailors in the Caribbean, as they are plentiful in the local streams and rivers.  Everyone developed a different way to skin a catfish to keep the meat relatively whole.

Three sheets to the wind

This phrase comes from the sailing terminology that if three sheets were loose, the sail would flap about wildly and the boat would’ lurch about like a drunken sailor’.  It used to be three sheets in the wind, for the sailing pedants out there.  Tipsy was one sheet, and ‘well on the way’ was two sheets to the wind.

Tide Over

Make a small amount last until a larger amount is available.

 Toe the Line

To conform to the policies of a group. Members of the British Royal Navy were required to stand barefoot and at attention for inspection. While at attention they lined up along the seams of the planks of the deck with their toes touching the line. This became known as "toeing" the line.

Touch it with a 10 Foot Pole

The typical pole used on inland barges for propulsion is 10 feet long.  The conjecture is that bargemen could use this to keep each other (or pirates) at a distance, allowing for safe passage.

Turn a blind eye

To "turn a blind eye" means to ignore or pretend not to see something. This phrase comes from the story of British Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, where he reportedly pretended not to see a flagship's signal to retreat by putting his glass eye to his telescope.