- Thread starter
- #61
Those are all good, but in particular I did not know a castrated ram was a "wether." Very cool all of these.
aphorisms based on agriculture and nautical matters
- Thread starter The Knize
- Start date
"Any port in a storm."
"A loose cannon."
Victor Hugo details a harrowing description of this life threatening event in his novel Ninety Three.
Victor Hugo details a harrowing description of this life threatening event in his novel Ninety Three.
‘Buy cheap buy twice’
’One for the rook, one for the crow, one to die, and one to grow‘ (Sowing seeds)
’One for the rook, one for the crow, one to die, and one to grow‘ (Sowing seeds)
It does, in biblical times God told those who farmed wheat to leave the edges of the fields untouched and leave the grain that fell to the ground while sowing, then those with no land and poor (gleaners) would comb the edges of the fields and get the grain leftover on the ground, thus giving them the opportunity to survive without expecting handouts, it was the way God protected the widows, orphans and less fortunate while also helping them keep their dignity and reputation.
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- #66
Good posts. I knew the Biblical formulation of "gleaning," but did meaning of researching and gathering information to come to a conclusion come from that meaning or was it separately derived, I wonder.
And it is "off to the races!"
Did we say "in a pig's eye"? "When the chickens come home to roost"? "Put out to pasture."?
Naval overlaps with nautical. "Loose cannon" is great. We must have done "bull in a china shop." "A circular firing squad."
How about "to stack arms," which is usually used in the sense of "retiring in place"?
"I am short, so short I can walk under doors"--meaning my time in the service is fast coming to an end.
To "get one's goat."
"To egg on."
"To farm out"
"To take the reins."
"To go whole hog."
"To plow back."
"To put one's hand to the plow."
We must have down "separate the wheat from the chaff."
"A burr under his saddle."
"To walk on egg shells."
"big fish in a small pond"
"plenty more fish in the sea."
"tie of the iceberg"
"the coast is clear"
"to turn the tide"
"to tide someone over"
"to keep someone at bay"
"to rock the boast"
"the world is your oyster"
And it is "off to the races!"
Did we say "in a pig's eye"? "When the chickens come home to roost"? "Put out to pasture."?
Naval overlaps with nautical. "Loose cannon" is great. We must have done "bull in a china shop." "A circular firing squad."
How about "to stack arms," which is usually used in the sense of "retiring in place"?
"I am short, so short I can walk under doors"--meaning my time in the service is fast coming to an end.
To "get one's goat."
"To egg on."
"To farm out"
"To take the reins."
"To go whole hog."
"To plow back."
"To put one's hand to the plow."
We must have down "separate the wheat from the chaff."
"A burr under his saddle."
"To walk on egg shells."
"big fish in a small pond"
"plenty more fish in the sea."
"tie of the iceberg"
"the coast is clear"
"to turn the tide"
"to tide someone over"
"to keep someone at bay"
"to rock the boast"
"the world is your oyster"
- Thread starter
- #67
"lay your ship bare"
"hit the head"
"radio silence"
"a braodside"
"loose lips sink ships"
"here be dragons"
"hit the head"
"radio silence"
"a braodside"
"loose lips sink ships"
"here be dragons"
- Thread starter
- #68
taken aback
the cut of his jib
pipe down
toe the line
in the doldrums
by and large
aloof
Dutch courage
wide berth
keeled over
showing true colors
all hands on deck
dead in the water
three sheets to the wind
hard and fast
high and dry
batten down the hatches
turn a blind eye
under the weather
full to the gunwales
chock a block
dire straits
a different tack
shipshape
take the helm
in the same boat
to cut and run
in the offiing
at sea
ships passing in the night
clear sailing
the cut of his jib
pipe down
toe the line
in the doldrums
by and large
aloof
Dutch courage
wide berth
keeled over
showing true colors
all hands on deck
dead in the water
three sheets to the wind
hard and fast
high and dry
batten down the hatches
turn a blind eye
under the weather
full to the gunwales
chock a block
dire straits
a different tack
shipshape
take the helm
in the same boat
to cut and run
in the offiing
at sea
ships passing in the night
clear sailing
‘Shake a leg’ - (Royal Navy)
- Thread starter
- #70
Did we say "stalking horse" earlier?
‘As the crow flies‘ - (Royal Navy) - When lost or unsure of their position, ships would release a caged crow. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land giving the ship a navigational position. The tallest lookout platform on a ship was known as the crow’s nest.
‘Overbearing’ - (Royal Navy) - To sail downwind directly at another ship, diverting the wind from it’s sails.
‘Aftermath’ - A second crop of grass.
‘Overbearing’ - (Royal Navy) - To sail downwind directly at another ship, diverting the wind from it’s sails.
‘Aftermath’ - A second crop of grass.
- Thread starter
- #72
Those are good.
Belongs in the blacksmithing thread, but did we do "strike while the iron is hot"?
How about "burr under my saddle"?
"That dog won't hunt"?
"Greener pastures"
"horse of a different color"
We must have done "die in the yoke".
"dead ahead"
Belongs in the blacksmithing thread, but did we do "strike while the iron is hot"?
How about "burr under my saddle"?
"That dog won't hunt"?
"Greener pastures"
"horse of a different color"
We must have done "die in the yoke".
"dead ahead"
- Thread starter
- #73
Did we do "spill the beans"?
"as dime a dozen" may have ag origins
"as dime a dozen" may have ag origins
Just heard a new phrase from the farm
More rain...more rest.
More babies for the nest.
More rain...more rest.
More babies for the nest.
- Thread starter
- #75
I had not heard that one. Not sure how I would use it day to day though!
Funny how today "third rate" has a negative connotation, but back in the day, this was one of the top three ratings that made up the main battle ships ... the "ships of the line".
The lesser ratings ... 4 through 9 ... we're for scouting, patrol, and other purposes but stayed away from the big battles.
In many ways, "the mighty 74" was the backbone of Nelson's navy.
Third rate 74s made up the bulk of the British fleet at Trafalgar, and the term Battleship is an abbreviation of ‘in line of battle ships.’
In Nelson’s time English regional dialects were so strong that the speech of many English sailors would have been incomprehensible to their fellow countrymen.
With the Scots Welsh and Irish thrown in, plus Dutch Spanish Portuguese etc, how did they manage to communicate.
HMS Invincible, a 74 due to join the British fleet and sail to Copenhagen was wrecked off Happisburgh Norfolk on the 16th of March 1801.
Happisburgh is pronounced Haysbruh or Hazeborough!
With the Scots Welsh and Irish thrown in, plus Dutch Spanish Portuguese etc, how did they manage to communicate.
HMS Invincible, a 74 due to join the British fleet and sail to Copenhagen was wrecked off Happisburgh Norfolk on the 16th of March 1801.
Happisburgh is pronounced Haysbruh or Hazeborough!
