Black market

In medieval England there were nomadic mercenaries who wandered the countryside and would sell their services to the highest bidder. These were hardened fighters who lived solitary lives in the wilderness. They did not have the luxury of servants to polish their armor and it would oxidize to a blackish hew, E and the 18 to be known as black knights. At local town festivals they would have an exhibition jousting matches in which the winner of the fight would win the losers weapons and armor. The local gentry softened by the good life, would lose to these black knights. The nomadic knights didn't have much use for an extra set of armor and would sell it back to them immediately after the fight. The losing nobility would be forced to buy back their armor and this after the market came to be known as the black market. 

The Devil To Pay

Today the expression "devil to pay" is used primarily to describe having an unpleasant result from some action that has been taken, as in someone has done something they shouldn't have and, as a result, "there will be the devil to pay." Originally, this expression described one of the unpleasant tasks aboard a wooden ship.
The "devil" was the wooden ship's longest seam in the hull. Caulking was done with "pay" or pitch (a kind of tar). The task of "paying the devil" (caulking the longest seam) by squatting in the bilges was despised by every seaman.

Calm before the storm

Although not exclusively nautical, this has been attributed to seagoing folk as a result of their constant and intimate interaction with the weather. Although not known at the time, an approaching storm will drop the barometric pressure, creating a low directly ahead of the storm front. If a storm comes from a direction that is opposite to the prevailing winds, the prevailing breezes will eventually be overcome by the storm front. Just before this happens, however, there will be an equalization of wind speed from two opposing directions resulting in an absence of any wind. The meaning is not lost on landlubbers: Before someone explodes in anger, they almost invariably become overly quiet and, in some instances, even tranquil.

Have you ever spent an afternoon in the backyard, maybe grilling or enjoying a game of croquet, when suddenly you notice that everything goes quiet? The air seems still and calm -- even the birds stop singing and quickly return to their nests.

After a few minutes, you feel a change in the air, and suddenly a line of clouds ominously appears on the horizon -- clouds with a look that tells you they aren't fooling around. You quickly dash in the house and narrowly miss the first fat raindrops that fall right before the downpour. At this moment, you might stop and ask yourself, "Why was it so calm and peaceful right before the storm hit?"

It's an intriguing phenomenon that people have recognized for centuries, but what on Earth causes this calm? And why do whip-like winds, dropping temperatures and rumbling thunder sometimes precede storms instead of a peculiar and eerie calm?

Do you want a hint at what might be at the root of this old sailors' adage? Think of all the different types of storms you've seen -- one variety of storm can have a different effect on the atmosphere than another. There are brief thunderstorms that rattle through like a couple of rowdy frames at the bowling alley, and there are long, tumultuous downpours that drown the streets. And then there are the strongest of all, like massive, violent hurricanes or spinning, furious tornadoes. All these different manifestations of intense weather happen because the interactions in the atmosphere can unfold in a variety of different ways, to vastly different effects.

So, if the weather is calm and fair for your backyard barbeque, does that mean you should make backup plans indoors?

Answer:

So, is there a calm before the storm?  You may have already guessed the answer.  Sometime there is; sometime there isn't.  Under the right conditions an eerie or peaceful calm will befall your picnic before a storm moves in.  Other storms skip the calm and proudly announce their presence by instantly unleashing bad weather.

keel haul

A medeival naval punishment that involves tying a line to each arm of the convicted sailor and pushing him off the bow of the ship under sail. The sailor was 'hauled' along the barnacle encrusted 'keel' of the vessel aided by the movement of the ship and pulled back aboard at the stern of the ship. It hurt really bad.

"The punishment for stealing rations is keelhauling!"

"to drag along the keel"  It is a form of punishment meted out to sailors at sea. The sailor was tied to a rope that looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, and dragged under the ship's keel, either from one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship (from bow to stern). As the hull was usually covered in barnacles and other marine growth, if the offender was pulled quickly, keelhauling would typically result in serious cuts, loss of limbs and even decapitation. If the victim were dragged slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles, but this method would frequently result in hisdrowning.

Keelhauling was legally permitted as a punishment in the Dutch Navy. The earliest official mention of keelhauling is a Dutch ordinance of 1560, and the practice was not formally abolished until 1853. While not an official punishment, it was reportedly used by some British Royal Navy and merchant marine captains, and has become strongly associated with pirate lore.

Today keelhauling can refer to the spinnaker sheets getting stuck under the hull after dousing the sail. This occurs especially in dinghy sailboats such as Laser 2 because nothing prevents the sheet from being pulled under the bow.   

Flying Dutchman

One superstition has it that any mariner who sees the ghost ship called the “Flying Dutchman” will die within the day.  The tail of the “Flying Dutchman” trying to round the Cape of Good Hope against strong winds and never succeeding, then trying to make Cape Horn and failing there too, has been the most famous of maritime ghost stories for more than 300 years.  The cursed spectral ship sailing back and forth on its endless voyage, it’s ancient white-hair crew crying for help while hauling at her sail, inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge to write his classic “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” to name but one famous literary work.  The real “Flying Dutchman” is supposed to have set sail in 1660.

Still waters run deep

 Some rivers have rough surfaces with waves. That's usually because the water is shallow and there are rocks near the surface. But deep rivers have no rocks near the surface and the water is smooth and still. "Still waters run deep" means that people who are calm and tranquil on the outside, often have a strong, "deep" personality.

Any port in a storm

Any port in a storm: When trouble struck at sea, seamen would go to the nearest to "any port in a storm."  Now this phrase has entered our everyday language and is used when we have problems and any and all help is welcome. 

Meaning: In times of danger, any shelter is better than none. In an emergency, we have to accept whatever solution presents itself (for the time being).
Note: port (noun) = harbour; a place on the coast where ships can find protection from rough seas

Origin: For ships at sea (especially) in older days, a bad storm could be very dangerous, and at such times they had to find shelter in "any port", even one that they would not normally have entered.

Feeling under the weather

Feeling under the weather: This refers to feeling ill or sick and came from the frequency of ship passengers becoming seasick in heavy weather. 

This popular phrase for been ill the dates back to 1827.  It is commonly believed that bad weather can make you sick. 

The site visitor gave his/her opinion about this idiom:  I believe that under the weather is an old sailor phrase.  When men were sick, they would rest below the deck and thus were literally under the weather on deck.

Another site visitor gave his/her opinion about this idiom:  moreover, the deck that they were under was likely “the weather deck”, meaning the most exposed deck on the ship, usually the four deck over the Seamen’s quarters at the front end of the ship or the Quarterdeck.  This is where the helm and was located, high for a good view.  Either way, if you needed to be sick, you wouldn’t want to toss your cookies where the wind could toss them back in your face, nor would anyone with you want you to do so.  You’d be firmly told two go “under the weather” to be sick

As the crow flies

As the crow flies: A direct line between two points (which might cross land) which is the way crows travel rather than ships which must go around land.

When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, ships would release a caged crow.  The Crow would fly straight towards the nearest land and thus giving the vessel some sort of a navigational fix.  The tallest outlook platform on a ship came to be known as the crow’s nest. 

Scraping the bottom of the barrel

Scraping the bottom of the barrel: This is an expression originating from the ship's cook who literally scraped the bottom of the food barrel, resulting in a little desired serving. Today this term is used to mean the last resort or something generally not wanted.

Run the gauntlet

Run the gauntlet: Today this expression refers to going through an unpleasant experience. Originally the term comes from a naval punishment where the punished crew member was forced to proceed between two lines of men who would beat and whip him. The word gauntlet was earlier spelled "gantlope" which originates from the Swedish "gata" meaning road, and "lopp" meaning course.

Put a new slant on things

Put a new slant on things: This expression refers to the fact that sailing vessels have an optimum angle of heel and experienced sailors know when to "put a new slant on things" to achieve this optimum slant or angle. Today the expression is used to indicate a new approach or that one is looking at an issue from a different perspective. 

Old Salt

Old Salt: Nautical term for old, retired sailor or someone with many years of sailing experience. The term is also used to mean a "genuine" kind of a person.

Rummage sale

Rummage sale: This term is used synonymously with yard sale or garage sale. The term comes from the French word 'arrimage' meaning "the loading of a cargo ship." The damaged cargo or rummage was occasionally sold.

Mind your P's and Q's

Mind your P's and Q's: Sailors would get credit at the taverns in port until they were paid. The barman would keep a record of their drinks on a chalkboard behind the bar. A mark was made under "P" for pint or "Q" for quart.  On payday, the sailors were liable for each mark next to his name, so he was forced to "mind his P's and Q's." Today the term means to remain well behaved.

Starboard and Port

Starboard and Port: Starboard is the nautical term for right and  port means left. Originally the words come from old sailing ships which did not have a rudder and were steered using a board on the right side which became known as the "steerboard" side  The other side of the vessel was called the port side as the boat was docked on this side so as to not interfere with the steering board.

Scuttlebutt

Scuttlebutt: This is a word synonymous with rumor or gossip. The word originates from the drinking ladle with small holes or scuttles in it to reduce the small talk and wasted time at the water barrel. The holes forced the sailors to drink fast before the water ran out.

Three sheets to the wind

Three sheets to the wind: This expression meant that one did not have control of the vessel because one had lost control of the sheets or lines. Today the expression is used to refer to someone who is drunk or does not have control of himself or herself.  

The Whole Nine Yards

This expression means everything or all encompassing. The expression comes from the old square-rigged sailing vessels that had three masts with three yards of sails on each.  The whole nine yards meant all sails were up.  Full speed ahead!

"Welcome, You Scallywag." What does Scallywag mean?

One day, a few years back, I decided to find out what the expression “The Whole Nine Yards” meant.  It always bothered me why it wasn’t “The Whole Ten Yards.”  You Know, football, etc.  Well, I’ve been a boater all of my life, and when I found out the real meaning of the expression, I was pleasantly surprised and very excited about its correlation with the boating world.

There are many Expressions, Terms and Phrases, that have been put into everyday use that originated from the days of seafaring with a sail.  Virtually all of the original nautical meanings are now forgotten.   The influence of other languages and other cultures is evident in many of the long list of English phrases that have nautical origins.

We are very lucky that many of the activities at sea have been recorded over the centuries, in insurance records, newspaper accounts and in ship’s log books.  The term log book has an interesting origination.  An early form of measuring a ship’s progress was by throwing a wooden board, or the log, overboard, with a line attached.  The rate at which the line was let out as the ship moved away from the stationary log, was measured by counting how long it took between knots in the line.  These measurements were later put into a book.  That is where the term Log Book and also the name “Knot”, as a unit of speed came from.

There are many more fascinating Expressions, Terms and Phrases to learn about in this educational blog.   And, you will educate yourself, just as you would, if you attend; Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown or The University of Pennsylvania,  and attain a master’s degree or even a doctorial degree in the subject:  “Expressions, Terms and Phrases of Ancient Nautical Sayings and There Relationship To Today’s Society.”   

Have fun, because I am having a ball, introducing you to this fascinating stuff!!!!!!!!!