Sea farers' language

[j.sabourn]

#99 The Americans have another name for what we call a bottlescrew as well Brian , the name is on the tip of my tongue as used the same name many times , but age must be catching up fast. Someone must remember . Cheers JS

[Colin Wood]

turnbuckle

[j.sabourn]

Spot on , now why couldn’t I remember that. They say as you get older you go back to your youth . JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Jeez John, That's a long way for some, mine is in the mists of time.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Obviously Des you spent too much time in the mist, the alcoholic mist maybe!!

[Ivan Cloherty]

Language changes all the time, just look at the use of English now compared to years ago.
Here in Oz for example we are Americanised in our speech more and more, the foot path is now the side walk, the boot the trunk and the bonnet the hood.
Motorways are freeways, and so it goes.
But we did get rid of feet and inches along with pounds and pence.
Makes it very hard for cappy now with his 3/9.

All of which, with respect, has nothing to do with Seafarers language which was our oldies common language where-in such a thing as a ceiling on a ship was completely different to a deckhead on a ship and a shore person overhearing two seamen talking about them would get the wrong end of the stick,just an observation.

[happy daze john in oz]

Ivan, at times I still refer to thing by sea names.
Told the wife the kitchen deck head needs a repaint.
Guess some terms remain with us for ever, but a mate of mine who has a medium size fishing boat uses the occasional sea term.
Never said where he learned them.

[happy daze john in oz]

Problem now Ivan is that the deckhead has still not been done.
No offers from her indoors after all my hints.
looks like my weekend now sorted,

[bob gatton]

Ok bit like a Quiz, Tabnab = sandwich cake, biscuit. Rosie= tea urn, Farmer= 3rd element of watchkeeping. blackpan & bell breakfast will guess either grey funnel line or steward related, Tiger= Captains steward, Sougie= washing bulkheads etc. The following is my contribution Dobie=wahing clothes, sparky= radio operator,Lampy=Bosuns mate, nozzer or peggy= first tripper,Truck= top of Mast.
Anyway thanks for the opportunity. Roger

Shakey Milk = evaporated milk. Tick Milk = Condensed Milk. Board of Trade Breakfast= Bacon, Egg, and Hotcake
He has got the Channels = Excited as homeward bound

[Ian wodier]

Harry = Harry Tate = the Mate