# Definite articles in ship names

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-articles-in-ship-names/578760>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 17, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-articles-in-ship-names/578760 "2011-04-17T21:54:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-articles-in-ship-names/578760/41 "2013-06-23T21:53:42Z")

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> [@Oldsalt](#):
>
> This one really bugs an old Navy man, like me. As everybody knows, a vessel is alive. She is female‼ and as beautiful, comforting, protective of her men, and lively in her actions and quirks as any other woman of substance.
> 
> Whenever a Navy man is asked aboard which ship he sailed, he would reply “Hornet,” or “USS Hornet,” but NEVER “the Hornet.”
> 
> Indeed, you would never refer to your wife as “the Mary.” Just “Mary”! Thus to ships of the line.

Really? I spent 21 years in the Navy, and I’ve known many people who used the definite article with the names of the ships they were stationed on.

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**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-articles-in-ship-names/578760/42 "2013-06-23T21:59:07Z")

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> [@paperbackwriter](#):
>
> I hope people don’t refer to “the HMS _Titanic_,” actually. HMS means “His Majesty’s Ship,” a designation reserved for commissioned vessels of the Royal Navy. The _Titanic_ was instead “RMS,” the abbreviation for a Royal Mail Steamer. These were commercial vessels that had contracts with the Royal Mail system.
> 
> (Other common ship prefixes include SS for Steamship, M/V for Motor Vessel, RV for Research Vessel, etc.)

Note that while US Navy ships all bear the prefix “USS,” in the Royal Navy only warships are designated “HMS.” Auxiliaries (oilers, cargo ships, &c) are “RFA” (Royal Fleet Auxiliary).

And US Coast Guard ships are “USCGC,” not “USS.”

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-articles-in-ship-names/578760/43 "2013-06-24T03:54:39Z")

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> [@SCAdian](#):
>
> Note that while US Navy ships all bear the prefix “USS,” in the Royal Navy only warships are designated “HMS.” Auxiliaries (oilers, cargo ships, &c) are “RFA” (Royal Fleet Auxiliary)…

The U.S. Navy does something similar with its noncommissioned ships: [United States Naval Ship - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS)

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