Chewing the Fat

Today’s navy is much the same as yesterdays, and even back to the days of sail, in that hungry sailors have to eat. Today, sailors eat a hearty bowl of soup at morning stand easy. In the days of sail, they might have had to rely on chewing a fatty piece of salt-pork.

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All Hands

In a maritime environment, hand is short for shiphand, and is meant to describe one of the ship’s sailors. Hands is the collective version of the term, meaning the entire ship’s company, as used in pipes and announcements; e.g., “Hands to dinner!”

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Scuttlebutt

Scuttlebutt is a commonly used term with a naval origin. As far back as the 17th century, a scuttled butt was the term for a barrel that had been breached to provide a source of fresh water for the crew.

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