THE WAY IN THE NAVY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1931, Page 7

THE WAY IN THE NAVY

ORIGIN OF MANY TERMS. SOME EVERY-DAY EXPRESSIONS. Reference to the way in which naval expressions had crept into every-day language was made by Rear-Admiral Geoffrey Blake, when addressing the Marsden College pupils in Wellington last week. “Perhaps when one of your brothers is particularly quick and intelligent you will call him a ‘Smart little nipper.’ Well, a ‘nipper’ was one of the smartest boys on board the old sailing men-of-war,” he said, “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 that it was a ‘elope shave.’ When a ship happens to scrape over a shoal without slopping 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 carving on tiie sterns of the old sailing men-of-war was known as ‘gingerbread work’ possibly from the uneven appearance, and it was gilded over. If this got spoilt, you talked of ‘taking the gilt off’ the gingerbread.’ “Old customs, old expressions, deeds oi heroism and daring, all go to build Up tlie traditions of the service of which we are very proud.”