# "When the toungin' is done" meaning

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [January 18, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821 "2021-01-18T16:27:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821/1 "2021-01-18T16:27:54Z")

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The news this morning mentioned some new Tik Tok videos of sea shantys. One of the lines includes the words “when the toungin’ is done,” and I haven’t been able to find the meaning of this online. Anyone have a clue? To see these, you can search for “sea shanty” on Tik Tok, or [here’s one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDTaeqUEWNQ&feature=youtu.be) that made it to YouTube.

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**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821/2 "2021-01-18T16:40:34Z")

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[Whaling was a brutal business. ‘Tonguing’ refers to the tonguers, men who would cut up the whales on shore; they also often acted as intepreters with Māori communities, who also worked as part of the whaling crews.](https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/sea-shanty-facts-history-meaning)

The song, BTW, is “The Wellerman” and everyone is singing the version by The Longest Johns:

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-KO7cofMJH0/maxresdefault.jpg "Wellerman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KO7cofMJH0)

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821/3 "2021-01-18T16:41:09Z")

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I know some hobby boat makers who love using tung oil to finish the wood because of it’s durability. No clue if there is any relation at all the songs.

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**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821/4 "2021-01-18T16:44:15Z")

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Nope; [tung oil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil) comes from a [Asian tree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernicia_fordii).

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-toungin-is-done-meaning/930821/5 "2021-01-18T16:50:52Z")

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Nothing to do with [cod tongues](https://girlheartfood.com/cod-tongues/)?