It’s always fun when someone you know – a friend – has a book published. Here’s Three Sheets to the Wind by Cynthia Barrett about the nautical origins of everyday expressions. 

This is not a compendium of sailing idioms – all that tacking, luffing, jibing and heeling language of the business of sailing. This is rather the expressions we use in many daily contexts that have often-forgotten roots in seafaring.

And it’s wonderfully entertaining.

If you’re feeling blue, at loose ends, in the doldrums don’t be a standoffish dingbat. Before you get pooped out or overwhelmed, get on your glad rags, grab a cup of joe and enjoy a few happy hours with this first rate book.

And then make a toast to the author and her illustrator.  

So if you want to know the ropes and grapple with the language scuttlebutt, rummage about and get hold of – and press into service – a copy of this book. It really is a fun read. 

Deep Six for POSH

Barrett makes reference to the debunked sea voyaging origins of the word “posh” often said to be an acronym for Portside Out, Starboard Home – an ocean liner notation for the best cabin choice on the voyage to India or South Africa and back to England.

There are acronyms that have come in to the language – radar – for example – but as Barrett points out, this is not one of them. 

The origins of posh are actually, well, a little less posh, and seem to be in underworld slang for money. For those who want to toe the line linguistically and keep the words ship shape there’s an interesting dive into the Romany origins – and first recorded use of the word in a court of law – here: The Probable Origins of the Word Posh

So now we have that squared away, carry on and get cracking. Thanks Cynthia.