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Island Woman MJ
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| Joined: | Mon Dec 25th, 2006 |
| Location: | Culebra |
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Posted: Fri Oct 26th, 2007 12:01 pm |
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I got this in the mail this morning, and while I myself never have been in this condition, I thought it might be enlightening reading, some of us having a nautical bent.
Three sheets to the wind
Meaning
Very drunk.
Origin
Our colleagues at CANOE, the Committee to Ascribe a Nautical Origin to Everything, have been hard at work and, to their great pleasure, they can add this phrase to their list. 'Three sheets to the wind' is indeed a seafaring expression.
To understand this phrase we need to enter the arcane world of nautical terminology. Sailors' language is, unsurprisingly, all at sea and many supposed derivations have to go by the board. Don't be taken aback to hear that sheets aren't sails, as landlubbers might expect, but ropes (or occasionally, chains). These are fixed to the lower corners of sails, to hold them in place. If three sheets are loose and blowing about in the wind then the sails will flap and the boat will lurch about like a drunken sailor.
The phrase is these days more often given as 'three sheets to the wind', rather than the original 'three sheets in the wind'. The earliest printed citation that I can find is in Pierce Egan's Real Life in London, 1821:
"Old Wax and Bristles is about three sheets in the wind."
Sailors at that time had a sliding scale of drunkenness; three sheets was the falling over stage; tipsy was just 'one sheet in the wind', or 'a sheet in the wind's eye'. An example appears in the novel The Fisher's Daughter, by Catherine Ward, 1824:
"Wolf replenished his glass at the request of Mr. Blust, who, instead of being one sheet in the wind, was likely to get to three before he took his departure."
Robert Louis Stevenson was as instrumental in inventing the imagery of 'yo ho ho and a bottle of rum' piracy as his countryman and contemporary Sir Walter Scott[ was in inventing the tartan and shortbread 'Bonnie Scotland'. Stevenson used the 'tipsy' version of the phrase in Treasure Island, 1883 - the book that gave us 'X marks the spot', 'shiver me timbers' and the archetypal one-legged, parrot-carrying pirate, Long John Silver. He gave Silver the line:
"Maybe you think we were all a sheet in the wind's eye. But I'll tell you I was sober; "
Last edited on Fri Oct 26th, 2007 12:09 pm by Island Woman MJ
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Salva lo que queda! Save What's Left!
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Doug
Charter Member
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Posted: Fri Oct 26th, 2007 02:59 pm |
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You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on. ~Dean Martin
Does CANOE have any entries regarding Admiral Martin?
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"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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Island Woman MJ
Island Expert
| Joined: | Mon Dec 25th, 2006 |
| Location: | Culebra |
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Posted: Fri Oct 26th, 2007 03:09 pm |
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I don't know...I didn't look it up. Canoe? 
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Jim
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| Joined: | Fri Dec 29th, 2006 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 26th, 2007 05:22 pm |
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As I was preparing an entry to the History Link I came across this posting, it reminded me of the Journal of Frank Brennan a Navy seaman who I've included in the upcoming History panels to give a more personal face to the young Navy men who visited Culebra. Frank sailed into Culebra in 1905 aboard the USS New York, before that he sailed on board the legenedary Annapolis a Briggantine Rigged Battleship, this is from his log June 1904
June 5. Furled sail on the fore, run out othe jib, flying jib, and trysail and main gaff topsle, spanker and mizzen gaff tops’sle, in afternoon set the main topmast stay’sle and mizzen topmast stay’sle, my watch below this afternoon.
June 26. All sail set, in addition to the sail we had set yesterday is the fore’s fore top’s and the te gallant scle (???), we are knocking out 9 knots and a little over. My trick at the wheel , I get a wheel watch every (120) twenty four hours. June 27. Wind died down a little took in all the headsail and rest is flapping, no quarters, had lots of rain since leaving Cavite (? ??). Passed where the Charlestown sunk yesterday
(126) take the sheet anchor forrad on the fo’c’sle, reeve off the cat, hoist the anchor and set on the bill board, bent on a hawser to the ring and had it ready for letting go.
FROM 1905
Feb. 18 Arrived here in Culebra Bay at 11.35 AM. The commander of the Alliance came aboard, and we got a little news, the big fleet left here yesterday for Pensacola Fla, the Alliance is station ship here. We have got orders to have our target practice here, and then proceed to Hampton Roads for further orders. Feb. 19. Pulled over in the whale boat to the Alliance a distance of about 4 miles had to pass through a narrow canal to get there, the canal was built by blue jackets. (245) Feb. 20. Making all preparations for target practice. I went ashore today in a working party and we built a target. Feb. 21. Set the targets and buoys, was in ____ boat all day. Feb. 22 Washington’s birthday, decorated ship. At noon fired a salute of twenty one guns. I was in a working party to slew (???) the target today and was soaked to the skin. Pulling and swimming. Target practice will take place tomorrow. Feb. 23. I was out in a boat all day helping to move the target out to a further range, and it was a wet job. Cleared ship for action today. Started in to fire the 8 inch guns.
Feb 24. Finished firing the 8 inch guns today, the best score made with the 8 inch was (246)several shots and seven hits in 1 minute. Feb. 25. Started to fire the 4 inch guns today and will be finished with them this evening. Feb 26. Sunday, and a baseball game ashore with the crew of the Alliance and beat them by a score of nine to five. No firing done today. Feb 27. We will fire colts and six pounders today, I will have to fire a six pounder as I am a qualified gun pointer. Feb 28. Had torpedo practice today. Mar 1. Had six pounder practice today. Rough (???) made very poor scores. Mar 2. Weighted anchor at 9.00 PM and are now bound for Hampton Roads Bay.Attachment: Frank Brennan.png (Downloaded 28 times)
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"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." -- John Kenneth Galbraith
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Island Woman MJ
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| Joined: | Mon Dec 25th, 2006 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 26th, 2007 07:36 pm |
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Nice job, Jim! Boy, Culebra has been abused a long time. Baseball and bullets 
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