NAVAL EXPRESSIONS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 1 May 1931, Page 7

NAVAL EXPRESSIONS

Interesting Derivations Rear-Admiral Geoffrey Blake, R.N., in an address given recently, spoke on the interesting derivation of various expressions used in the English language today and which could he traced back to the old. naval sailing ship day.-. "Perhaps,” said Rear-Admiral Blake, "when a boy is particularly quick and intelligent you will call him a smart little nipuer; well, a nipper was one of the smartest boys on board the old sailing mcn-of-war. He was the boy who put what they called a nipper on the big hemp hawsers which were secured to the anchors. And when they were weighing the anchor he ’had to jump around and put a nipper on to prevent it running out again. “You say a thing is ‘touch and go,’ which means Hint it was a close shave. When a ship happened to scrape over a shoal without stopping she was said to ‘touch and go.’ “Taking the ‘gilt off the gingerbread,’ which is an expression often used ashore, is entirely of naval origin. The elaborate carvings on the sterns of the old sailing men-of-war were known as ‘gingerbread work,’ possibly from the uneven appearance, and they were gilded over. If this got spoilt you talked of taking the gilt off the gingerbread. “Old customs, old expressions, deeds of heroism and daring, all go to (mild lip the traditions of the service, of which we are very proud.”