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Where does the saying 'show a leg' come from?
Commonly used to encourage people to get up in the morning or to hurry along, it originated in the...
Why do sailors say 'port' and 'starboard', for 'left' and 'right'?
'Starboard' derives from the Anglo-Saxon 'steorboard', the side-hung rudder which was on the boat's...
Where does the phrase 'tell it to the Marines' come from?
The phrase may originate from a quotation in an 1806 novel 'The Post Captain'...
What is the origin of the saying 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'?
The popular explanation is that 18th-century warships stored their shot on brass racks called...
What are the origins of the sailor’s hornpipe?
There are references to the instrument the hornpipe used to accompany the dance in Chaucer's...
What is the history of the ship's biscuit?
There are references to Richard the Lionheart setting out from England in 1190 with his ships...
What is the significance of the three white tapes on the collar of the Royal Naval sailors’ uniform?
The three tapes were said to commemorate Nelson’s three great battles but this is not the case...
What is the origin of launching ceremonies?
In the past, ceremonies included human sacrifice and the garlanding of ships with flowers...
How did the distinction lace on the sleeves of naval officers’ uniforms originate?
It evolved from the highly decorative gold embroidery or lace which adorned naval officers' uniform...
What is the history of the naval crown?
The naval crown (made up of alternate sterns and topsails) can be traced back to the Romans...
When were cap ribbons introduced on sailors’ hats?
When were cap ribbons introduced on sailors’ hats?
What were watch stripes?
Watch stripes were lengths of material worn by sailors to show to which watch a man belonged...
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