Who be 'ur etymology expert?

[Zephyr]

"Beds have topsheets,not ships. All sails have sheets for trim. "

That always puzzled me...and worse, my dictionary does offer a "sheet".... 5.a sail, as on a ship or boat. Along with a sheet of almost everything else (fire, ice, water.....) and....."a rope or chain for extending the clews" (extending the clews?)

three sheets in/to the wind.......? aside from the generally understood meaning......???

sheet anchor? ......... (no sheet mate, we be in trouble deep?)

can one recommend a good book on this subject (etymology, not sheets)?

[BoneHunterLane]

...sheet anchor? ......... (no sheet mate, we be in trouble deep?)

can one recommend a good book on this subject (etymology, not sheets)?

I've been poking about, and found this book recently (it is a Dover reprint of an 1808 sailing manual...) called "The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor or a Key to the Leading of Rigging and to Practical Seamanship" by Darcy Lever - I now know how much I don't know about sailing/terminology... but it has lots of drawings and 'explanations' - which would probably mean more to me if I had a ship to explore and see the stuff for real... besides all the bits & bobs being drawn and explained, there is a dictionary of sea terms in the back.

As with most Dover books, it isn't all that expensive I b'lieve it were less than $12 at Amazon , the ISBN is 0-486-40220-7 - o' course, they also have (in their zshops) an actual 1808 version for a mere $1000.

Hope this be of assistance. :)

[Zephyr]

sounds good, I'll go look for it, many thanks!

[the Royaliste]

:) Those wot been in port a while knows that be me most recommended readin', but, its just readin'...a brief explain, as Aye don't wanna be a thread stealer, and I'll answer all Q's in 'Lets talk Wooden Ships' in this column, but...the definition of a rope or chain on the clew is accurate. The clew is the controlling corner of a sail. A sheet is the rope wot trims(adjusts) the sail to the pressure of the wind. Halyards hoist sails, sheets trim sails, sails are never 'sheets' as sails have two sheets, one port,one starboard, to trim to windard or leeward. Therefore a 'sheet anchor' would be a cleat or belaying pin. More of a metaphor in the title, like 'something for a newbie to hang on to'.....Savvy??.......

[Rosalinda]

AARRRRRRR !!!!!!

The Cap'n knows his stuff! Bloody brilliant explanation, Sir.

[Zephyr]

:) Those wot been in port a while knows that be me most recommended readin', but, its just readin'...a brief explain, as Aye don't wanna be a thread stealer, and I'll answer all Q's in 'Lets talk Wooden Ships' in this column, but...the definition of a rope or chain on the clew is accurate. The clew is the controlling corner of a sail. A sheet is the rope wot trims(adjusts) the sail to the pressure of the wind. Halyards hoist sails, sheets trim sails, sails are never 'sheets' as sails have two sheets, one port,one starboard, to trim to windard or leeward. Therefore a 'sheet anchor' would be a cleat or belaying pin. More of a metaphor in the title, like 'something for a newbie to hang on to'.....Savvy??.......

Savvy, that would be from the French?

I visited the local library yesterday, taken out a nice audio tape set ( a silly local requirement that be'n ye takes out a book and ye be required to return it. They also expects ye to be quiet. Be'n that I was alone and be'n slightly mild in me manner (generally), I acquiesced to their policies). Anyways, so while I'm there I thinks to look up sheet and shrouds in their largest etymology dictionary (an a few others, because scholars rarely agree on anything be'n early historical).....and the general idea is (if any be interested).....the word come from the Olde English (and similar in many other European languages) sceat, being the corner, region, lap or edge of cloth and that be'n from the OE sciete, cloth or covering or the corner region of a "blouse, skirt or covering". Properly "betwixt a pair of sheets" or "both sheets aft" (said of a ship (or boat I imagine) sailing right before the wind)

Shroud be'n from OE scrud, a grament and "a natural extension of the idea of clothe, "clothe the mast with shrouds" and a naked mast or spar without its rigging.

Seeming that unlike so many terms we use having evolved to land from the waters of the world, this one began with a corner, not the whole cloth.

[the Royaliste]

'Bloody 'eck, lass, the Cap'n's proud 'o ye! A right fine bit 'o research, indeed..*bowing*..........

[Zephyr]

'Bloody 'eck, lass, the Cap'n's proud 'o ye! A right fine bit 'o research, indeed..*bowing*..........

Thank ye Sir (curtsy), but all I did was turn the pages written by greater minds (therby assuming no responsibility for it be'n truth). I think I'm going to have to pool my Christmas gift certificates this year and look to buy'n one of those books.