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Other embellishments we know today are steeped in seagoing tradition. Ornamental buttons found on the sleeves of gentlemen’s and ladies' clothing today owe their heritage to the early sailing ships. Boys often as young as nine or 10 years old were taken aboard by the captain to serve as cabin boys. It was common for these young sailors to get homesick, blubber, and cry a lot. As a result, they would wipe their snotty, runny noses on the sleeves of their jackets. To put a stop to this ungentlemanly habit, Lord Nelson ordered ornamental buttons be sewed on the sleeves of these boys coats. Once the decorative sleeve buttons were seen back in London they soon became the rage and tailors took to adorning landlubbers clothing in a similar fashion.
 Traditions may have disappeared or been modified throughout time, but the combination of a boat, a skipper, and his crew will always be a neverending fountain of lore. | |
The sighting of another ship on the horizon was always a cause for excitement and possibly grave concern to the captain and crew. With no radios onboard, the flying of flags was the primary means of communication between sailing ships.When approaching one another, the proper procedure was to show your colors, or flag, so that the each captain could identify the others country of origin. The deceptive practice of intentionally hiding your ship’s colors or flying the ensign of another country for the purpose of treachery was not uncommon, particularly by pirates. This maneuver became known as a Bamboozle. Today we’re most likely to be bamboozled by someone like a politician who doesn’t show his true colors until after the election.
 Dropping bottles off a ship was a way to deliver intelligence reports long ago. | |
In early days, all sailing ships left port with an ample supply of the most readily available liquids. Usually this proved to be water and beer. With no methods to properly preserve these cask-stored provisions though, the beer soon began to turn sour and the water eventually developed algae and slime. In the British Navy, the custom became to drink the beer first at the generous rate of one gallon a day per sailor and then consume the water.
Later on, Grog became the standard seagoing libation. This all started after Vice Admiral William Penn captured the island of Jamaica. Scant traces of beer or wine were found to replenish their ship’s stores, but they discovered a wonderful new alternative—rum. By 1731 this unspoilable commodity was added to the “Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesties Service at Sea” in the measure of a half-pint per sailor per day. Not surprisingly, the doling out of straight rum in half-pint quantities led to drunkenness and disciplinary problems. It was soon recognized that water needed to be added to the rum and the servings spaced out over the course of the day.
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| "West-northwest was one-third rum and two-thirds water and to drink a “nor-wester” was to have half rum and half water." |
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Eventually the term Grog was coined by the sailors who served duty under Admiral Edward Vernon. Admiral Vernon, referred to as “Old Grog” by his men was known to perpetually wear a long waterproofed cape-like coat made of mohair, wool, and silk, called a grogam. It is he who is first credited with adding water to the rum. Sugar and lime were introduced to make the mixture more palatable and by 1756 were part of the official regulations.
You may hear of rum and or grog referred to as “Nelson’s blood.” This is a result of Lord Nelson’s body being placed into a barrel of rum for preservation after being killed at Trafalgar. Legend has it that the sailors on the ship actually drank from the cask containing Lord Nelson’s body.
 "Three sheets to the wind" refers to the result of letting go of the sheets that control the sails, which will then flutter and flap causing the boat to shudder and stagger—very much like a drunken sailor will do. | |
The modern gambling term long shot derives itss origin from the days when ship’s guns were very inaccurate except at extreme close quarters. Only a “lucky” shot would hit anything from a distance. Now it’s a long shot if you don’t think you’re going to wake up feeling a little groggy after a night of drinking too much. Speaking of drinking, did you know that drinking a toast comes from the days when it was customary for seamen to actually put a piece of toast in their hot toddy or hot mulled wine before they drank it. And if you’re beginning to feel “hunky-dory” about how things are going, take heart that the term was coined from a street named Honki-Dori in Yokohama. This street catered to the “pleasures of sailors,” and the name became synonymous for satisfaction itself.
With this primer on the nautical influence in our lives today, you’ll probably start recognizing other phrases or customs that most likely have their roots from sailing days gone past. That is, if you’re not a “stick in the mud,” “too pooped,” or have just had the “wind taken out of your sails”—or maybe it’s a Friday and you believe that if you leave the house your voyage will be doomed.
Recipe for Grog Here’s a quick recipe for grog to keep your own crew happy. (Choose your compass points wisely.)1. One shot of rum 2. One tsp sugar 3. Squeeze of lime 4. Cinnamon stick 5. Boiling water Stir all ingredients and add boiling water to fill mug. |
