Sailor's Blogs
Blogs by maritime community
Tag » lingo
- Aloft: Up, Above
- Ahoy: A sailor's call to draw attention
- All Hands Hoay!: "All hands on deck!" Everyone on the ship is called to the deck, usually for action.
- Arrg!: A pirate exclamation
- Avast: "Stop that!" or "Who goes there?" (Avast Ye = "Stop and pay attention" or "Get A Load of This"
- Belay: Stop that. "Belay that talk!" = "Shut up!"
- Bilge!: Nonsense, or foolis talk.
- Black Spot: To "place the Black Spot" on another pirate is to sentence him to death, to warn him he is marked for death, or sometimes just to accuse him of a serious crime before other pirates.
- Blimey!: An exclamation of surprise.
- Blow: Short, intense wind
- Boatswain or Bosun: A petty officer; The warrant officer in charge of sails, rigging, anchors and associated gear
- Booty :Profits taken from plunder
- Bucko: A familiar term. "Me bucko" = "My friend"
- Bumboo: A mixture of rum, water, sugar, nutmeg
- Cackle Fruit: Chicken eggs
- Cat-O'-Nine-Tails: A whip made from knotted ropes, used to punish crewmen
- Chandler/Sutler: A merchant in port, selling the various things that a ship needed for supplies and repairs.
- Chanty :A sailor's song. Also spelled "shantey" or "shanty"
- Chase :The ship being pursued.
- Colors: The flag flown by a vessal to show her nationality
- Crimp: A person who is tricked or press ganged into serving on a crew
- Dance The Hempen Jig: To Hang
- Deadlights: Eyes. "Use yer deadlights, matey!"
- Dead Men Tell No Tales :Pirate excuse for leaving no survivors
- Duffle :Everything a pirate owns, also a name for the bag that holds it
- Fathom :6 feet, used to describe ocean depth
- Figurehead :Carved figure on bow of ship to establish identity; The captain when the spouse is on board
- Flogging: Punishment by caning, or by whipping with the cat.
- Go on the Account: To Embark upon a piratical cruise
- Grog: Alcohol diluted with water
- Grommet: Apprentice sailor
- Hands :Crew of a ship; sailors
- Handsomely/Smartly: Quickly
- Hempen Halter: The hangman's noose
- Hornswaggle: To cheat or defraud, often of money or belongings
- Jack Tar/Tar: A Sailor
- Jacob's Ladder: The ladder used to climb aboard a ship
- Keelhaul: Punishment by dragging under the ship, from one side to the other. The victim of a keelhauling would be half-drowned, or worse, and lacerated by the barnacles that grew beneath the ship.
- Lad/Lass: Way of adressing someone younger than you
- Land Ho!: Calling when a sailor sights land
- Landlubber: A non-sailor, a landsman; Someone stupid about the ways of life aboard a ship
- Maroon: Act of punishment, left on an isolated island with few to no supplies
- Mate: Person who oversaw the sailors, ensuring the captains orders were carried out. Responsible for stowing cargo and organizing crew's work
- Me hearties: Typical way for a pirate leader to address his crew or friends.
- Monkey Jacket: Short waist jacket worn by midshipmen
- Picaroon: Pirate/Slaver
- Piece of Eight: 8 coins
- Press Gang :Group of sailors who "recruit" for their ship using violence and intimidation
- Prize; Ship which was captured
- Quartermaster: Person with almost equal authority as captain, elected by the crew, took over the prize. Maintained order, settled arguments, and distributed supplies. In charge of all booty gained and distributing it among the crew
- Reef: To reef sails is to shorten them, tying them partially up, either to slow the ship or to keep a strong wind from putting too much strain on the masts.
- Salmagundi: Popular dish of chopped meat (beef, fish, chicken, pig, turtle, etc.) eggs, anchovies, onions, grapes, cabbage, herring, and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, oil, vinegar.
- Scurvy :"Scurvy Dog". Meant low or mean (low in quality)
- Sea Rover: Pirate of pirate's ship
- Shiver Me Timbers: An expression of surprise or strong emotion; To shatter or splinter into pieces the timbers of a ship
- Sink me!: An expression of surprise.
- Splice the mainbrace; To have a drink or several drinks.
- Strike Trade: Career of Piracy
- Swab: Mop to clean the deck; Insult intended to show contempt for a crude, ignorant person
- Strike the Colors: Haul down a ship's flag as a signal of surrender
- Walk The Plank: Refers to blindfolding the prisoner, tying his hands to his sides, and forcing him to walk a plank that was suspended over the sea
- Weigh anchor: To haul the anchor up; more generally, to leave port.
- Wench :Generally, any woman. Specifically, a serving girl or barmaid in a pub or tavern.
- Yo-ho-ho: A very piratical thing to say, whether it actually means anything or not.
