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JAN/FEB. 1974 Page 8 NAUTICAL ETYMOLOGY This look at the derivation of some familiar maritime terms is from a paper presented by G. S. Prentice to the Quarterback Society of the University of Michigan. Mr. Prentice is a former employee of the Newport News Shipbuilding Company and this article comes from their company paper, Newport NewstTory, Fall issue, 1971. ere ABOVEBOARD - This slang term for honesty originated in the day when pirates would sometimes hide most of their crew behind the bulwarks, to lure some unsuspecting victim into thinking him an honest merchantman. Anyone who displayed all his crew openly on deck was obviously an honest seaman. AHOY - This was once the dreaded war cry of the Vikings; a distinct nau- tical hail. ANCHOR WATCH - Anchor watch was originally stood only when the ship was tied up in dock and her anchors stowed on deck. Then a watch was posted Lest, says the serious chronicler of early days, some miscreants from ye other ships about 'steaje ye anchors while theye (the crew) sieepe. ARRIVE - The good dictionary word arrive was originally a nautical expression. It was derived from the Latin word arripare and meant to 'come to shore. BERSERK - This word, denoting un- governable rage, was coined from the custom of the Vikings who, to prove their courage in desparate fights, would tear off their shirts of mail, and fight half naked. Hence, the term berserk or baresark, mean- ing literally bare of shirt, as 'sark is the Norse word for shirt. Also: Keep your 'shirt on, BITTER END - Originally referred to the end of the cable abaft the bitts which was not allowed to run out when letting-go the anchor. All authorities agree that this phrase relates to the end of the ship's cable attached to the windlass- bitts. When the anchor had been let out to the bitter end, there was nothing more to be done; if worse came, the cable would part and the ship drive ashore. BLUE, FEELING - A phrase coined from a custom among many old deepwater ships, by which if the vessel lost a captain or officers during a voyage she would fly blue flags and have a blue band painted along her entire hull when returning to home port. BOOTLEGGER - This is a modern term with an old origin. Bootleggers got their name from smugglers in King George III's reign. The nickname derived from the smugglers' custom of hiding packages of valuables in their huge seaboots when dodging His Majesty's coastguardsmen. PRIG - Those handsome little two- masted square-riggers which nobly filled their quota of romance and usefulness in the days of sail, received their name 3rig from the word Srigand, a term for levant Pirates or outlaws. Because Admiral Nelson once assigned a small brig to Carry captives taken in naval en- gagement, seamen came to associate that vessel with prisoners, and the term brig became sailor's univers- al slang for jail. CARRY ON - While the order carry on now means only to proceed with any duty, it was originally a spe- cific order not to shorten sail, but to carry on all canvas the ship would stand unless stress of bad weather dictated otherwise.