Fun Artcles, nautical lingo.

WHY WE SAY IT! Today’s Land-Lubber Language Descended from the Sea America’s sea-faring past is never more apparent than it is in our everyday speech. Even as the USA moved away from its sea-going heritage, snippets of the language of the ocean-blue remain a part of our lexicon, in terms of individual words and even complete phrases. Many of these are expressions we use every day, and most of us haven’t a clue as to their nautical origins. And yet, learning about a few of them could even be fun – a conversation topic as you lift your favorite tipple on the aft deck of your boat 5this summer. Time to bone up now. Here are a couple of examples: Above Board: How often have we used that expression as a means of demonstrating that what we say is out in the open, transparent, and honest? The phrase comes from the 18th century when pirates would often hide much of the crew below decks. That gave a false sense of security to ships overhauled by pirate vessels. Conversely, ships that displayed their crews on deck were thought to be honest merchant ships known as “above board.” Any Ole Port In A Storm: When trouble broke at sea, the ship would head to the nearest port, whatever it was, to avoid problems with weather. Today, the expression in everyday language is used when one needs help from whatever source is nearest and easiest to access. As The Crow Flies: Both nautically and in everyday speech, this phrase means the most direct route from Point A to Point B, a straight line without detour or route changes because of streets, obstructions, etc. British ships routinely carried cages of crows. These birds fly straight to the nearest land when they are released at sea, thus indicating the most direct route.