Sailing saying

[JohnnyTarr]

I saw a reference to this on another thread and I would like to hear more. Sayings that come from the sailing world that might be forgoten.

1. Freeze the balls of a Brass Monkey. Comes from the craddle of brass that held to cannon balls on the ready cannon. When the ship would go around the horn in cold weather the cannon balls would contract quicker than the brass and become loose. Of course loose cannon balls on a pitching deck would fall out.

2. Kiss the captains daughter. Getting punished with the cat o' nine tails

3. Sing a song of six pence. I have heard that this is a song that was sung by recruiters on shore for Blackbeard.

It is things like this I would like to collect.

[MorganTyre]

I can somewhat address two of those:

http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm - Addresses the brass monkey myth.

http://snopes.com/lost/false.htm - the disclaimer to this page - http://www.snopes.com/lost/sixpence.htm - which is the actual origin of that particular myth.

Both of those are nice stories but I'm afraid neither is true.

[Coastie04]

'Skyscraper' orignially referred to a sail above the royals on clipper ships before it was applied to tall buildings.

'Figurehead' was a decoration, often a figure of a person, at the bow of the ship. A figurehead in say a corporation, has a nice important looking position, but doesn't serve any practical purpose.

'Headstrong' originated from the bow of the boat being called the head. Generally speaking, the bow of the boat is (or at least should be) the strongest part of the boat because it gets the most beating from waves. Thus, having a strong head allows you to battle through any sea condition.

'Ringleader' refers to pyracy as well. Often ship's articles were signed in a circle so that officially, there is nobody on top and if caught, the authorities could not identify who the leader is, and also possibly to show the crew that they were all equal. However, like many criminal acts, there usually is at least one instigator with natural leadership, or a ringleader.

Those are just a few off the top of my head. Enjoy.

Coastie

[The Doctor]

I've lost the link to the list I originally posted on this topic, but I'm glad to see it's brought up again for discussion. Sailors have always used their own specific vocabulary, and many of the phrases live on in modern vernacular.

[Captain Midnight]

I don't know the origins of this old saying, but my wife taught it to me, and her mother used to tell it to her when she was a little girl; "Pink sky at night is a sailor's delight; Pink sky in the morning is a sailor's warning."

[JohnnyTarr]

Ok so all of these might prove out to not be fact. But isn't the public fiction part of our history in a way? The myths and legends are just as important to me as the fact. I mean if enough people believe somthing to be true, even if it isn't, in a strange way it does become true. So give me them all I won't judge you.

[Duchess]

I don't know the origins of this old saying, but my wife taught it to me, and her mother used to tell it to her when she was a little girl; "Pink sky at night is a sailor's delight; Pink sky in the morning is a sailor's warning."

I believe this one came from areas of the world where weather patterns typically move east to west. There fore pink (or red) sky at night is the result of the sun passing through water droplets and it indicates the weather is to the west of you, unlikely to be coming your way. The inverse is true at dawn, when the sun is rising and passing through the clouds, so the weather is to the east and probably heading toward you.

[jessie k.]

There's also a reference to it in the New Testament, tho not in the same words, of course.

[Fox]

'Ringleader' refers to pyracy as well. Often ship's articles were signed in a circle so that officially, there is nobody on top and if caught, the authorities could not identify who the leader is, and also possibly to show the crew that they were all equal. However, like many criminal acts, there usually is at least one instigator with natural leadership, or a ringleader.

As a lifelong fan of Occam's Razor I can't help but wonder if the term "ringleader" might not have come from the old use of the word "ring" to mean a gang. A "ringleader" simply being the "gang leader".

Down 'ere in Deb'n we always says as "Red sky at night...", an' by golly 'tis true. Either that or 'tis thy zoidre barn on fire agin'. (<== Devon accent, NOT pirate speak)

[kass]

Funny. In Pennsylvania, we say "Red skies..." too.

Of course, we have our own Devon. And people who still say "thy". Perhaps that has something to do with it!

[Cheeky Actress]

Funny. In Pennsylvania, we say "Red skies..." too.

Of course, we have our own Devon. And people who still say "thy". Perhaps that has something to do with it!

I hail from the North (Northern New York), and we say Red, too.

[Captain Midnight]

My wife and her family hail from New York, near West Point Military Academy...Pink sky is what she learned from her mother and taught me, but I had never heard either version before we married. Doesn't really matter, it means the same thing...

[Wednesday]

I don't know the origins of this old saying, but my wife taught it to me, and her mother used to tell it to her when she was a little girl; "Pink sky at night is a sailor's delight; Pink sky in the morning is a sailor's warning."

I always heard it "Red" too, from Long Island.....

Live in So. Cal now and wonder about that, we have red (well bright pink really) skies in the morning and nothing happens.....we have purple skies too and nothing happens with them either.

Really, weather-wise southern CA is a very boring place.

When the skies ae full of helicopters things will get interesting....You can drop to the ground when you hear gunfire...but you'll wait a long time for interesting weather. .

[Coastie04]

As a lifelong fan of Occam's Razor I can't help but wonder if the term "ringleader" might not have come from the old use of the word "ring" to mean a gang. A "ringleader" simply being the "gang leader".

I've read a number of accounts (primarily post-GAOP) of pirates that were pretty much land-based gangs that occasionally stole from anchored ships. I know that type of piracy still happens today, so it seems very likely throughout history. So, there might be a connection between signing ship's articles, or any sort of pact for a land-based gang. I don't doubt that many pirates became highwaymen when they didn't have a ship and vice versa. Essentially, the act of stealing remains the same. At least that's my take on it.

Coastie

[Fox]

Yar, my main point though was that it seems more likely to me that the term "ringleader" has more to do with ring meaning a gang, than the round robin. :)