Nautical Sayings.

[E.Martin]

Talking to a friend yesterday I said "He copped a spar"
Another one "Who ruffled his sails".
I think both of them mean the same.
Any Ideas?

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Mr. Martin (Sorry for the formality, but do not know your first name),

Cannot help you with the saying " He copped a spar", but I think you will find that the term
"Who ruffled his sails?" was a nautical version of " Who ruffled his feathers?" and simply
meant " Who upset him?". Another term I always thought very descriptive was '' He was blowing for tugs" generally applied to a seaman or other person who was hopelessly drunk and staggering along. The comparison being a ship in an unfamiliar port urgently tooting it's whistle/horn seeking the assistance of tugs.

....... regards, Roger

[happy daze john in oz]

Copped a spar. Could refer to a sailor up in the rigging furling sails when the ship maybe rolled and the guy was hit by the spar? Just a thought, not sure as to the actual meaning.

[Jim Brady]

Roger,2# If someone in Liverpool was said to be blowing for tugs it meant he was skint and hanging around for some one to buy him his ale.Maybe he was tooting his whistle as he was in distress being skint!!!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

Or `I am `Down by the head` with something. means you have too much of what ever it is.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates we have many sea sayings and meanings from many parts of the world seafarer's had they own way of talking mixed with native and local accents

[Keith Tindell]

The one i use even today, he was schooner rigged, ie short of something KT

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi jim,on the docks blowing for tugs ,ment out of breath,any one hanging around for a drink was a bum,came a cross alot of them in life.Mine sweeper was somebody who drank your pint,as soon as you turned your head the other way,had one in the in the Elm House on derby road by the docks.On the docks on your dinner hour if you went for a pint and there was five in the company,one of them was the Harvey show jumper always got a clear round,in other words never bought a pint,but drank four they had one on for Harrisons well known Dick first name.Ken.

[j.sabourn]

Ref. to the opposite sex. A forced draught job or built like a shore bosun, with ref to size. and he walks with a western ocean roll. ref.to a seamans walking. John Sabourn

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HiAll.
I'm glad this has come up, yesterday after a wonderfull dinner I said to my wife" I could go around the Buoy's on that dinner" I hadn't said that for years but it just come out after a great meal
Cheers Des