In honor of the 80th anniversary of the pivotal Battle of Midway, here are a few everyday terms we use in our vernacular that originated from those who put their lives in peril on the sea:

Above Board: There were many tasks and goings-on aboard ship, some above the deck and some below. The early ships’ decks were divided by boards (or planks). So, some duties were carried on above deck (or above board) and some were accomplished below. Away from the captain’s quarters, which were above deck, some surreptitious activities below deck would be unreported. Hence, when everything is above board, it means all is honest, easily witnessed and proven to be honorable.

Clean Bill of Health: Today, with our global economy and world-wide travel on a daily basis, diseases are easily spread. In the days of yore, however, diseases from one area were usually only transferred from one place to another by ship. Before a vessel sailed, the crew was examined by the ship’s doctor, who certified that everyone aboard ship was healthy and not carrying any contagion. He issued a clean bill of health that the ship carried to far-away ports of call, certifying that the crew was healthy and no threat to the inhabitants of the port city or island.  

 

Fitting the Bill: When something fits the bill, it means that it is exactly what is needed for whatever purpose is needed. It began with maritime ventures of long ago, when the ship’s captain (or whomever the captain chose as his agent) checked all cargo that was going abroad. He signed a bill for the merchandise with an exact count. When the ship reached its port, and the cargo was unloaded, the bill was checked and itemized to ensure that the exact amount that left the point of origin was the same upon arrival. This action was called fitting the bill, or making sure the bill matched the number of goods.

 

Turn a Blind Eye: Probably the most famous seaman of the 18th and 19th centuries was Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). Trafalgar Square in London boasts a sizable statue to him. Nelson was an intrepid leader during the long Napoleonic Wars. He led from the front, like many of our own Civil War heroes. Blinded in one eye from a previous naval fight, he was engaged in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. Ordered to withdraw by a distant ship carrying his superior, Nelson saw the order from his spyglass. He decided to ignore the order and stay in the fight, turning to look with his blind eye. Nelson won the battle and ensured his hero status. Today, to deliberately ignore a situation is to turn a blind eye – just as Horatio Nelson did over 200 years ago. 

Groggy: When we are tired and a bit out of sync from fatigue or waking from sleep, we often say we are groggy. It stems from a state described by mariners from centuries past. In order to make the supply of rum last longer on a ship, the rum was often watered down. It became a concoction known as grog. When sailors imbibed a little too much, they were considered groggy. While we no longer consider being groggy another manifestation of intoxication, a tired and somewhat disoriented person does seem to exhibit the same symptoms.

 

Under the Weather: The windward side of the ship was always the most unpleasant in which to be stationed. As members of the crew all had to take their turns standing watch in all parts of the ship; the ones who had were stationed on the windward side were subject to roiling seas and high winds. Often the men were seasick and unfit for duty after a particularly difficult watch, especially during storms. When allowed some time to recover from such a duty, they were considered under the weather. Today, when we feel a bit ill, but hope to recover soon, we say too that we are under the weather.

 

Toe the Line: Like most military formations, sailors at sea had to line up each day for assignments. Centuries ago, most sailors were shoeless – can you imagine climbing to the eagle’s nest atop the mast on ropes, with the sea swelling below, with shoes on? As they lined up, they literally toed the line that was either visible by planks or drawn by some other apparatus. Today, the phrase indicates obeying the rules, doing one’s duty, and generally staying out of trouble. Loose Cannon: Storms at sea were indeed hazardous, which is why all the cargo was stored below deck, and why during the frequent storms, few were allowed above deck. Because numerous cannon on a warship had to remain above deck, they were firmly chained in place. Sometimes, though, during a fierce storm, a cannon could become loose, rolling on the deck, and causing peril. The crew had to immediately anchor the loose cannon to keep the ship safe – as a loose cannon could not only fall overboard and be lost, but could fire if loaded and kill the crew or sink the ship. Today, a person is given the description of a loose cannon if he or she is unpredictable.

 

A Long Shot: We know that from studying the Civil War that in the 1830s rifling was invented on Springfield and Enfield rifled muskets and also on artillery. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the cannon aboard ship were not rifled and therefore not very accurate beyond three hundred or four hundred yards. During naval battles, when one ship fired upon another, if the enemy ship was farther than four hundred yards away, to fire the cannon in hoping to strike the other ship was considered a long shot. Today, when the odds are not necessarily in our favor, we call our attempt a long shot.

 

A Square Meal: The work of a mariner over the centuries has never been an easy one. We know from ancient days that often seamen were scant on supplies during a long voyage. Often, storms blew the ship off course, making rations even more miniscule for the longsuffering crew. When times were good, the crew could eat well, and sometimes even have a hot meal, which they relished. When given a hot meal, it was served on square wooden plates – and sailors called it their square meal. Today, when eating a healthy meal, we still call it just that.

 

The Devil’s to Pay: General John Buford’s famous quip, when he warned General Reynolds of the fight he was about to enter at Gettysburg, originates from those who made their life’s work on the sea. According to author William Henry Smith in his 19th century publication, A Sailor’s Word Book, it was used at sea long before it was used on land. Because the ship had to be constantly fixed and cleaned to be kept afloat in times of peril, the sailors were always on duty with jobs to do. Some were more laborious and time-consuming than others; some were downright awful. Cleaning the deck was a constant, unpleasant job; caulking and cleaning out debris were also workloads that sailors detested doing. They called their more unpleasant tasks paying the devil. When it was time to embark on one of these jobs, a crewman would say, the Devil’s to pay. It made its way into everyday vernacular by the middle of the 19th century, meaning that there was trouble afoot – as General John Buford could readily attest at Gettysburg.

 

There are many more nautical terms that we use all the time, whether on land or sea. It’s a fitting tribute to those who helped shape our world of today.

 

Pass the word!