Wednesday 11 December 2013

No room to swing a cat

Yet more contemplation of my naval terminology. Another batch of wonderful words from the 17th to the 19th Century which are at risk of slipping away from knowledge and use. Just remind yourself that new entries into the Oxford English Dictionary effectively shove out the other side some of the old words into redundancy and obscurity.

This time from M to Zee.

Matelot
Midshipman's nuts
Mole
Monkey's fist

Nipper
Nun

Oakum
Orlop deck
Ox-eye

Parbuckle
Part brass rags
Pitchpole
Pooped
Puddening

Ratlines
Rip rap

Scow
Sideboy
Slop chest
Spanker
Squat effect
Strake

Tattle Tale
Thole
Tingle
Tumblehome

Vang

Waft
Whiskers
Whipstaff
Worm, parcel and serve

Yarr, that's all.

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