A while back I read an article about sailors to the New World trading nails to chiefs for “favors” with their daughters. Apparently it got so bad that some of the boats fell apart.
I could have sworn I read it in the straight dope, but a few searches have not yielded any results. Can anyone point me to an article.
rubes
16th century urban legend? I think those boats were made without many nails. Nails were fairly rare until surprisingly recent times.
This possibly belongs in another category: Although it may be mundane and pointless, it is a question.
I was thinking of putting this in General Questions, though it seemed more mundane to me. Urban Legend, eh? I might have to buy a drink then.
I believe it was in the south pacific, and the nails were used to make fish-hooks. I hope that helps.
where the term “nailed” came from??? [insert big cheesy grin here]
I have nails, beads and otehr shiny objects to trade for sexual favors. Please email giving explicit details of services offered and how many nails/beads you want.
Seriously now, I believe it was captain Cook and other western explorers in the Pacific.
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/3948/cook.htm
Also the Spanish named some islands near the Philippines, Islas de los Ladrones (Islands of Thiefs) because the locals would lift anything they could get their hands on (I assume in the meanwhile the sailors were to busy screwing the local girls to notice).