Category · 64 phrases
Phrases and sayings that have a nautical origin
A list of phrases that derive from seafaring
Here’s a list of expressions with documentary evidence to support the claim of an association with the sea:
Between the Devil and the deep blue sea
Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic
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- A red flag
- A sea change
- A shot across the bows
- A wide berth
- All at sea
- Anchors aweigh
- Another day, another dollar
- Any port in a storm
- Batten down the hatches
- Between the Devil and the deep blue sea
- Break the ice
- Broad in the beam
- By and large
- Chock-a-block
- Close quarters
- Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
- Copper-bottomed
- Cut and run
- Cut of your jib
- Dead in the water
- Fathom out
- Flotsam and jetsam
- Full to the gunwales
- Get a word in edgeways
- Get underway
- Go by the board
- Groggy
- Hand over fist
- Hard and fast
- High and dry
- I see no ships
- In a trice
- In the doldrums
- In the offing
- In the same boat
- Keel over
- Know the ropes
- Land-lubber
- Loose cannon
- Mal de mer
- Nail your colours to the mast
- On your beam ends
- Panic stations
- Pipe down
- Plain sailing
- POSH - Port out, starboard home
- Push the boat out
- Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic
- Sailing close to the wind
- Ship-shape and Bristol fashion
- Shiver my timbers
- Show a leg
- Slush fund
- Taken aback
- Tell it to the marines
- That ship has sailed
- The bitter end
- Three sheets to the wind
- Tide over
- Touch and go
- Under the weather
- Walk the plank
- Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink
- Welcome aboard