Tyger

GLOSSARY

a cable distant

a tenth of a sea mile, conventionally one hundred fathoms

adze

two-handed horizontally bladed axe used for shaping flat and curving timberwork

athwart

crosswise, such as intersecting a ship’s course, across one’s bows

auger

long-shanked boring tool

barky

pet term for one’s ship

bashaw

grandee, from Turkish pasa

blow out his gaff

have a riotous time ashore, sparing nothing

bulwarks

vertical planking above the deck forming the side of the ship

butcher’s bill

euphemism for list of casualties after an action

Channel Groper

rueful term for the Channel station after the number of fogs to be expected

chouse

tease

clerk of the cheque

dockyard representative of commissioners of the Admiralty with authority to disburse funds, e.g. payment to seamen

compree

seize or grasp meaning, French comprendre

corvette

French equivalent to ship-sloop, larger and with more guns

cuirassier

mounted soldier with armoured torso

dirndl

colourful full-skirted dress with close-fitted bodice

dragoman

professional interpreter and cultural adviser

driver sail

fore and aft sail at the after end of a ship equivalent to merchant-service spanker

druxy

timber in advanced decay, soft and spongy with white spots and veins

eleve

one put forward by interested sponsor, French eleve, pupil

euphroe

piece of wood with holes to take lacing of awning or similar

Feldwebel

Sergeant

flank

the side of a military deployment contrasted with the front

fluyt

Dutch cargo vessel, full-bodied with shallow draught

garboard

range of strakes that abuts the keel

great repair

requires the ship to be taken out of commission

guardo

shabby trick, after reprehensible guardship practices on new-pressed men

gun-room

mess-room of warrant officers and midshipmen in larger ships; the wardroom of a frigate

Hamoaze

straight stretch of water at the estuary of the Tamar before it enters Plymouth Sound

hance

break in the line of deck at the quarterdeck, often decorated

hauptfach

army major

Hohenzollern

ruling house of Prussia since 1701

hugger-mugger

in confidence one with the other

kellner

officer’s mess waiter

klafter

fathom (German)

landwehr

locally raised army, militia (German)

larb’d

larboard, left side of ship looking forward

liberty-ticket

issued to seamen going ashore as protection against press-gangs

liebfahne

banner of highest expression of love of country

lighters

open craft with flat bottom for carrying goods to or from ships at anchor

middling repair

requires docking

mort

a significantly large amount; from mortal

naught

nothing

Navy Board warrant

writ of authority from commissioners of the Admiralty necessary to officers under the rank of lieutenant; boatswain, carpenter, etc.

nosel

quart of liquid (German)

pettifogging

quibbler; from petty and voger (German “arranger”)

pfund

pound (German)

points (of sailing)

all the angles the ship can take with respect to the wind

popinjay

person of vain and pretentious character; like a green woodpecker

private signal

ship’s identifying code known only to members of a given squadron or fleet, requiring secret reply

prize

vessel captured from an enemy state either by a man-o’-war or licensed privateer

puncheon

cask of 72-gallon capacity; can be filled with liquid or bulk

quarters

after a warship has cleared for action it closes up at quarters: men go to the guns

quoin

inclined wedge placed under breech of a gun to effect elevation

ran-tan

all out joyous run ashore; French ran-tan, knocking, banging

reefer

midshipman

row-guard

manning a boat and circling a ship slowly to discourage deserting

royster

general merriment at a tavern

rum do

strange happening

running rigging

the operating ropes of a ship as compared to standing rigging, which supports masts

rutter

old term for written sailing directions

sabretache

flat bag or pouch suspended below the sabre of mounted horseman

Sami

peoples indigenous to Lapland, Finland, the Kola peninsula

sennit

woven yarn or straw worked by sailors

ship-rigged

fully rigged; three masts with square sail on all

skiddy cock

smaller friend

strut-noddy

swaggering promenader who doesn’t know he looks foolish

tertian

type of barrel traditionally used in the southwest of England

the ton

those adhering to high fashion, stylish; Latin tonus, tone

trots, the

piles sunk out in a river or waterway to allow a vessel to moor alongside without taking the ground at low water

yeoman of the powder room

an experienced hand in charge of powder stowage; keeps accounts on behalf of the gunner