New-York tribune., 1906-08-25
SOME SEA TERMS.
AH Languages Drasun On for En-
pressire Words.

Few lanasrren, unless they have 80 some time
had so-resh.ng 90 Go with sailing craft, know what
the eh.et O. a boat i.. usually regarding IL as a
sail Instead OF being aware that u is the rops 10y
which the sail IS managed. The term has evidently
been transferred from the canvas 20 which The
rop> or chain IS attached 90 the rope or chain,
which usually run. around a pulley block for ease
IN handing IL Is fastened 20 one or both or the
lower corners O. the sa, 90 extend II or TO cnanee
its direction. A stn further transfer OF fhe "oFo
sheet from its proper rneanins has taken place
In .he use o. the term ga sheet In tho WIND 70
designate q person. isndsrnan sailor. who 10
somewhat fuddIed. having three sheets In the
Wind meaning 20 be very drunk
TIE sheet anchor he's nothing 20 do either with
bed sheet or with a boat sheet being only cor
ru.,fed form OF shoot anchor. shot anchor, an
anchor carried for use in emergencies, when 'f
can he suddenly shot QUE 20 make fast a vessei ih
danger The sheet anchors were formerly lhc
heaviest carried q vessel, but now they are OF
the same weight as bow anchors which are IN
Yefclar use The use OF sheet anchor TO repre-
sen. anv last resort fn time OF peril is only q
:guralive form OF speech To cast an anchor 70
wfnewar6 IS clear 10 any one who UNDERSTANDS
English but the difficulties that a foreigner OK
persences illustrated by this Incident whch oe-
CURED sr the Blaine-Cleveland campaign. One OF
the phrases OF that contest was casting an aiscOa 20
70 winswaro and y came ,,er 90 ~ reuton,c eg-
traction. Re sought 90 make use 81 ~ IN ~ Oa al
yeIsations Du. oia1g sssertton M He cast an
s-rror 10 the wind
An languages have been laid under contrieut,@on ION
for see terms Admiral" comes from the ArapIc
.eu.ir el bagh' meaning 'ord Of the sea So,i- ia
rsodore'' coSsaes from the italian command
.es7,ai1s'' Is from the Latin 'caput" the head
mate" IS from the Icelandc, and means an eqlal,
aIthough the third mate is not the equal OF the
frst mate Coasgasn comes AZ orop p,lsb si rivers is
called q coracle: this was corrupted into cock *,
boat a term applied 70 the small boat nsso sa % oy
g. tRe coclboat was called coxswain. The term
now sv,nlies 10 one who steers a boat while the
cars are handled by others. the swain being, tne
fe IS collOuuially and 1aurcally known, was one
a BOY servant. Now he is the subordinate oincel
coYdag.. and he summons the crew for evoIuuohs
viii lis whistle and assists the executive officer
o7 .tfuhoerd were formerly larboaTd and star
hoard The staTboar6 was the steer sloe tile oas
used the ancient galleys Tor oirectias ne
OF a craft being the right hand slde. LaEuOa i
IS believed 20 have come from the lover or IN
serior side which the left was regarded as pelng
The dog watch was originally tne ooQse NatS.'
fesre applied 20 the short watch OF two hours oe-
tween the longer OF four hours. Tne july
mast has nothing TO do with jury DUTY p1t i
feeig7led 20 serve only for temporary perlou u.s.
es jury Is sworn in for short service. me plaGe
soehser has nothing TO do with a Welshnlan, but
Sc corrupted from Duffy JOnah's locker the wore
or sDirat and Jonah being him OF Biblical rehogn
Cor whom Jehovah prepared a great nsn. IN s ule
belly ot Which the prophet spent vsTesrs s95ee by his
sf'pnlassr who attributed the wrath or the ele-
snents 10 his presence among them. after ne nag
.ne6 20 obey the command 10 preach TO the people
o. Nineveh OF the destruction about to overTnelIl
them IN the New Testament. but not in the BOOK
OF Jonah, the prophet is said 10 have been three three
mad. by Jesus in parable: In the prophecy ne
IS said 10 have spent three days ana three aisnts
Tarea 20 swallow him. and he PRAYED unto Je-
hOyah his God out Of the fsh's belly