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Three Sheets to the Wind

A list of 128 words by reesetee.

About

Common words or phrases of nautical origin that have taken on different or metaphorical meanings. Chained_bear and I tossed a coin over who would make the list. I won (or lost, depending on how you look at it).

NOTE: Some of their supposed origins may be apocryphal, but they're still interesting. :-)

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  • reesetee Sorry, m--somehow I missed your comment until now. Added. :-) Jul 11, 2008

  • mollusque How about mark twain? Jan 17, 2008

  • reesetee Nifty! Added. And I changed the list description, since some of the rest of these are also words and not phrases. :-) Dec 31, 2007

  • chained_bear It isn't a phrase, but see careen. Dec 30, 2007

  • chained_bear I won't be much help: I will merely, and joyfully and repeatedly, quote "Master and Commander." (The film, not the books.) Dec 28, 2007

  • reesetee I'll get right on it. Maybe chained_bear can help. She knows all that history stuff. Dec 20, 2007

  • bilby Start with tears welling up. It should involve the Duke of Wellington, a sea battle with Napoleon and and the acrid smoke of cannon fire bringing causing eyes to weep. And more. Dec 19, 2007

  • reesetee Bilby, I...I don't know what to say. *tears welling up*

    Thanks to you, I feel renewed energy to work on a whole slew of madeupical linguistic urban legends involving sailing ships. Dec 19, 2007

  • bilby Regarding the apocryphal bit, I read this today in reply to a question about whether the word few originally meant eight, which was apparently the 'correct' answer to a quiz question:

    "... your Quizmaster must have matriculated in a parallel universe, because 'few' never meant 'eight,' 'nine,' 'fourteen' or 'five billion,' not even in Old English, where all the truly wacko word origin stories seem to be born. Incidentally, if you ever do catch up with that guy, ask him why there aren't any boats in that story. Anybody knows you can't have a good linguistic urban legend without sailing ships." - www.word-detective.com (my emphasis)

    And I thought of you ... isnt' that touching? ;-) Dec 19, 2007

  • reesetee Thanks, c_b. Still working on this list and trying to get more info for the word pages. :-) Dec 10, 2007

  • chained_bear Ooh, I didn't know that plow the raging sea or any of those similar phrases meant that. I thought they just meant the act of sailing for a living. Hm.

    Also heard someone use the phrase "go by the boards" yesterday and was glad to know it was originally nautical. Cool! Dec 9, 2007

  • reesetee Thanks, oroboros. That's what I meant--hadn't heard of "plow the briny deep" (or any of the "plow" phrases) as describing an exercise in futility. And thanks again for reminding me of wine-dark sea, which is indeed from Homer. Always loved that phrase.

    Sionnach: Good grief! I'm staying home. ;-)

    Chained_bear: Thanks. But don't forget, we came up with this list idea almost simultaneously. :-) Dec 6, 2007

  • chained_bear Oh how I love this list. *sighs*

    Yes, sionnach, I think it is Homer. Hence, "In the temple by the moonlight wah de do dah..." (Firesign Theatre) Dec 6, 2007

  • sionnach Here is some practical advice by the inimitable C.E.C. Weigall, writing for the GIRL'S OWN PAPER, directed to those ladies who would go down to the sea in ships:

    seafaring ladies Dec 6, 2007

  • sionnach The wine-dark sea is originally Homer, I'm pretty sure. Often accompanied by the rosy-fingered dawn.

    http://www.indepthinfo.com/articles/wine-dark-sea.shtml Dec 6, 2007

  • oroboros Hmmm. Not that I'm aware of, other than just plowing the sea being a metaphor for an exercise in futility. The 'wine-dark sea' may be something I remember from one of the Patrick O'Brian novels. 'Go down to the sea in ships' just always sounded strange to me--like, do you mean embarkation or foundering? Dec 5, 2007

  • reesetee Thanks, guys! Palooka, I've heard that aboveboard has its origin in gambling (keeping one's hands above the table to prove honesty). Oroboros, I'm familiar with the literal meanings of your first two suggestions, but have they taken on non-nautical connotations? Just curious. :-) Dec 2, 2007

  • palooka Very comprehensive as usual! Others include leading light, take the wind out of his sails, above board. Dec 2, 2007

  • oroboros 'go down to the sea in ships'

    'plow the briny deep'

    'the wine-dark sea' Dec 1, 2007

  • reesetee Thanks, all! Actually, chained_bear and I simultaneously came up with the idea. Creepy. ;-)

    Sure, I'll add those, c_b. Some of these are clearly nautical (batten down the hatches, three sheets to the wind), but they're fun anyway. I have more (and some background on all of them)--just have to get to it. Dec 1, 2007

  • chained_bear Even though you have brass monkey already, may I humbly suggest "brass monkey weather"?

    Also I've been hearing plow the raging sea a lot lately, but maybe that's not idiomatic enough. Also it's pretty clearly nautical. Nevermind, I'll shut up now. Been a long day. Dec 1, 2007

  • bilby Very entertaining. I was ready to walk the plank until I found this list. Dec 1, 2007

  • sonofgroucho Epic list! Dec 1, 2007

  • trivet I like the cut of this list's jib, reesetee! Dec 1, 2007