Odd Bits or Bits of Oddities

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04-01-2009, 04:56 AM

#11

alarkyokie

Weekends off? HA!

Joined APC: May 2006

Posts: 991

Ya'll need this link;

Online Etymology Dictionary

04-01-2009, 05:58 AM

#12

HoursHore

Thx Age 65

Joined APC: Jul 2005

Position: MD11CAP

Posts: 1,041

Ring around the rosie, Pocket Full of Posies is about the Bubonic Plague.

04-09-2009, 11:45 PM

#13

FlyJSH

Day puke

Joined APC: Feb 2006

Position: Out.

Posts: 3,865

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomgoodman

"The cat's out of the bag" --- it had nothing to do with felines, but referred to the "cat-o'-nine-tails" and the silken bag in which it was kept on the old sailing ships. The Captain might occasionally threaten a flogging, but if he took the cat out of the bag --

"Scuttlebutt" --- the barrel of drinking water, around which the crew swapped rumors.

"The devil to pay" --- the outermost deck plank (the 'devil board') needs a coating ('paying') of hot pitch, and the hapless sailor has let it get cold. Obviously, it would be hazardous to find oneself "between the 'devil' and the deep blue sea".

Source: the excellent series of novels by Patrick O'Brian, starting with "Master and Commander".

The "Bitter End" is the last bit of rope to tie around the bit

Bravo Zulu: Congratulations/well done

Tango Uniform: gone bad or dead (literally "t!ts up")

and finally

SNAFU!