Classic Sea Terms

Now this is interesting...

CLASSIC SEA TERMS:

Baboon watch - The person standing watch while the rest of the crew is on leave, usually the apprentice.
Bird's nest - tangled rope
Black gang - engine room crew
Blood money - payment to an agent for the recruitment of a seaman
Bubbleheads - ships divers (standard helmets)
Cape Horn fever - the feigned illness of a seaferer
Cat's paw - a small puff that ruffles the surface of the water
Deadeye watch - 4 am to 8 am watch
Dead horse - sailor's debt for advance wages
Dogs running before their master - the heavy swell in advance of the hurricane
Dutch courage - fearlessness brought on by strong drink
Dying man's dinner - food quickly prepare during an emergency
Fourth class liberty - watching the shore when confined to the ship
Fuel fever - fuel oil in short supply
Galley news - gossip and rumor
Graveyard watch - 12 - 4 am
Granny knot - failed, un-seamanlike attempt at a square knot
Half seas over - just short of being drunk
High pressure hat - an officer's cap
Hot bunk - a bunk used successively by more than one sailor
Irish hurricane - a flat calm
Livina gale - a severe storm
Paper jack - a licensed captain seen to be incompetent
Pig boat - a submarine
Rope -Yarn Sunday - an afternoon off devoted to washing and sewing clothes
Sailor's blessing - a curse
Seaman's disgrace - a fouled anchor
Soup jockey - Ships officers steward


got some more coming up later...