Setting Sail
4 June 2025
Dear Faith Friends,
By the time you read this, our COS Footsteps of Paul Adventure Group is figuring out our first day in Greece.
Later this week, we’ll be boarding a ship to sail across the Aegean Sea. As we follow Paul’s route, we too, will be open to what God has in store for us. We’re eager to grow more deeply in appreciating the power of Christ’s unifying and redemptive grace.
On one trip, Paul’s barely survived a shipwreck. Even after casting off all supplies and sailing gear, the sea was no match for Paul’s ship, which smashed apart on the rocks and forced the travelers to rough it on the island of Malta while the ship was rebuilt. We’re eager to trace Paul’s journeys. But not that one!
Well, with all this ship talk, I thought I’d keep it light and breezy in this WFW.
Recently, a friend sent some nautical terms that we still use as idioms today. I found them fun and interesting to review and hope you do too. They’re all used in the book, “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder” by David Grann.
- “Three sheets to the wind”
Meaning now: Very drunk
Nautical origin: A “sheet” is a rope that controls a sail. If three sheets are loose, the sails flap wildly and the ship reels—much like a drunk person.
- “By and large”
Meaning now: Generally speaking
Nautical origin: Refers to a ship that can sail well both “by the wind” (close to the wind) and “large” (with the wind). A ship that handles well “by and large” is versatile.
- “Pipe down”
Meaning now: Be quiet
Nautical origin: Comes from a shipboard command issued via a bosun’s pipe (whistle), telling the crew to be quiet or go below decks.
- “A clean bill of health”
Meaning now: A report that someone or something is free of problems
Nautical origin: A ship leaving port was issued a “clean bill of health” to certify it had no contagious disease aboard.
- “Toe the line”
Meaning now: To conform to rules or expectations
Nautical origin: Sailors would line up for inspection with their toes touching a seam in the deck.
- “Learning the ropes”
Meaning now: Becoming familiar with how something works
Nautical origin: Sailors literally had to learn how to handle the many ropes that controlled sails and rigging.
- “Hand over fist”
Meaning now: Rapidly (often used with money, e.g., earning money hand over fist)
Nautical origin: Describes the rapid motion of pulling on a rope — hand over fist — as sailors did when hoisting sails.
- “Batten down the hatches”
Meaning now: Prepare for trouble or hard times
Nautical origin: Before a storm, sailors would secure (batten down) the hatches — the openings to the lower decks — to prevent water from flooding the ship.
- “In the doldrums”
Meaning now: Feeling low, inactive, or depressed
Nautical origin: Refers to the equatorial region of the Atlantic with calm winds where sailing ships could get stuck for weeks, paralyzed by lack of wind.
- “Cut and run”
Meaning now: To leave quickly
Nautical origin: In emergencies, sailors might cut the anchor line instead of taking time to weigh anchor — allowing the ship to “run” with the wind.
- “Shipshape”
Meaning now: Neat and orderly
Nautical origin: A well-maintained ship had to be tidy and organized to function properly.
- “Above board”
Meaning now: Honest and transparent
Nautical origin: Pirates or dishonest captains might hide men below deck. Someone who kept everything “above board” had nothing to hide.
- “Loose cannon”
Meaning now: An unpredictable or uncontrollable person
Nautical origin: Cannons not properly secured on a rolling ship could break loose and wreak havoc on the deck.
- “Take the wind out of one’s sails”
Meaning now: To deflate someone’s enthusiasm or argument
Nautical origin: A ship that cuts in front of another could literally steal the wind from its sails, causing it to lose speed.
Of the list above, which idioms do you still use?
Sailing with you,
Pastor Fritz