The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-06-30
SAILORS SLANG.
Queer Phrases Csed BY the Men who oaal
the Deep.

.OsS SSSN
Queer Phrases Used BY the Men Who sal
the Deep.
A yard" on shore means the empty
space at the rear or front Of dwellings
at sea it means the spar that crosses tho
pest. carrying a sail. A whip" Is q
thing well known to small boys and
coachmen, but at sea it is the tackle
formed by single rope drove through
a block. Lizards" are not reptiles,
but pieces of rope. with ring spliced
in; while the ''cathead" has no connec-
ton with pussy, but refers to a project
ing piece of timber that is seen on the
forward part Of a ship. ''Bees" are
heavy pieces of planking. and ''knees"
and ''knightheads' are timbers forming
part of a ships frame A ..fiferail' is
the rail on the poop, and has nothing
whatever to do with a musical instru-
ment- Beating" does not mean strik-
ing, but sailing a ship by tacl1s; ''bon-
net" is a piece of canvas laced to the
lib, and not an article of ladies' head
wear. An earring" is not an orna-
ment, but ring sewed into sail.
I So, too, with expressions denoting the
force of wind. "a shorter" is heavy
gale, ''catspaw" being little breeze,
and by no means indicating a feline's
foot Riddles" are racks put on a
table to keep plates from falling, and
are destitute of music. while the glory
hole" Is not reached by Jacobs ladder.
but is In the stern portion of steamers,
where the under stewards and walters
sleep.
These terms, however, are not con-
fined by sack" to parts of a ship or
her sails; the food, the captain and
petty officers of a ship all have Their
peculiar nomenclature. The captain Is
dignified by the title of ''old man." the
cook is called doctor" the doctor Is
'spills," while the stewards rejoice in
being classed as 'funkeys." Strange
pames are given to the various articles
OF sea dietary. Dandy funk, ''hish
hash, '1sea pie" and ''lobscouses" are
combinations of -four biscuit, salt pork
and beef. ''Hard tack" is the general
name for sea biscuit while ''soft tack"
and tommy" is the article known to
landlubbers as bread. ''Salt horse" is
the name for salt beef, and a refrain
about the origin Of salt beef, should il
be unusually tough, is well known to
sailors:
'Salt horse, salt horse, what do you hear?
You've carried turf for many year
From Bantry bay to Ballyack.
Where you fell down and broke your back.
with kicks and thumps aud foul abuse,
Now you're sailed for sailors use;
They eat your flesh and pick your bones,
Then throw you over to Davy Jones'"
Whether sailor is a native of Hol-
land, Scandinavia or Germany he is
'Dutchman;" Frenchman Is known
as 'Frenchy," and an Englishman as
q "Limejuicer." Individuals on board
OF vessel that is not in the regular
passenger trade are said to be in every
body's mess and nobody's watch"
When the order to LAY aloft" or ''tum-
be up" IS given the sailor is expected to
climb up the rigging as fast as he can,
or to come from his sleeping quarters at
q rapid pace. -r-s
"Shantys," or sailors songs, are sell
dom heard in these modern days, when
steam performs nearly all the work Of
hauling or raising the anchor; but In
the olden times, when the stately dip
per had no donkey engine to heave the
anchor, sailors walked around the cap
stan to the tune of a rafting song,
heaving and hauling until ''mudhook"
came to the bow. Shenandoah,
Love Your Daughter .'Give Me Some
Time to Knock a Man Down." ''Rio
Grande" and ''Homeward Bound" were
the favorite 'shantys" of the old-time
tar.
A mans chest or cabin kept in state
Of disorder is said to be like ''bosun's
locker" and when a ship is homeward
bound and fair. strong breeze propels
along. 1.-THE girls have hold of the tow
rope" is a favorite saying. When q
dead calm prevails it is said to be like
'sPaddy's hurricane-up and down the
mast" and cracking on means the
state of the ship when, with fresh
breeze, every sail Is set and driving the
ship 10 its utmost. Should some To-
quacious and imaginative sailor start
a tale or yarn" some disbeliever is
that to the Marines" thereby express
ing doubt as to the veracity of the mar
rative. Many similar phrases and
terms are in constant use by the sea-
men of every nation. To enumerate
them would fill quite large volume
San Francisco Chronicle. :.
Something Worth the Eating.
Select large, full-grown crawfish; they
will seldom cost In market more than
three dollars q hundred. Treat them
exactly like Holsters. throwing them in