(sometimes ratty)
Fop: an overly ostentatious man; a dandy
Forecastle: the raised foredeck
Forefoot: leading edge of the keel; the bow
Foregallant: one of the higher sails on the foremast
Forepeak: furthest point forward in the ship’s hold; inside the bow
Forestay: supports running forward of the masts; opposite of backstay
Fortnight: 18th century for “two weeks”
Fraymaker: disturber of the peace
Fuddling: drunken; confused
Full cover!: command for sails
Fuses ’twixt the fingers:pirate torture method of putting burning slow-match between the victim’s fingers
Galley: ship’s kitchen
Gallowsy: fit to be hung, criminally inclined
Give ease: 18th century; allow one to relax; calming
Give quarter: dating back to the knights, a pledge that if a ship was to surrender immediately, no one would be killed
Glass: 1) looking glass; 2) a sandglass, which was a ship’s only timepiece; 3) “a glass” meant the period of time lapsed through a glass
Go pear-shaped:take a bad turn
Go to windward of: be cautious of
Go toss yourself:bring oneself off (sexual); hand job
Gob: mouth
Grates: hatch covers
Great cabin: the large aft cabin, usually the captain’s cabin
Great guns: cannon on a ship
Grog: a mix of water, lime juice, and rum, the proportions depending on the ship
Gull-winged: when the sails are loosely secured, so that they sag slightly
Gunner: a member of the crew of a cannon (usually 6-8)
Guns spiked: metal has been broken off in a cannon’s touchhole, rendering it useless
Gunwale: topmost outside edge of the ship’s hull
Hanging locker: closet
Hauled his wind: ran off
Hawley: British army commander during the Stuart Uprising
Hawse: heavy cable
Head: the crew’s privy at the bow of the ship
Helm: the ship’s wheel, or anywhere in the immediate vicinity
Helms a-lee: part of a series of commands when a ship is being turned
Helmsman: the man at the helm
Hist, now: “Quiet,” “shh!”
Hitch: type of knot
Hock and heave: a mode of punishment in which the victim’s hamstrings are sliced and then he is thrown overboard
Hogshead: a cask for liquids
Hold: lowest deck of a ship, usually used for storage
Holystone: blocks of sandstone used for scouring the decks
Hooked on: tied on
Horn lamp: lantern with thin sheets of horn for a lens
Hove to: surrender
’Hoy: short for “ahoy;” a greeting
Hull down: when the sails of a ship can be seen, but not the hull
Hull up: the hull of the approaching ship is visible
Humours: a reference to the belief that the body was ruled by four fluids: blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy
Irons: 1) shackles; manacles; 2) to “lay into irons” means to stall the ship’s motion
Iron-sick: when bolts, nails, etc. are severely corroded by salt
Jack: man, person, sailor
Jib: triangular headsail
Jib-boom: long spar extending off the bowsprit to support the jibs and other rigging
Jimmy Bungs: often the nickname for the ship’s barrelmaker (cooper)
Junk: worn-out cables or ropes
Kedge: anchors smaller than the Number One
Keel: bottom of the ship
Keel-hauling: a punishment of dragging a man under the ship from bow to stern.
Ken: Scots for “know”
Kent: Scots for “knew”
Kertch: a large cloth (often decorative) worn around a woman’s neck and tucked into her bosom
Kevel: sometimes called a “knighthead,” an anvil-shaped wood block used to secure ropes
Knacker’s: 18th century for a boneyard
Knot: increment of speed, a little under miles per hour
Laggardly: 18th century for “lazy,” “slow,” “unhandy”
Land in her lee: a point of safety, for the wind is likely to blow the damaged ship ashore
Land in our lee: the wind pushed a ship sideways as well as forward, making land downwind (in the lee) a concern
Larboard: to the left side of the ship (when looking toward the bow)
Larboard quarter astern:to the left side and toward the rear quarter
Larbolins: one of two work groups on the crew; see starbolins
Lawn: a fine linen fabric
Lead lines: used to measure the depth of the water
Leddy: Scots for “lady”
Lee: downwind
Lee lurch: a sudden sideways motion of the ship
Leech: the vertical edge of a sail
Leeward: downwind
Listing: the lean of the ship from the pressure of the wind on the sails
Lobcock: a bumpkin or blundering fool
Loch: Scots for “lake”
Loggerhead: iron bars that were heated, then used to melt tar
Long live Prince Charlie!:Stuart Uprising cheer
Longboats: launches; small boats used for hauling and going ashore
Long-jawed cordage: old or worn ropes
Lout: bumpkin or blundering fool
Luff: 1) flapping of a sail; 2) bring the ship into the wind, often to come to a halt
Magazine: powder room
Mainmasthead: top of the mainmast proper, topmasts often extending it
Manrope: ropes strung simply for safety or convenience
Mantua-maker: a maker of a certain type of dress
Mark me: 18th century for “mark my words”
Master and commander: a Navy rank; a reference to one who had a title and authority, but no ship
Master rogue: an extremely offensive person who threatens harm to others
Match: short for
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