Phrase origins

[Bosun]

Great thread!

Idea for a Christmas present (for yourself if you've found this thread fascinating): "Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" (ISBN 0-304-34004-9).

It's the kind of book where you start off by looking for a particular definition but you get so side-tracked reading other stuff that you forget why you actually got the book off the shelf in the first place!

 

[Eric_Methven]

The length of hawser laid rope was unlaid up to about a fist width from the end. It was then back spliced back down the remaining rope so you had a fist lenght of backspliced handle and three unlaid yarns. These were unlaid until you got a total of nine individual strands.

Each strand was separated into four and a four strand round plait was made. This was repeated another eight times. An overhand knot was tied in the end of each strand and sometimes another overhand knot tied in the middle of each strand.

A turks head was often added to the base of the handle, and one where the handle met the strands.

Eric

 

[decorum]

....I know I'm just going to have to make a 'cat' .... You never know, what with some of the leather stuff I make, I might find a niche in the BDSM market.
Eric

Something along this line Eric?


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....tToStoreCat&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget

Dons coat and exits stage left :why:

 

[falling rain]

Great thread!

Idea for a Christmas present (for yourself if you've found this thread fascinating): "Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" (ISBN 0-304-34004-9).

It's the kind of book where you start off by looking for a particular definition but you get so side-tracked reading other stuff that you forget why you actually got the book off the shelf in the first place!

That sounds like a good browsing book Bosun. I may get myself that one.

Intersting stuff Eric thanks for that.
I can't imagine how grim it must be to have to make your own cat 'o' nine tails that your going to be whipped with. I'd have made mine out of al dente spaghetti.............don't think that I'd have got away with that though .....................and before anyone says it. I know they didn't have spaghetti in those days. Well not on English ships anyway.
Interesting stuff though................more please.

 

[BOD]

Eric,

That's beautiful.

If you have three knots at the end you will have what is called a Thief's Cat which was used for flogging someone who stole from his mess mates, considered to be a serious crime.

Apparently it was used more often in the army than the navy perhaps as sailors were such a poor lot there was not much to steal.

 

[perpetualelevator]

One I'm interested to find out about is 'Toe the line'. I had this discussion with friends and we couldn't decide if it's toe the line or tow the line. I think toe the line would imply a sort of military background of getting in line with everyone else and behaving. However I've seen it written 'tow the line' and can't think what this would mean.

 

[spamel]

The only one I know of comes from boxing when you had a line that you had to literally put your toe on to continue. If you couldn't toe the line, you lost.

 

[nickg]

'Toe the Line' is an army expression. When on punishments in the guardhouse there would be a white line on the floor, you would be ordered to stand to attention or at ease repeatedly and the provost would continually check that the toe of your boot would come down exactly on the line, too far forward or back would get you more of the same. Quite a cruel form of summary justice, often done when the miscreant could not be taken outside for some 'pack drill' (another form of summary punishment consisting of vigorous marching drill wearing full webbing[plce as it is today], this is the origin on the phrase 'no names, no pack drill', meaning not to tell on a mate).
Toe the line came to mean putting youself under the same command or restriction as others, basically doing as you are told, no arguments.

Cheers
Nick

 

[nickg]

We used to do this in the army as well during basic training especially. It was called 'milling'. Basically two of you stood with your toes on two lines 1 metre apart and when the whistle blew, would start hitting each other (usually with boxing gloves on but not always) for one minute continuously till the whistle blew again. It was supposed to get you to control aggression but usually used more to find out who did or didnt have a 'killer' instinct looking to see who would flinch & back off and who would press into the conflict despite the opposition. Not Fun!

Cheers
Nick

 

[Elessar]

ooo ooo i got one this may have already been said but, i don't care coz its the only one i know!!!

A shot of whisky: this term comes from the wild west were cowboys who couldn't afford a drink would trade a single bullet for a small glass of liquir. at the end of the day the bar man would take these bullets down to the gunsmith and sell them to him to make the money up for the drink....


(you wouldn't belive how fast i typed that i got all excited for some reason!!)

J

 

[nickg]

Not sure that you'll like me for this.
A shot of spirit is named after the glass that you drink it from. they were similar to the kind if vodka glasses you can see these days. they have a really thick base and only hold a single measure of drink. They are called a 'shot' glass because you would drink a toast from them and when empty would then be slammed down on the table with a loud bang - like a rifle shot! hence the name of the glass 'a shot glass' so you drink a 'shot' of whatever. Drinking a toast with a dozen or so of these was referred to as a 'ripple of gunfire' and the glasses were purchased in sets called 'Volley glasses'

Cheers
Nick

 

[mrstorey]

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. Go and Google

By hook or by crook is another interesting one too.

 

[Wayland]

As is "Can of worms" like this thread........

 

[ForestNH/VT]

May I suggest www.snopes.com Very well researched and honest about points of interpretation and differing opinion. It is the first place I go when I get one of those annoying forwarded e-mails. I send the pertinent link back to the "offender." Comprehensive search function. Quite useful - lots of info on phrase origins and related items.

 

[nickg]

How about a 'cock & bull story'

There were two coaching ins in the 17/18th century, the name of the town escapes me but somewhere on the London-Oxford road i think, called the cock & the bull. They were overnight stops so in the evening the travellers would gather in the tap rooms with little else to do but drink & talk Boll**ks all night each one trying to out do the other. Ending up drunk & telling some real Cock & Bull stories.

Cheers
Nick

 

[nickg]

How about the phrases 'Bread' for money, 'Cobblers' for rubbish & 'goose' when you jab somebody in the bum with something (lets not get into specifics here)

All cockney rhyming slang

Bread and honey = Money
Cobblers awls = Balls
Goose & duck = Not sure about this one?

Cheers
Nick

 

[Neanderthal]

This site has quite a collection of Phrases and Sayings.

http://www.invincible1758.co.uk/phrases_sayings.htm#armed_to_teeth

No guarantees of accuracy though.

Stu