The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-07-21
HAVE SEA FLAVOR.
Nautical Expressions Common in
Old Nantucket.
May Seem Somewhat Odd to the VIs-
itor, but Are Used by the Natives,
Without Thought Of Any
incon0ruity.

captain-she had once brought his shin
TO port herself. when he was incapaci-
tated by injuries received In a typhoon
was long the joy of an old-fashioned
boarding house whose other residents
were chiefly quiet maiden ladies, be-
cause OF her breezy manner, loud voice
and oddly nautical turns of express
sion. She would invite fellow board
er across the narrow table 20 pass the
butter in tones suited rather to hail
ing the masthead In gale. Every
spring her store Of foreign sweet
meats, and jams and jellIes compound
ed OF queer tropical fruits, provoked
an Eruption Of small, red ants
which would emerge in endless process
sion from the crevices I'm her closet:
and every spring she would shout
aloud at breakfast her Intention to
'swab the hull place with lie of pen
nyr'yal and then calk every drafted
crack"
| Judge John G. Crosby of the Massa-
chusetts Supreme court, an authority
on the history and customs OF quaint
Nantucket, has recently given some
interesting instances of the adaptation
there OF nautical terms to landward
uses. Whether or not the inhabitants
of the island are the salt Of the earth.
their manners and speech are enjoya-
bly, seasoned by the salt Of the sea.
When a man goes to the mainland
he Is said to ego to America or tn
the continent" This form Of express
sion is in everyday use without any
consciousness Of its peculiarity.
I'm Nantucket you don't raise an um.
brelia you "set It" like a tlb.
A house blind does not work loose:
It gets adrlft.
Everything is drawing" means max
Ing the most progress. During the
last phase of the war you heard that
the allies have got everything draw
| ing"
When one is prepared to 20 any.
where he is said to be shove short"
(thst is. on his anchor cable) and
"ready to trip" (the anchor). Just be-
fore the kaiser's fight I was told that
he was hove short and about ready
to trip"
Instead of saying that a man Is used
up or "all in." they say that he is ''fn
ont (iike dying whale): II was
nearly fin out with the influenza"
/ once heard 1t said Of an extrava-
giant man on the island, who spent
more than his income, that he had
two lamps burning and no ship at
| sea-"
When Obed Macy. who wrote the
history OF whaling In 1885, drafted his
Will In the year 1S41, he inserted the
following clauses, which are character
istic Of the, NAUTICAL expressions of the
natives: Item. l have cruised with
my wife, Huldy Jane, since 1911. We
signed articles in town before the
I preacher on Independence day. want
her and my son, Jotham, to be captain
and mate in bringing TO port whatever
] leave and see that every one of the
crew gets the lay as writ down on
this paper. l put mother in command.
i know sheel be captain anyway, for
six months after we started OF our
| life cruise found out that was MATE
and she was master. l don't mean
that she ever mutinied, hut + know
that whenever we didn't agree she al
| ways manOOvmd to windard.
item. ! want mother to have the
house on Union street till she goes
aloft. Then want it to so to the
| children In equal lays, etc."
Not long ago the following notice
was published in the. local Nantucket
newspaper. ~
/ "The thief who stole jug Of oil
from the life-saving station on Great
Point on Sunday last is requested to
return the jug to the place which he
took 1t and he may keep the oil to
light his crime-stained steps through
purgatOry. And no questions will be
| asked ny Caleb Cushman, superinten-
| dent."-Y0uth'S Gonna niOn