SHIP TO SHORE - Softcover

Jeans, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071440275 ISBN 13: 9780071440271

Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2004

Synopsis

We all talk like sailors. Have you ever found yourself "in deep water" because you got tired of "bowing and scraping" or listening to "flimsy" excuses? Have you ever "barged in" like a "blowhard" where you weren't wanted and "let the cat out of the bag"? Have you ever tried to keep a "touch-and-go" project "on an even keel" even though your "fair-weather" coworkers were deserting like "rats from a sinking ship"? Have you ever tried and failed to make "heads or tails" of the advice of a "fly-by-night" consultant or seen your work go "down the hatch"? Ever felt like you've "hit rock bottom" or reached "the bitter end"?Well, "press on," mate, because no matter how low you sink, you're not "breaking new ground." "By and large," no matter how bad it feels, untold generations of sailors have been there "off and on" before you, and if you'll just "rummage around" in this wonderful book, you'll see that they invented the language we all resort to when we're in "dire straits" and there's "the devil to pay." You may never escape these "trying times," but don't let it "overwhelm" you. At least you know how to talk like a sailor!And when you "tackle" this book, you'll plunge "full steam ahead" into the rich and wonderful lore of the sea. Yes, now that you've "gotten wind of" Ship to Shore, there are "free and easy" hours ahead. The "coast is clear." Your ship has just come in. "Peter Jeans is a wonderful writer; his prose is fluid and punctuated with wry humor..."Ship to Shore" is an entertaining browse for all word-lovers and armchair sailors." - "Bloomsbury Review". Peter Jeans began his love affair with seafaring lore more than forty years ago. A sometime adventurer, English teacher, and columnist, he is also an avid sailor and writer whose books include "Seafaring Lore and Legend: A Miscellany of Maritime Myth, Superstition, Fable, and Fact".

About this title

Review:

"A fine addition to any library." - Choice "Peter Jeans is a wonderful writer; his prose is fluid and punctuated with wry humor, making this more than just a reference book for writers and scholars. Ship to Shore is also an entertaining browse for all word-lovers and armchair sailors." - Bloomsbury Review"

From the Publisher:

You've probably used the expression " to let the cat out of the bag". Or you might have been " taken aback" or stuck with something "to the bitter end". But perhaps you didn't know that we owe these common expressions to mariners of generations past.

Ship to Shore uncovers the nautical origins of words and phrases we use in everyday speech. From hardy Nantucket whalers to Elizabethan sea dogs, from grizzled Nova Scotia fishermen to crews of the great clipper ships, sailing men have made remarkable contributions to the English language.

While providing definitions and word origins, this volume is anecdotal in tone and recounts tales of such famous seafaring men as Sir Francis Drake and Captain cook. Ship to Shore paints a vivid picture of the seaman's daily life and honours the rich cultural heritage of the seafaring tradition.

Anyone interested in the history of the English language of the history of the sea will find this book, informative, intriguing, and very entertaining.

About this edition

• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0071440275
• ISBN 13: 9780071440271
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 456