Many expressions we use today without a second thought have deep roots in the world of sailing. While some are wrongly attributed to life at sea, others are undeniably born from maritime tradition. Here are five colourful phrases that truly earned their sea legs:

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1. By and Large

Meaning: Generally correct; all things considered.

Nautical Origin:

In the age of square-rigged sailing ships, "large" referred to a wind coming from behind the beam — ideal for progress. "By" referred to sailing close to the wind, or into it. If a vessel handled well both by (into the wind) and large (with the wind behind), it was said:

"By and large, she sails well."

Today, we use it to describe something that holds true in most respects.

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2. Chock-a-block

Meaning: Jam-packed, with no room left.

Nautical Origin:

A block and tackle system, used for lifting heavy loads, contains ropes and pulleys. When the blocks come together so tightly that they can no longer be moved, they're said to be "chock-a-block."

Later, sailors used "chocka" as slang to describe being fed up — emotionally jammed, so to speak!

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3. Fathom Out

Meaning: To understand or work something out.

Nautical Origin:

A fathom is a unit of depth measuring six feet. Sailors used lead lines to “fathom” the sea’s depth — literally feeling out the bottom.

To "fathom out" something was to get to the bottom of it — just as one would with a depth sounder.

This also gave rise to the phrase "sounding out" someone, meaning to probe for information.

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4. Three Sheets to the Wind

Meaning: Completely drunk.

Nautical Origin:

Sheets are the ropes that control a sail. If all three sheets (fore, main, and mizzen) were loose and fluttering in the wind, the ship would lurch wildly, out of control — much like a drunk staggering home after last orders.

A sailor "three sheets to the wind" was as unsteady as his ship.

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5. Up the Creek Without a Paddle

Meaning: In serious trouble with no easy way out.

Nautical Origin:

This phrase likely originated from Haslar Creek in Gosport, Hampshire — across from Portsmouth. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Naval Hospital stood at the head of the creek. If you were being rowed up Haslar Creek as a wounded sailor, you weren’t holding the oars — and your fate was in others’ hands.

You were literally “up the creek without a paddle.”

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Final Thoughts

From calm seas to stormy metaphors, the language of the sailor has anchored itself firmly in everyday English. These phrases remind us that even if we’ve never hoisted a mainsail, we still speak a little sailor — by and large.