 original message from kragen sitaker kragen pobox com it s an exclamation that may allude to a ship striking some rock or other obstacle so hard that her timbers shiver or shake so implying a calamity has occurred it is first recorded as being used by captain frederick marryat in jacob faithful in NUMBER i won t thrash you tom shiver my timbers if i do i think it went like this i won t thrash you tom if you shiver my timber or maybe that was just the butt pirates 