“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
“Loose cannon” If a cannon on board a ship broke free from its securing ropes, it would pose a danger to both the ship and its crew. Nowadays we might describe someone as a ‘loose cannon’ if they are known to be dangerous and unpredictable. Written by Lindsey
“Cut and run” If a ship needs to make a quick getaway in the face of danger, there may not be enough time to raise the anchor. To prevent damage to the ship therefore, a crew might decide simply to cut the anchor free and ‘run’ for safety. ‘Cut and run’ today usually means to … Read more
”The bitter end” The bitter end is the final part of an anchor chain or rope that secures the anchor to the ship. To reach the bitter end was to have the chain or rope extended as far as it can go. Similarly, if you say you’ve reached the ‘bitter end’ today, it means you’ve … Read more
“Not enough room to swing a cat” The word ‘cat’ within this phrase doesn’t refer to a feline, but rather to a whip called the ‘cat-o’-nine-tails’. A flogging with a cat-o’-nine-tails was an infamous naval punishment. it was too cramped to swing the whip below deck – hence this phrase was born. Today you might … Read more
“Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea” Rumour has it that to caulk the devil seam of the ship, a sailor had to hang off the side of the boat. Hence, they would be “caught between the devil and the deep blue sea”. Written by Lindsey
The English language is peppered with phrases we don’t really think twice about, but which are slightly peculiar on reflection. Nautical terms in regular use. “At a loose end” When sailors would run out of tasks on board, in order to prevent them from becoming idle the captain might have asked them to check the … Read more
Our new club safety on the water document is available and updated. In particular please be reminded of our strict “gusting 22 knot” wind limit for racing and club boat usage. Please respect our RO’s decision to cease events if that wind limit is reached.
Vice Commodore Chris Frost recently visited Freemantle Sailing club in Western Australia and had a chance to sail with an FSC member across to the famous Rottnest Island. On returning to the club he was able to set up a burgee exchange with their current Commodore Kyle Timms. So if you are in Freemantle then … Read more
East Dorset Sailing Club
