Sailors Beware: Stories of Slang

jonathongreen.substack.com

37 points·redeemed··3 comments

"jack tar, which refers to the old habit of smearing your breeches with that sticky, liquid-repellent substance in a primitive effort at waterproofing."

Huh?

Tarring refers to treating hemp rope with tar to prevent it from rotting. Hemp rope rots from the inside, so it looks fine until it breaks. Thus the switch to manila (sometimes called "manila hemp", but it's really a species of banana) and then to synthetics. This is covered in both Two Years before the Mast and Moby Dick, as well as Wikipedia.

Wind-era sailors spent a lot of sea time on rope maintenance. Hence the name.

'Two Years Before The Mast' is an excellent book that I read just recently. Amazing adventure and author. Recommend to all.

Also, from USCG OCS: "How long have you been in the Coast Guard?!"

"Sir/Ma'am, all me bloomin' life. My father was King Neptune and my mother was a mermaid. I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep. My eyes r' stars, my teeth r' spars, my hair is hemp n' seaweed. And when I spits, I spits tar. I's tough I is, I am, I are."

That passage also appears in Reef Points, a little book given to USNA Midshipmen.

And one would be remiss to neglect the NSFW rendition of Friggin' in the Riggin' by the Sex Pistols => https://youtu.be/rwZjubLNPfE

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