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From the Days of Fighting Sail

Naval Slang

Anchor or to get one’s ass to an– to sit down.

Ant’ bollock on the beach – something is extremely hard to locate.

At loose ends – there is little to do. The ends of ropes at sea were easily untangled and formed loose ends. So if there was little to do, the captain could instruct the crew to check the ropes for loose ends and repair them.

Beam ends – When the ship is almost at the beam ends, it means that it is capsizing and in danger of sinking, with the deck beams almost perpendicular to the sea surface. Today it means – to be in a hopeless situation.

Bite the bullet – Men who were flogged with the lovely cat were often given a piece of leather and later a bullet to bite on so they would stop screaming in pain. If he did, he was scornfully called a nightingale.

Boom and Mizzen– Cockney rhyming slang for prison.

Brace of Shakes – I’ll be with you in a brace of shakes, which literally means I’ll be with you before the sail has time to shake twice, in other words, I’ll be with you almost immediately.

Bread hook – finger

Colors tied to the mast – Give up? Forget it! This one will be fought to the bitter end.

Cranky – She’s hard to sail and unstable. The modern version means awkward, eccentric or hard to understand – often used in connection with women.

Deck Cargo – Breasts

(I’m going to) deck (you) – I’ll punch you so hard in the face that you’ll see the deck up close. But since such acts were forbidden at sea, they waited until the opponents were in port and could settle it there.

Donkey Wallopers – Royal Navy slang for members of mounted cavalry regiments.

Don’t spoil the Ship for a ha’porth of tar – To half-finish a job by not filling the planks properly with hot tar when lapping. Ships will leak if too little tar is applied, so a little extra effort is well worth it.

Goose without gravy – a flogging without blood.

Grass combers – seamen with an agricultural background.

Hit the deck – When a swivel gun or cannon was to be fired at close range, sailors would dive onto the deck to avoid being hit.

Zizz – sleep

Steaming covers – Long johns or long underwear. Originated in the early days of steam in the Royal Navy, when spit and polish captains protected the painted lower masts of their ships with canvas covers against blackening from the funnel.

Taut Hand– a good all-round sailor whom everyone respects.

Sprog  – a new entry

Scran – Food

Smigget – good looking

Poodle-Faker – A wardroom socialite.

Oggin – the Sea

Muckstick – Musket

Oppo – a Friend

Make one’s number – Report to duty or introduce oneself in a new mess.

Guff – nonsense

Dished up – punished

Mudhook – anchor

Lunchhook – a second anchor

Jack Strop – a trouble maker

Flog the Cat – to complain

Queen Bee– Senior Officer