Estelle

“Nippers” A short length of rope was used to bind an anchor cable to a messenger line for hauling the main anchor cable which was too thick for the capstan, so the messenger line was used to drag the cable along. The process was called “nipping,” and required small agile boys to hang over the … Read more

“Dead Reckoning” Still a vital navigation method for sailors today, dead reckoning relies on estimating a ship’s position based on previous positions, speed, and direction. Before modern technology, sailors used this technique to chart their course, adjusting for wind and current. Though less common now, the phrase remains tied to calculated risk and estimation. Written … Read more

“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. … Read more

“Total Balls up” A vessel at anchor less than 50mts in length would display one black ball from a prominent position by day or a white all round white at night. This shows other vessels that they should keep clear. Now I come to the ‘Balls Up’. A vessel not under command, that’s to say, … Read more

“Bottoms Up” A cheerful toast today, this phrase has darker origins. During an era when unsuspecting men were tricked into naval service, recruiters would slip a coin into the bottom of a beer glass. If the drinker accepted the beer-and the coin-they were deemed to have “accepted payment” and were forcibly pressed into the Royal … Read more

“At Loggerheads” A loggerhead was a long-handled iron tool, heated to seal deck seams with pitch. However, it occasionally found another use during onboard disputes, serving as a makeshift weapon among quarrelling sailors. “At loggerheads” now describes intense arguments or standoffs, echoing the heated confrontations of the past. Written by Lindsey

“A clean slate” Deck slates, would be used as deck logs to keep note of important navigational information like knots, fathoms (depth of the water) and wind speed. At the end of the night shift when the calculations were no longer useful, the slate would be wiped clean by the new officer on watch. Today, … Read more

“In the dog house” On the upper deck was a small cabinlike structure which supported the ships large steering wheel(helm). That cabin was just large enough for one sailor to fit into as a cramped quarter. Frequently, used for unruly sailors would be sentenced to spend time in the cramped quarters, referred to as the … Read more

“To have things all sewn up” When a sailor died on board, they would be sewn into their hammock or a canvas sailcloth. They would then be weighted down before being buried at sea. Now the phrase has a slightly less morbid meaning: if you have things ‘all sewn up’, it means you’ve completely finished … Read more

“Turn a blind eye” To “turn a blind eye” means to ignore or pretend not to see something. This phrase comes from the story of British Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, where he reportedly pretended not to see a flagship’s signal to retreat by putting his glass eye to his … Read more