# Need some sailor jargon **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2009, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088 "2009-09-30T10:09:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/1 "2009-09-30T10:09:48Z")
Couldn’t think of a way to phrase the thread title that didn’t sound sound dirty 🙂 I’m writing some dialog for a scene where a marine ROV is launched from a large ship on a zoological research mission (basically a Jacques Cousteau or Life Aquatic scenario), and I need some authentic sounding background chatter for the crew as the scene plays out. The ship is a big, rusty freighter anchored near a beautiful tropical island. They’re using some sort of winch to lower the ROV, which is incongruously state of the art. Anyone familiar with naval jargon have suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![snoopygal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@snoopygal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoopygal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/2 "2009-09-30T10:12:55Z")
“Arr, me hearties.” ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/3 "2009-09-30T11:58:28Z")
“Watch out for the (expletive) boat, you clumsy (expletives).” ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/4 "2009-09-30T12:46:14Z")
“Remember Billy, what happens at sea, stays at sea.” ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/5 "2009-09-30T13:10:01Z")
“On Thursday, it’s your turn in the barrel.” ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/6 "2009-09-30T13:11:24Z")
[http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang1.htm](http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/7 "2009-09-30T13:14:20Z")
“But why is it called the dog watch?” ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/8 "2009-09-30T16:19:33Z")
Tension on the line! Haul away! (to the ship, as it raises the submersible) Hauling! (Response) Cut the winch! (The Submersible is showing something on the bottom that should be inspected. Stop hauling.) Haul away! (Okay, go back to work) All secure! (The submersible is now properly dogged down, and the sequence is over.) (A dog watch is a two hour watch put into the four hour watch rotation to offset things a bit. If you’ve got it, you can dog it a bit, there’s not as much work.) I’ll help as much as I can, but I’m going to need more specifics. Edit: Background chatter? Eh. They sound like construction workers, except for references to getting someone to swab the damn deck because it’s filthy.) ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/9 "2009-09-30T22:01:23Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > “But why is it called the dog watch?” Because it is cur-tailed of course. :D:D:D I have just recently started to reread the series, having just finished _Desolation Island_. Sometimes I wish that manner of speaking had never gone out of fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/10 "2009-10-01T01:51:01Z")
“Fuckin’-A tweety bird!”: said when you are are enthusiastically agreeing with something, i.e., “You goin’ to the cathouse tonight?” Response. “I hope to shit in your ditty bag!” Same as above. “I punched him in the snot-locker.” Self explanatory. “He’s fucked up in the brain housing group.” Same. “Fucked up like a football bat.” Someone is less than good at what he does. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/11 "2009-10-01T03:59:35Z")
First of all, is it naval jargon or oceanographer jargon. There is a lot of difference. Oceanographic deployments work something like this: Most ships have a big crane mounted across the stern called an [A-frame](http://www.rogerlongboats.com/images/RVRCafterdeck.jpg). There is usually also a [side-winch](http://www.rogerlongboats.com/RVRCpixvid.htm) Usually the device is secured to the cable with a shackle, and the shackle is tightened with a lever, such as a screwdriver or marlinspike, and secured with a cable tie or [mousing wire.](http://www.allstoncrawford.com/mouse2.gif) There is a pulley on the A-frame, and a cable that goes through it, so the A-frame can lean back and forth using hydraulics, and the winch can pull the cable up and down, and between them any device can be lifted up from the deck with the winch, the A frame can lean over the fantail (the back of the ship that the A-frame straddles) and the winch can then lower the the device into the water. Two lines are looped through the device, usually through a rail or stanchion. One deckhand is on each side of the fantail, off to the side, keeping these lines taut. This keeps the device from swaying from side to side. They have both ends of the line, so they can keep it taut, and then drop one end of the line and pull in the other end instantly to clear the line. Deckmaster would be the person who has control of the deployment. This might be the Bos’n, who is essentially the chief deckhand. So some typical deployment chatter might go: > [@](#): > > (Quietly, while assembling the gear) > Can you hand me that shackle? > Do you have a marlinspike or a screwdriver? > Hang on, I have a screwdriver. > Thanks. Now can you hand me that spool of wire and the linesman’s pliers there? No, over there. Thanks again. (An hour might go by as the wires and cable are checked and attached, and you can also add as much tech talk for making the laptop talk to the ROV as you could possibly want) > [@](#): > > Deckmaster: Ok. We’re ready to go. Up winch > (Winch winds in, device is slowly suspended below A frame, which is inboard, or leaning in over the fantail) > Ok, stop winch. > A-frame out. > (as the A-frame goes out the device gets higher, distance from the winch to the Aframe is lengthening, using up more of the cable, so less cable from the Aframe to the device. If the A-frame goes to far out, the wire will be too short and the device will be hauled up to the pulley and break something, possibly the expensive machine) OK, stop A-frame. Stop, stop, stop A-frame. > A little cable out now, perfect, thanks. > A-frame out. (Device is now dangling over the water where the turbulence from the screws would be, if the screws were turning. Ship is kept stationary with [bow thrusters.](http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newpictures03b/Bow-Thruster.jpg) at this point rather than with stern screws, but any breeze will tend to put the ship broad side to the breeze, which may mean the device will not where you want it. You want it either straight down, or paying out behind the ship. You don’t want it tangled up in the screws, cause that’s bad.) > [@](#): > > [Bridge on walkie talkie] We’re a little broadside to the wind now, hang on, we’re going shift a bit. > [sound of engines] > [Bridge] How’s that. > [Deckmaster] Perfect, thank you bridge > [Bridge double clicks to signal assent] > > Okay, good, out with the winch, slowly. > (To the guys with the lines on the sides) Keep it taut. > (As the device is entering the water) Lines off. > Winch, can we give it 10 meters and then check the systems? > Yup > Thanks. Often a small package like an ROV would might go out over the side winch, it just depends on how the crew like to do it. Only one thing is ever in the water at a time. Hope this helps. Give me a shout if you want to talk about this stuff any more. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/12 "2009-10-01T09:10:44Z")
My dad who was on a Destroyer never looked forward to this call over the PA System: **“Sweepers, sweepers man your brooms. Make a clean sweep down fore and aft."** ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/13 "2009-10-01T10:31:32Z")
Much better than what I had, Attack. I’m mostly small boats. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/14 "2009-10-01T15:59:17Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Much better than what I had, Attack. I’m mostly small boats. 🙂 My former career was as an oceanographer. It’s nice to be able to contribute to the arts. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-sailor-jargon/512088/15 "2009-10-01T16:42:38Z")
It shows. Ever work out of Wood’s Hole? Had some good friends up there once.