Seafaring Words

Seafaring Words from Yesterday

"Down the Hatch" and "Shiver me Timbers" are all phrases we have heard and used in our time, but have you ever wondered where they came from?

Here are a collection of phrases and their true meanings:

Shiver me Timbers : We use this term as an expression of surprise or disbelief but it originally describes the way a ship would shake as it hit a rock before sinking!

No Room to Swing a Cat : We use this term when conditions are cramped and there is little room to move, but it is thought that the original saying derives from a combination of facts. The first was the cramped confines between decks in old sailing vessels meant that sailors could not swing his hammock or cot and the word cot has been re-translated over the course of time into cat.
The second was that a cat was also the name of a small sailing vessel and the term may refer to the cat being at anchor in a small harbour.
The third and probably most popular explanation of the term may refer to the cat-o'-nine-tails. The whip used as a form of punishment which needed ample clearance for it's 2ft length to be used. This brings us to another term that is connected to the cat-o'-nine-tails.

Letting the cat out of the bag : In the days of sail the cat-o'-nine-tails was kept in a canvas bag and to take it out was a sign of impending punishment.

Rub Salt in the Wound : This saying is used usually after an insult has been hurled, making the situation worse than it is. It is thought that the saying derives from a sailors misfortune of having just been lashed with the infamous cat-o'-nine-tails. He would then have salt rubbed into his wounds which would work as an antiseptic (probably making his pain worse!)

Down the Hatch : We use this as a drinking term but it probably refers to cargo being lowered through a hatch in a ship's hold.