Sailing is on our minds as we barrel towards one of the biggest yearly events to take place on the island, St. Maarten Heineken Regatta! The spectacular boat racing event attracts thousands of visitors, including sailors from dozens of countries all over the world.
Did you know that lots of phrases you hear all the time are actually linked to sailing? Sailing is deeply embedded in world history, and that has influenced language. The following are some examples:
“Feeling blue” means “to feel sad”. Origin: When a captain died at sea, the sailors would fly blue flags.
“Loose cannon” is what someone is called if they are unpredictable, and somewhat dangerous, or someone that you need to worry about. Origin: Cannons on ships, which weigh thousands of pounds, can come loose. When something so big and heavy is sliding around, it’s a dangerous situation and everyone needs to work together to fix it.
“All hands on deck” means that everyone has to work together. Origin: It was a command used on ships to get the entire crew to help, especially during an emergency or during difficult moves.
“Dead in the water” describes a situation without any progress or movement. Origin: A ship without wind or any type of propulsion cannot move and is without power.
“Flying colours” means it was done successfully, like when someone says, “I passed a test with flying colours.” Origin: Ships would sail into port with their flags/ colours flying high, when returning from a battle victory.
“Go overboard” means doing or saying too much, or being too excessive or enthusiastic. Origin: To fall off of the boat
“High and dry” means left without any options. Origin: A ship that is stranded on land, out of the water.
“Know the ropes” is to be very experienced or knowledgeable. Origin: Sailors had to manage the ropes well in order to control a ship’s sails.
“Long shot” is something that is not very likely to succeed. Origin: Shooting far off into the distance from a ship was extremely hard to do accurately. If it worked, it was considered out of the ordinary.
“Show your true colours” means to reveal true character or intention. Origin: During wartime, ships would often fly false flags, but were required to show their true colours before attacking.
“In the same boat” means sharing the same difficult circumstances or situations as others. Origin: Everyone on the same ship faced the same fate because they were affected by the same outside forces.
“Loose ends” are unfinished tasks or unresolved situations. Origin: Untied ropes on a ship could cause accidents, so it was important to prevent them.
“By and large” means “overall” or “generally speaking”. Origin: “By” means to sail into the wind, and “large” means sailing with the wind.
“Shipshape” means that something is very well organised and that things are working in good order. Origin: Ships had to be extremely well managed in order for them to be safe and efficient.
There are many more phrases in the English language that are tied to sailing. Do you know any of them? Did you know the origin of any of the above-mentioned phrases?
