Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat: Naval Slang and Its Everyday Usage. Martin Robson (Hardcover)

~ Martin Robson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

'As the crow flies', 'chunder', 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey', 'three sheets to the wind' - many terms like these are used in everyday English language conversation and writing. But how many landlubbers know that they derive from naval slang or know what the phrase originally referred to? The navy has helped to shape modern society. The navy is famous for its traditions, quirks and nuances. It is distinctly different to wider society and nowhere is this more evident than in language. The naval community once had its own language, incomprehensible to anyone who was not a sailor, which described and explained his unique world. But on shore leave these men introduced their language to the populations of bustling ports and harbours and the usage slowly spread inland.Today through the mediums of film, television and music, naval slang has been brought to the wider public and has become fully integrated into the English language to point where many phrases are used by people who have no concept of their meaning.Presenting terminology thematically, this book provides a compilation of naval slang throughout the world, from terms relating to ship-handling and seamanship through to food and drink, discipline and insults. The text is further enhanced with original black line drawings that illustrate certain technical terms, such as 'splice the mainbrace'.It covers not only the Royal Navy, but US and Commonwealth navies as well. The entries are divided thematically. It features specially commissioned black line artwork. It follows in Conway's extremely popular pocket-book series.

About the Author

Martin Robson is a former Caird Research Fellow at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. His Ph.D. thesis examined British strategic policy from 1806 to 1808. He is the author of The Battle of Trafalgar in the Compass series. He lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Conway Maritime Press (October 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844860736
• ISBN-13: 978-1844860739
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #673,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat, March 19, 2009

By	Dennis A. Murphy (Doylestown, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For a person without a naval background - interesting and informative.
For a person with a naval background - you already know 98% of what's in this book. The book is good for putting on your bookshelf for friends who don't know much about nautical expressions and might be interested in them.