Having indulged myself on Twitter to a constant barrage of Ukraine information, much correct and informative, much false and deceiving, I was beginning to suffer war weariness. I am not sure what this would be like for those in Ukraine itself. For those of us interested in the Great War we can easily appreciate the responses of the citizens of Kyiv to this cause. What would you and I do in this situation? Especially as with Putin being isolated and heading for instability this means he could become reckless and offer nukes!
To get away from it all I looked into naval terms that are in use today. Some relvant, others not so much. It is amazing how many daily phrase we use go back many years and have long since lost their original meaning.
The most common Naval terms in everyday use are of course far too rude for this delicate page. If you wish to enquire further into such phraseology feel free to stand alongside Chelsea fans when their team plays Liverpool next time.
We will consider more regular phrases.
'Splice the Mainbrace' : On square rigged sailing ships the 'mainbrace' was the longest line amongst the rigging and during battle this was a target for enemy vessels. If damaged the ship could not continue unless this was repaired, as this was extremely difficult it took the best men to fix the damage. This was not always successful. However, when 'spliced,' the men involved were rewarded with an extra tot of rum! Eventually, the call to 'Splice the mainbrace' came to refer to the extra tot of rum given to the crew on special occasions such as a new monarch, royal event or visit of a royal to the fleet.
'Grog' : Rum, was also referred to as 'Grog.' This goes back to one Admiral Edward Vernon, who In 1740, as you will remember, he first diluted rum via a half pint of rum to a quart of water. Now he was famous, not just for his sailing abilities but for the coat he wore. This was a type of heavy cloth called a 'Grogram' coat. Thus his nickname, though whether used to his face is not known, was 'Old Grog,' and the name stuck with the rum itself. Sadly the tot of rum is no longer mixed in a 'scuttled butt' as it was withdrawn from the service in 1970.
'Taken Aback' : A 'spliced mainbrace' was a problem often occurring during battle however, sailing a ship even today has its problems at sea in spite of GPS, radar and tech marvels. In sailing ships waiting for a favourable wind was common, also common was an unfavourable one, a sudden change of wind direction could lead to the sails pressed back against the spars or masts, thus the ship was said to be 'Taken aback.' We also are often found pressed against masts and the like during our day.
'Three
sheets to the wind.' : This phrase can refer to those who indulge in too much alcohol, surely not my readers. On sailing ships loose sails, lines, could cause all sorts of problems and must be dealt with or the ship could be in serious trouble. Not dealing with this correctly could result in sailing ‘Too close to the wind’
‘To the Bitter End’ : A suitable phrase for the people of Ukraine today I think. They will be continuing 'to the bitter end.' However, this term goes back to the ships of the 1600's sailing the seven seas. Each anchor thereon was attached to cleats, or bollards, on board, thus ensuring the anchor did not fall off. These cleats were referred to as 'Bitts,' and therefore the anchor cable which attached there reached to 'the bitter end.'
'Port & Starboard.' : During the year of our Lord 1844 the Royal Navy directed that the term 'Lardboard, which means 'loading side,' usually the left side of a ship, as the 'Steerboard' was always on the right side of the vessel, ought to be replaced with the word 'Port.' This remains the case today, and the word 'Starboard,' also in use still, came into general use not much later. These words may go back a long way further into the past.
'Plimsoll Line' : The 'Plimsoll line' was a line drawn along the base of a ship to indicate the safe level of cargo aboard. If this line is underwater then the ship is overloaded! During Victoria's reign one Mr Samuel Plimsoll campaigned for this and other safety regulations on ships and introduced the 'Unseaworthy Ships Bill,' including the Plimsoll Line. Some shipping lines were somewhat careless in the care of ships and their crews, happy however, to take the insurance when it paid out.
'Aloof.' : My preferred position. Aloof from the rough and unsophisticated that pass by daily. Some would say this is just because I have been banned from all their meeting places, but this is not true, well, not quite yet. It is likely that the Dutch word 'Loef,' some say 'luff,' means 'windward' to keep well away from the dangerous lee shore. Hence 'aloof.' I am quite willing to remain 'aloof' from danger be it on shore or otherwise.
‘Letting the cat out of the bag,' : Refers to the whip used to punish Royal Naval sailors who decided to cause trouble. This was a 'Cat O' nine tails,' whip. Short, with nine 'tails' and not very nice on the skin of the back. This was kept in a canvas bag and therefore they 'let the cat out of the bag' on such occasions. With many sailors enrolled unwillingly by 'Press Gangs' such violent control may have been used often.
‘Enough room to swing a cat’ : The use of this 'cat,'required a clear space, enough space to 'swing a cat.'
'The Devil to Pay,' : This does not refer to activities involving the 'cat.' Wooden ships required the inside of the hull to be caulked with tar and rope. The 'devil' was said to be the longest seam of such ships. However, it is more likely this originated in the Faustian pact in which Faust sells his soul to the devil, and somehow this became connected to sailors and their ships. Hard work, long hours, and the 'cat' can bring many thoughts to a man's mind.
'Scran,' : A slang term for food long used by the Royal Navy. The suggestion is that in the navy bags of Sultanas, Currants, Raisins and Nuts, were to be found in bags marked 'SCRAN.' Some question whether Royal Navy sailors were fed such luxuries, and would they be in one bag? Scran is used often in Scotland but hardly ever in my day. Interestingly one point mentioned by Henry Mayhew in 'The Morning Chronicle' of 1849, mentions people, possibly Irish, begging 'Scran,' left over food, from servants of wealthy houses. Mayhew was the first investigative journalist who researched the London poor in 'London Labour and the London Poor.'
‘Freeze the balls from a brass monkey’ : This is assumed to refer to the brass squares on warships in which cannonballs were stored called 'Monkeys.' The story goes that when these froze they then contracted and the cannonballs would roll off. Sadly the cannonballs were not kept in 'monkeys' they were kept in wooden storage and tended not to roll off when frozen. The term is understandable as any man will concur.
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