Ship to Shore: A Dictionary of Everyday Words and Phrases Derived from the Sea - Hardcover

Jeans, Peter D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0874367174 ISBN 13: 9780874367171

Publisher: ABC-CLIO Ltd, 1996

Synopsis

Tells the story of how nautical language was evolved into common usage. While providing definition and word origins, the book is also anecdotal in tone and recounts tales of such seafaring men as Sir Frances Drake, Captain Cook, and John Paul Jones. Much more than a dictionary, this work paints a vivid picture of the seaman's daily life in the age of sail and honors the rich cultural heritage of our seafaring tradition. An astonishing variety of words, sayings, and idiomatic expressions are explained in alphabetically organized entries, Four extensive appendixes trace related terms, and in annotated bibliography guides the reader to key source materials. Anyone interested in the history of the English language or the history of the sea will find this book informative, intriguing, and very entertaining.

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: ABC-CLIO Ltd
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0874367174
• ISBN 13: 9780874367171
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 425
• Illustrator: Shardlow Ross