Safe at Sea: Smattering of nautical phrases
A surprising number of everyday words and phrases we use have their origins “on the water.” While you will recognize these phrases, you most likely have no idea how they “came ashore” and are now a part of conversations. For example:
• “A cup of Joe”
This phrase is, perhaps, one of the newer ones as most go back centuries. Here’s the story: The nickname for coffee came about due to the reforms initiated in 1913 by Josephus Daniels, then Secretary of the United States Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. One such reform was the elimination of the officers’ wine mess, a policy received less than enthusiastically by many. Since that time a cup of the strongest drink allowed on board U.S. naval ships has been referred to as “a cup of Joe.”
• Bigwigs
(Having just watched — for the umpteenth time — “Pirates of the Caribbean” with the grandsons, this one resonates.) This is one bit of seafaring lingo that pretty much means what it says. Senior officers of Britain’s Royal Navy at one time actually did wear bodaciously large white wigs after the style of the day.
• Bootleg
This term for the smuggling of illegal liquor was derived from the sailors’ ruse of bringing in contraband (of all kinds) by hiding it in the tops of the sea boots.
• Duffel
A sailor’s personal belongings (primarily, his clothing) was kept in sea bag of coarse woolen fabric. This fabric was durable and heavy, taking considerable wear and tear. The name probably originated from the Flemish town of Duffel (near Antwerp), where the cloth was made.
• Crow’s Nest
The crow’s nest is the name for the highest lookout station aloft, a term most likely derived from the old Norse practice of bringing cages of ravens aboard to assist in navigation. If the navigator was in doubt as to the direction of the nearest landfall, the cage was hoisted aloft, and a raven released. The bird invariably headed for land, the navigator noted the direction of flight, and plotted accordingly. Best guess is the lookout stationed aloft likely shared his perch with the feathered members of the crew from time to time, thus the name!
• Footloose
Definition (as we use it today): uninhibited or spontaneous. The bottom of a triangular sail is called the foot, and a “loose-footed sail” is one attached fore and aft, but unsecured along the boom itself and able to waffle freely in the wind if the clew (aft end) is freed.
Stay tuned for a future Safe at Sea for more nautical vocabulary trivia.
Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and its courses, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact education@sanibelcaptivasps.org or 612-987-2125.