Seafaring idioms

Seafaring IdiomsStudents:

Marinescu StefanRemenyi ClaudiuMeregiu Georgiana

The termseafaring basically reffers to the activity of travelling on the sea especially while working on a ship/the carrer of a sailor,his call.It is believed that seafaring - defined as deliberate,place-to-place, open-ocean voyaging, appeared no earlier than 1015,000 years ago.

Seafaring2The term idiom means: a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.(eg:see the light)a form of expression natural to a language, person, or group of people phrases that cannot be taken literallyOrigins:Late 16th century,from french idiome or from Greek idioma(private property)

Tell it to the marines Meaning: a scornful response to a tall and unbelieved story.E.g:You say you lost your money because you got robbed?Tell it to the marines!Romanian equivalent:sa i-o spui lui mutuTo sail close to the windMeaning:to do something that is dangerous or only just legal/acceptable, to take risks.E.g:I thought she was sailing a a bit too close to the wind,when she accepted to run a shady business,but it turns out that I was wrong.Romanian equivalent:a o cauta cu lumanarea

Origins:This phrase illustrates the fact that marines were naive enough to believe ridiculous tales,but that sailors werent.

To push the boat outMeaning:to spend a lot of money or more money than you usually do, especially when you are celebrating.E.g:They really pushed the boat out for their weddingRomanian equivalent:a te intrece cu masura

To be in Davy Joness lockerMeaning:the bottom of the ocean, especially when regarded as the grave of all those who perish at sea.E.g:Their ship ended up in Davy Joness locker after a mysterious accidentRomanian equivalent:a se duce la fund Origin:Davy Jones is the evil spirit of the sea. There are various attempts to explain the name by associating it with someone of a similar name:

Davy Jones

When ones ship comes inMeaning: when one becomes rich and successfulE.g:When my ship will come in,it will probably be too lateRomanian equivalent:a-i surade norocul

Drowning man clutching at a strawMeaning:when you are desperate, you will look for anything that might get you out of that situation.E.g:He thinks that the robbery will cover all of his debts.A drowning man will clutch at a straw.Romanian equivalent:a atarna de un fir/a se agata de orice speranta/a fi pe muchie de cutit.

To know the ropesMeaning: knowledge of how to do something,having certain required skillsE.g:I know the ropes,so becoming the director of this company shouldnt be hard.Romanian equivalent:a sti mersul treburilor

Origin:it was such an important skill on sailing vessels that an honorable discharge of service was marked, at one time, with the term 'knows the ropes'.

Between the Devil and the deep blue sea

Meaning:in difficulty, faced with two dangerous alternatives.E.g:If he decides to quit his job,he will be between the devil and the blue sea,because he hasnt paid the rent for the last two monthsRomanian equivalent:intre ciocan si nicovalaOrigin:pointing back to Homer's Odyssey,it refers to Ulysses being caught between Scylla (a six-headed monster) and Charybdis (a whirlpool).

To be at a low ebbMeaning:below the usual condition or standardE.g:The death of his wife came at a time when his carrer was at a low ebb.Romanian equivalent:a fi in declin(a fi sub nivelul marii)

To rock the boat Meaning: to cause trouble where none is welcome; to disturb a situation that is otherwise stable and satisfactory.E.g:We certainly dont want anyone rocking the boat before we get our money from the ownerRomanian equivalent:a pune bete in roate

Long shotMeaning: an attempt that offers much but in which there is little chance for success.E.g:I will try to get some funds ,building a company from scratch is a long shot.Romanian equivalent:a incerca marea cu degetulBecause ships' guns in early days were very inaccurate except at close quarters, it was an extremely lucky shot that would find its target from any great distance.

To feel blueMeaning:to feel unwell, mainly associated with depression or unhappiness.E.g:This horrible weather makes me feel blue.Romanian equivalent:a fi la pamant

Origin:If you are sad,and describe yourself asfeeling blueyou are using a phrase originated from a custom among many old deepwater sailing ships.

To walk the plankMeaning:to suffer punishment at the hand of someoneE.g:The coach thought he could make 2 players walk the plank,but he was wrongRomanian equivalent:a fi aruncat in groapa cu lei

Origin:It was basically a form of execution in which victims were forced to walk, often blindfold and with hands tied, off a plank of wood and into the sea.

To be at seaMeaning:to be completely confusedE.g:He hasnt been to any of the training sessions. Therefore,hes all at sea with the new equipmentRomanian equivalent:a fi pe dinafara/a fi paralel

Loose cannonMeaning: An unpredictable person or thing, liable to cause damage if not kept in check by others.E.g:|Since his father left him,hes been a loose cannoneverywhere he goesRomanian equivalent:a fi cu capsa pusa

Origins:a loose cannon was just what it sounds like, that is, a cannon that had become free of its restraints and was rolling dangerously about the deck.

Plain SailingMeaning:smooth and easy progressE.g:After we graduated,it was plain sailing to get a jobRomanian equivalent:a merge ca pe roate

Origins:'Plane sailing' is a simplified form of navigation, in which the surface of the sea is considered to be flat rather than curved(a plane surface)

Above boardMeaning: without concealment and deception E.g:Their business was open and above boardRomanian equivalent:cu cartile pe fata

Origin: a captain with nothing to hide would keep his crew "above board.Black BookMeaning:a book containing the names of people to be punishedE.g:It seems that Mary broke my TV yesterday. Shes on my black book,then.Romanian equivalent:lista neagra

Origin:a collection of maritime laws and conduct. The punishments for offenses was harsh, to say the least.

14Miss the boat Meaning: to be too late to get something that you wantE.g:Those who wanted to buy tickets for the show will discover that they missed the boat,because there arent any more leftRomanian equivalent:a ramane cu ochii in soare

Cut and run

Meaning:to avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenlyE.g:There is a time to fight and there is a time to cut and runRomanian equivalent:a da bir cu fugitii

Origins: It has been suggested that it has a nautical derivation and that it refers to ships making a hasty departure by cutting off the anchor rope and running before the wind

Conclusions Although at first glance,idioms don't always make sense in general conversation, they are widely used and understood throughout history. Seafaring has one of the oldest origins,and it basically represented a way of life for people back then. Idioms with seafaring origins are used to express all kind of situations,but mostly they refer to certain human behaviours,tactics and some well-known myths. Many of the presented idioms are still being used in the present day,although most people are unaware of their origins.

Webliographyhttp://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cetag/1etimber.htmhttp://abceda.com/seaidiom1.htmhttp://idioms.thefreedictionary.comhttp://dictionary.reference.comhttp://www.phrases.org.ukhttp://thesaurus.comhttp://en.wiktionary.orghttp://www.anthro.utah.edu