Origin of Words

[FinelyCruising]

Chewing the Fat - Before boats had refrigeration they carried salted beef which was extrmely tough to eat. Crew members would chew the food for hours in order to make it edible. Today chewing the fat is another phrase for talking.

 

Feeling blue - When a captain or any officers were lost at sea they would fly a blue flag to let others know. Today when someone is feeling a loss or down in the dumps we use the expression feeling blue.

 

Three sheets to the wind - If three sheets (lines used to control the sails) are flapping, then the boat is not control. Today three sheets to the wind suggests that someone has had too much to drink thus not in control.

 

(the last one proves that on most cruise ships we only lose one or two lines :D )