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East Dorset Sailing Club
Celebrating 150 years - 1875 - 2025

Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 14

Chock-a-Block

Used to describe something crammed to capacity, this term comes from the rigging of sailing ships. When two blocks of tackle were pulled so tightly together that they could not be tightened further, they were said to be “chock-a-block.” The phrase is still used to describe anything that’s filled to the brim or overloaded.

Written by Lindsey