Common Nautical Phrases You Use Without Realising!

Lots of language we use comes from ships and sailing – far more than you might realise.

These phrases were used practically in the past, but have now become part of everyday speech, even for those who have never set foot on a boat or a ship.

Well-Known Nautical Phrases and What They Mean:

Here are some of the more well known nautical phrases.

• “All hands on deck”
  • Meaning everyone needs to help right now.
    • Originally, this expression called the crew to their positions.
• “Loose cannon”
  • This expression is commonly used for an unpredictable person
    • Originally, this referred to unsecured cannons on ships that could roll about and cause damage.
• “Batten down the hatches”
  • A phrase commonly used to warn people to prepare for trouble ahead.
    • Originally, this meant to secure the ship before bad weather hits.
• “Three sheets to the wind”
  • We use this expression to mean someone is very drunk.
    • This actually referred originally to sails flapping loosely and a ship losing control.
• “High and dry”
  • We use this phrase to mean someone is stuck or abandoned in some way.
    • Originally, this refers to a ship stranded above the tide line.
• “Let the cat out of the bag”
  • We use this expression if someone has inadvertently revealed a secret.
    • It is thought to refer to the “Cat-o’-nine tails,” a whip used for corporal punishment, particularly in the Royal Navy and British Army.
    • It’s a multi-tailed whip, with nine ropes lashed together. The name is thought to come from the way it scratched the skin, resembling the claws of a cat.
• “Know the ropes”
  • This expression means someone has learnt to do their job well.
    • Sailors had to “learn the ropes” on the ships to do their jobs properly.

• “Taken aback”
  • If someone is “taken aback”, they are surprised by something.
    • This actually refers to sails being pushed the wrong way by the wind.
• “Toe the line”
  • If you toe the line, you are following the rules.
    • This came from sailors standing to attention with their toes on a deck seam.
    • This was to ensure that they stood in a straight, uniformed line.
• “By and large”
  • We would mean “generally speaking” if we used this phrase.
    • This was originally a nautical term, referring to a ship’s ability to sail well both close to the wind (by) and away from it (large)
• A “long shot”
  • Used to mean something is unlikely to work out, but it is worth a try.
    • Ships’ guns were originally quite inaccurate. If a shot made an impact from a distance, this was a “long shot” – and was considered quite out of the ordinary.
• “Hit the deck”
  • Means you’ve fallen to the floor – either intentionally or accidentally.
    • Sailors might ‘hit the deck’ or dive to the floor if they are being attacked.

More Unusual Ones You May Not Have Heard Of:

• Pipe down
  • Telling people to be quiet.
    • This came from a boatswain’s pipe (also known as a Bosun’s whistle), which was used to signal that everyone must be silent.

• “In the doldrums”
  • Feeling low or fed up.
    • This refers to the windless area near the equator where sailing ships got stuck because of the calm or variable winds.
    • This could lead to boats being delayed or stranded.
• “Scuttlebutt”
  • This refers to news or gossip that might not necessarily be true. It is a North American expression, I have certainly not heard of it in England!
    • This came from the barrel of water/drinking fountain that sailors gathered around.
    • (scuttle means drill and a butt is a cask)
• “Cut and run”
  • Meaning to leave something and make a speedy exit.
    • If a ship needs to make a quick getaway because of a dangerous situation, there may not be enough time to raise the anchor.
    • The crew might decide to cut the anchor free and run for safety.
• “A clean slate”
  • This means having a fresh start.
    • It referred to wiping navigational slates clean on a ship when one voyage finished, before the new one began.
• “Over a barrel”
  • This refers to someone being powerless or stuck in a situation.
    • It refers to when sailors were being punished, they were often tied over a barrel.
• “The Cut of His/Her Jib”
  • Meaning a person’s outward appearance or demeanour.
    • A jib is a type of sail. At one time, countries displayed their own unique jibs, allowing outsiders to instantly know where the ship came from. They could form an impression at a distance by “the cut of its jib.”
• “As the crow flies”
  • If you travel ‘as the crow flies’, you travel in a straight line, avoiding obstacles.
    • It is said that Vikings released land-loving crows or ravens from ships to help them find a route to the nearest land.
    • It is also said this is why the lookout point at the top of a ship was called the ‘crow’s nest’. It’s named after the place where Vikings kept their crows in a cage.
• “The bitter end”
  • If you’ve reached the ‘bitter end’, it means you’ve gone as far as you possibly can, often in a difficult situation.
    • The bitter end is the last part of an anchor chain or rope that secures the anchor to the ship.
    • Reaching the bitter end meant the chain or rope was extended as far as possible.

Why So Many Phrases Come From Ships

Sailing was a major part of life for centuries.

You would likely use ships to travel, trade with others, or go to war.

Ships had their own culture, and lots of that language carried into the wider world, especially in English-speaking countries with strong naval histories.

These phrases are still used today in daily life, business and politics.

I am sure you use some of them, without realising their nautical origins!

Before You Go

Find out why we really call ships “she” here:

The Real Reason Ships Are Called “She” – Language, History, and Myth

Find out why ships are often red below the waterline here:

Why Are Ships Red Below The Waterline? – I Went Under One to Find Out!