New-York tribune., 1892-01-03
OFTEN. HEARD EXPRESSIONS.
THE DrrrJACKrT,s PECULIAR VOCABULARY

.r,, ,.o.,o.. .,d the sweetest fish comes from the
,ost sea &, l. an old nautical saying OF rre"'"
author. And he also says, Every % =, ie nr,,,y
| and the ship will be on an even hcci' -. .,+
| evident that thousands of people WHO WINES .n.
nIoueer of the modern comic operas, fihaior1'
e. ,rou p,ooeod after the performance, puc On.
| our,oino the imprcs sion that much OF 'he so'
aboard ship slang and terms and the
| (. Bosenr were much exaggerated buV u'o d.
expressions Of tho happy golncky sailor INV 90. ,on.
| nee ularly belonging TO the Navy, ana ''cs o. -.
| er,lv noted for their peculiar aptness anu o,e
| And vet the reader, should he be " iahoi",
| 20 usa a more dgnined expression, noVce' "ouN
hardly reconcile himself TO the truth OF uhe , r'
10 he heard the officer OF the deck sho"' ""o
| trumpet to the sailors aloft: Clear uho ' rn
forctopmas studding- g-sallboom-toppins-hi' m
such mouthfuI Of words 1t would be haId 10 eI.', ~
.rr hut !, mariners vocabulary and now that '''
| mcdern warsbip IS practically mastcss ana s"no''
these purely technical terms OF such eApa"s'
| tinuty as the above quoted WILL as "ro'cr =" ..
has with the IIIll Shcehan Croker party p''' '"0'
innocuous desnetude' 81. ,.or.s,
purely technical terms arc really devoid OF interos.
~ tno general public at the most they excite ianeu'
| curiosity A. TO how why they came lh'o oe'"e.
| But there are expressions winch nave ".
more than a technical meaning, and the ofieih VI .s
| are lost in obscurty. Why, for instance uoe' Wv Wv
| british sailor call the smOkepipe leading rro" u"
coo,,s galley Charley Noblc"! And why uo7s
| ,bo british merchant sailor call tile bri'sn
| hluo Jacket Andrew Mcr"7 Everybody hho"s
| that the cphet " lime juicer' was aPP"eu Wy w
Yankee sailor to the British sailor when lhe Jiioo
| first served to the British tar as an anu -scorouu,
rhc most interesting expression, are those WHICH, "ins
having more less technical oilgil' arc "oa'
oueotv in ordinary conversation among sailors for
instance Jibbcr the Kbber' is an expression ~
would excite the curiosity of a novice. /, "'" -,
origin in connection with the AMBITIOUS "re'no'' '
follow whose chief employment and income IS rom
Jersey coast; the fellow who Is believed 10 oe cap'Ue
n, tric,ory I'm order 10 wreck IN appnes I"
the fellow who will decoy vessel ashore Oh ua'h y"
stormy night BY fastening light on the sue
lmping horse and walking him up ara down inc o'a n
master of a vessel seeing this light inshore oeheVes IL
IN br a vessel slowly warping along ana uocs hoo
besi,ate 10 rln i'm closer In consequence OF WHICH ns
vesel NAV become stranded and the wreckers secure
now job. ,,,,
Some Of the expressions used are exqis'ely ucrVuS
by reason Of their aptnesS and roGghness OF ior''
What expression could sailor Use more appropriately
a aoscr,ba the new recruit 10 life the ocean
wayep lust from his home, than "a scrubbed han'-
mock facerY Can anything he imagined that Is hor'
EXPIRE ssionless than scrubbed hammock-a pam peo
Of canvas void OF speck OF dirt 10 Drcah u'"
damp monotony of It's surface Another term Oh '''
same order and meaning much about the same thns
* a wrnng ont svab7 A swab is bundle OF threads
80 rome warn or cotton doubled together In the middle
and used to soak up the superfuons moisture OIL 'S
decks bullheads or in boats, and then wrung out.
The term Johnny Crapaud' applied TO the frehc"
sailors is a common expression. and means johnny
Toad, IL was derived. undoubtedly. from tho
,rrroral hearings OF France. which once bad three
toahs and which were exchanged for the threo
neurdeus curious term, purely technical and
nsucal for is not heard anywhere outslde Vi ,ns
service is to part brassrags.' There Is no mystery
with regard its origin. The sailor has % clesih AL
tho brass work the ship and he naturally SLOWS
hi, rags for that purpose with his "chum.' But II
he ard the chum should fall out they wonh "paT
brass racsv and seek pastures new Thus the ex-
preston has 10 be applied to any quarrel serious
enough TO cause separation. The term ragcy,' which
means particular intimate friendship, also o""os
from the source.
Three sheets in the wind is applied 10 drunken
man. 1t is generally accepted as referring TO snip
hauled and with all sail SET but so badly steered
tina. the sheets are frequently hogSng about IN inc
wind. The nautical term sheet" however does not
oppy 10 the sail itself but to one of the important
ropes attached to the foot of the sail But whatever
the exact origin Of tho term to be three sheets IN ING
wind is equivalent TO steering bit wildly hence 10
aptly describes the condition Of a drunken man who
nav be reeling from one side OF the street 10 inc
other Half overs is also applied TO man
part way between being sober and being in condition.
10 double himself up In the gutter Top your boom'
is rough way Of suggesting TO another that his room
would be more agreeable than his company, STOW
your jibs is a gentle but meanngfu ntimation that
yachsman would naturally interpret that both
terms are derived from running before the wind, when
II would he necessary 10 top your boom" and " stow
your jib.p The derivation of the former comes from
that spar which is swung ont from the side OF tho
ship for the boats make fast when not in Use. ana
when the vessel 1, at anchor, and which, just before
going topped up and secured. aS 1t is Of no
service at sea. The latter term. means that at GER
tain times for instance when sailing dead before
the wind the iib is useless. TauS to tell man 20
STOW his lib' would be the same as To tell him To
hold his tongue. Cut aud rum Is term which
probably arose in the old days Of hemp hawsers.
1t no doubt often happened that the hempcn cable
had to be cut In order that the ship might weigh
in haste. leaving anchor and cable behind. Come
up handsomely is deceptive. coming from nautical
lips. lt does not that the person addressed
must appear his best that the thing 10 be done
handsomely" must be done with extra amount
u vigor but. the contrary IL signifies that II
must be done slowly and carefully
Kicking the bucket Is term applied TO the act or
dying. Lost tho number OF his ness is comical
expression that is applied to seaman who dies.
Mother Caicy's chickens is name applied u the
stormy petrol by sailos>. who have a superstitious
reverence for the bird, believing that to harm It Will
bring III fortune to themselves and their ship When
"A sailor predicts that the weather /, to be &" paddys
hurricane lie does not mean to say that there Is
heavy weather brewing. bat that there is to be
little or no wind and pennant, and sails will hang
lstlesSy: hence the sailor will describe that q
Paddy's hurricane /, when " the wind is up and
down the mast
There are three epithets applied TO chaplans Of tho
Navy, which picturesque In their appropriateness.
one them Devil dodge" has alliterative swing
about II taking 10 the fancy of bue Jacket Ii being
derived from " D. D. Another beautiful expression,
Of which any chaplain might be proud. + sky plot
and the third is Holy joe" The hOlystonc' Is
large Nat stone used for securing the ships decks by
hauling II backward and forward. one man being at
the of each rope fa>encd Ia IT, 1t I, used mostly
on sunday mornings hence Its appropriate name given
bv Jack. He Is also irTcverent enough To call II the
The term dog watch applied TO the turns
Of watch from TO u p. and - m. when the
ul oh * aS