A charming etymology for all salty-minded people. Explains the fascinating ship-board beginnings of over 200 words and expressions, with the author's own delightful cartoons.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Those interested in word etymology might be surprised to find that some common English phrases have nautical origin. In Bill Beavis and Richard McCloskey s Salty Dog Talk, the origins of such expressions as no room to swing a cat (referring to either lack of flogging room, lack of room for a sailing collier to swing at anchor, or a derivation of cot , a sailor s name for his hammock) are discussed, supplemented by Beavis whimsical cartoons. The pocket-sized book contains more than 20 phrases and describes how they came ashore.
Bill Beavis was a seaman turned journalist, and Richard McCloskey is a marine historian. --Soundings, January 2008 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Bill Beavis was a seaman turned journalist, and Richard McCloskey is a marine historian. --Soundings, January 2008 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From A.1 to Write-Off,
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This review is from: Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions (Paperback)
Bill Beavis and Richard McCloskey's "Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions" is a short, entertaining but informative "dictionary" of everyday expressions with nautical origins.
The roughly 200 terms and expressions can be grouped into three types: common words we all know have nautical origins (e.g., scuttlebutt, groggy); common words most of us don't know have nautical connections, often because they have obscure nautical origins (e.g., blazers, "black book," son of a gun, filibuster); and words with a nautical etymology (floating, hammocks, mayonnaise, rostrum, quarantine). Surprisingly, even though the authors give the etymology of many primarily nautical words, they do not include entries for "starboard" and "port/larboard." The entries are short, not sourced, and are often amusing and light-hearted (especially when the terms border on or have truly "salty" and crude variations). Although a bit over-priced, this book is good for what is tries to do and would be a welcome addition to any sailor's or amateur etymologist's/linguist's library, or for anyone else with any interest in these subjects.
4.0 out of 5 stars
fun and informative... the tone is just right,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions (Paperback)
Got it for my son, who has taken up sailing and loves it. He loves knowing the origin of so many phrases. The tone is lighthearted and fun, easy to read. I have to admit I've paged thru it myself a few times and found it enjoyable as well.
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