Are we all secret sailors at heart..?
Have you ever wondered where certain sayings or phrases come from? I was surprised just how many sayings in the English language come from seafaring.
Here are some of my favourites…
All hands on deck..A term used to tell all seamen to get to their stations or positions and prepare for action. Today its meaning is to get everyone to work together to get the job in hand finished.
Give someone a wide berth…today this means to keeping yourself away from someone you don’t wish to see, the nautical origination was to avoid a collision by giving a large distance between manoeuvering vessels.
Plain sailing…Smooth and easy progress. ‘Plane sailing’ is a simplified form of navigation, in which the surface of the sea is considered to be flat rather than curved what mathematicians call a ‘plane surface’
Push the boat out…To spend generously and often to mark a special occasion.This is an old navel expression meaning to have drinks all round or to celebrate lavishly. 
Taken aback…This is a term used to describe the position of a sailing vessel with the bow or front facing directly into the wind so that neither side of the sails fill. Today the expression is used to describe a sense of being surprised or shocked by an unforeseen event.
Three sheets to the wind…This expression meant that the person at sea did not have control of the vessel because he had lost control of the sheets or lines. Today its’s to describe someone who has had one too many drinks!
All at sea…This nautical expression used to describe the condition of a vessel lost out of sight of land. Now the expression or its shortened form “at sea” is used to describe someone who’s confused and unable to understand.
Batten down the hatches…Now used to mean “get ready”. It originates from the act of securing the hatches with the use of battens in preparation for a coming storm.
Shake a leg… Wake up and get out of bed quickly! Originally a call to get the hands out of their hammocks to go to work.
Chock-a-block…When the sails were pulled in tight so that the boat could sail as close to the wind as possible, the blocks would be pulled in as tight or close together as possible. This would be called “chock-a-block”. Used today it refers to people or items that are packed in tightly together.
How many of these sayings do you use everyday? I would love to hear any more of your favourite sayings related back to the sea.
About Me
I have been in the travel industry over 20 years, what was meant to be a short summer working in Menorca when I was just 21 turned into many fantastic years within the industry. I have been lucky enough to travel to lots of destinations all over the world, including…
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