Phrases You Didn't Know Were Sailing Terms!
Feeling blue – This phrase, often associated with sadness, has nautical roots. Sailors would hoist blue flags and paint a blue band along the hull to express their grief for a captain lost at sea.
Flotsam and Jetsam – "Flotsam" refers to debris unintentionally left behind, often due to a shipwreck, while "jetsam" describes items purposely thrown overboard to lighten the ship’s load.
Flying colours – This term originates from victorious ships that would fly their flags, or "colours," to announce their triumph.
Give a wide berth – Sailors needed space to anchor their boats, known as a berth. To avoid accidents and collisions, they would give each other a wide berth, unsure of the exact sea room required.
Like ships that pass in the night – Sailors traveling at night to avoid suspicion would pass each other without acknowledgment.
Long shot – Hitting a distant target was both rare and fortunate for sailors, hence the term "long shot."
Learn the ropes – New recruits had to learn how to tie knots and maneuver sails effectively to sail the boat, giving rise to this phrase.
Scraping the barrel – This literal act involved scraping the bottom of a barrel to get every last bit, signifying not wasting anything and having nothing left.
Three sheets to the wind – If a sailor didn’t keep the sheets (ropes) tight, the sails would wobble and the ship would veer off course, appearing "drunk." Until the bitter end – This phrase refers to reaching the very end of the anchor rope.
Which of these sailing terms did you already know?
#AsmiraYachtCharter #Sailing #SailingTerms
Professor of Maritime History bei Old Dominion University
5mojust adding to the complexion, this article is focused on terminology as it's used in today's pleasure boat industry. Same terminology in different area or period sometimes had a different meaning. finally, you can also throw in the terms of the (full)ship, the barque, the barkentine,... if you want to add to the list and to the complexity 😎