Inferno

Glossary

barky

affectionate term for ship

beckets

small lengths of rope used to tidy or secure

between wind and water

close to the waterline

block sheaves

the grooved moving part at the interior of a block

breeks

trousers

canvas-backing

sleeping in one’s hammock

chinks, a hill of

an impressive pile of coin

claw dog

two-armed hinged hooking device

cobbs

generic term for coin, unknown Spanish

cully

colloquial neutral form of address

curlicue

flourish of adornment in older forms of calligraphy

dan-buoy

small buoy used temporarily to mark a position at sea

dimber

exceptionally fine, admirable

Exchange

London Stock Exchange

fanfaronade

swaggering ostentation

firkling

Scottish; rummaging about as in a pocket

flamming

fooling

geggy

Scottish; mouth

hard a-weather

put the helm down to come perilously close to the wind

havering

talking to no purpose

hookum snivey

tricks with hook and line that a burglar uses to lift articles from a house

jorum

the amount of liquor a large vessel, like a bowl, contains

juggins

thick-headed low-life

kiddleywink

Cornish; tavern

killick

anchor

knaggy

behaving objectionably

long bowls

firing at a range where a hit is uncertain; after lawn bowls where jack is at a distance

lubbardly

acting like a novice

Manzanilla Pasada

fino sherry

Ministry of all the Talents

the administration put together following Pitt’s untimely death

mort

a lot

Mr Vice

vice president of the wardroom; traditionally the most junior officer present

mucker

close friend on a potentially dirty job

neats-leather

cowhide treated to make it pliable

oragious

superlative

pawky

diminutive

pennon

long, narrow banner, normally atop a lance

poxy shicer

diseased and worthless

puckle-headed loon

fool with vacant expression, like a fish

put a reef in y’r jawin’ tackle

cease talking

Receiver of Wreck

appointed to ensure the Crown’s interest in a salvage

refulgence

bright quality of light emitted from an object

rhino

hard coin

runnel

a thread of water sufficient to flow

rutter

old style book of sailing directions

scroat

useless and of no ambition

shant o’ gatter

a quart of good dark ale

shicer

worthless person

shoal

water shallow enough to hazard a ship

skerries

dangerous half-submerged rocks lying just offshore

small repair

where a ship has no need to enter a dry dock

stayed traveller

a block free to move along a stay, sifting the point of lift

strake

one of the lengths of side-planking of a boat or ship

strop

a spliced circle of rope

syebuck

common sixpence

taphouse

common tavern

threepenny ordinary

cheap meal

to clap t’ your tally

to add to your reputation

train oil

whale oil; Dutch traan

trots

piles driven into the river or sea bed to enable vessels to moor

Ward’s drops

patent medicine of doubtful efficacy

younker

young person