Why We Still Talk Like Sailors & Pirates
Even in Boardrooms and Zoom Calls
Ever wonder why we still talk like sailors, even though many people have never set foot on a boat, let alone hoisted a mainsail? It’s weirdly true:
- We “take the helm” at companies
- We need “all hands on deck” during a crisis
- We say projects are “dead in the water”
- We whisper “scuttlebutt” about our coworkers
Turns out, the sea has had a lot more influence on your Slack channel than you think. Let’s set sail into the salty truth.
Ships Were the First Interation Of The World Wide Web
From the 1500s to the 1800s, if you wanted to connect the world, you did it by ship. For centuries, sailors were the original carriers of world happenings and culture. A ship arriving in port was a living, breathing news bulletin, akin to today’s international news feeds from major press agencies. They brought crucial information about market prices for goods (spices, silks, timber), the discovery of new trade routes, the economic health of foreign ports, word of disease outbreaks in certain ports or regions, and tales of exotic customs, strange creatures, local folklore, or sensational events from faraway lands.
The news faded but and their unique and vivid language that came to shore with them, endured. Sailors had to communicate fast, loud, and often while drunk or sleep-deprived. Their phrases had to hit hard, paint pictures, and make everyone laugh – or duck. In dockside taverns and marketplaces, a mate wasn’t just drunk, he was “three sheets to the wind”. Gossip around the water cask wasn’t just a conversation, it was “scuttlebutt”.
These expressions, born from the raw, immediate realities of life at sea – the danger, the camaraderie, the sheer mechanics of sailing – were often so perfectly descriptive or hilariously apt that they easily jumped ship into common parlance, infusing everyday conversations with their salty slang that persists even for inlanders, centuries later.
The Metaphors Were Too Good Not to Steal
Here are seven everyday expressions you’ve probably used—without knowing they first set sail hundreds of years ago.
1. Three Sheets to the Wind
Modern meaning: Sh*&faced drunk.
Sailing roots: In the age of tall ships (1700s–1800s), a “sheet” wasn’t a sail—it was a rope that controlled the sail’s position. If all three main sheets were loose, the sails flapped wildly, and the ship staggered and lurched like a drunk sailor in a port-side bar fight.
Why it stuck: Because nothing says “completely wasted” like the image of a boat that can’t even pretend to steer straight.
2. Son of a Gun
Modern meaning: A charming rascal or lovable scoundrel.
Backstory: On cramped warships, the area between cannons—called “between the guns”—was sometimes used as a makeshift birthing space. When the father’s identity wasn’t known (or no one was fessing up), the child might be recorded as a “son of a gun.”
Spicy truth: Yes, women were smuggled aboard despite strict rules. Think of it as the navy’s version of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
3. Scuttlebutt
Modern meaning: Gossip, rumors, water cooler talk.
Deck drama: The scuttlebutt was a barrel with a hole cut in it, filled with drinking water for the crew. It quickly became the hangout spot—where sailors chatted, bitched, swapped lies, and passed time.
Why we still use it: Because the urge to talk shit while sipping something has never gone out of style.
4. Pooped
Modern meaning: Totally exhausted.
Nautical nightmare: The “poop deck” is the raised platform at the back of the ship (from the Latin puppis). If a wave smashed over the stern and flooded the deck, the ship—and any unlucky sailor stationed there—was said to be “pooped.”
Translation: Drenched, battered, and over it. Today, we just use it to mean we need a nap, but its origin is pure saltwater chaos.
5. By and Large
Modern meaning: Generally speaking, for the most part.
Sea-speak: “By” wind means sailing close to the wind; “large” means the wind is at your back. A ship that handled well by and large was a good one—steady and versatile.
Why it matters: It was the 18th-century version of saying something works “in most conditions,” and we’ve kept it ever since.
6. Under the Weather
Modern meaning: Feeling sick or off.
Sailor’s experience: If you were under the weather, you were stuck on deck during a storm—getting hammered by wind, waves, and cold. Often led to seasickness, chills, or worse.
Modern update: You don’t need a hurricane to feel like crap. Monday morning will do.
7. Cut and Run
Modern meaning: To bail fast, usually when things go sideways.
Urgent escape: When a ship had no time to haul anchor during an emergency, the crew would literally cut the anchor line and “run” with the wind to get out of danger.
Today’s vibe: When the Zoom meeting spirals or the first date says they “don’t believe in seasons,” you cut and run.
Unlike Latin-rooted legalese, sailor slang is emotional, physical, and immediate. You don’t need a dictionary to understand it. You just need a problem, a crew, and a looming deadline. Even in landlocked offices, these phrases still feel like home. They’re gritty. They roll off the tongue. They carry a story.
And the story sticks. Want the backstory behind the best ones? Dive into our salty slang infographic, “Nautical Slang That Stuck.”
Pirates Bringing Language Inland
Pirates were equal parts entrepreneur, criminal, and performance artist. They lived large, drank hard, and basically invented the gig economy with swords.
But eventually, the sea wore them out. Many retired from piracy and came ashore in places like:
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Port Royal, Jamaica
- The Outer Banks
- Coastal towns in England, France, and the Netherlands
Some went legit (sort of). Others became innkeepers, smugglers, or politicians (political landscape making sense now?). And they brought their language with them, colorful, bawdy, and bursting with salt.
When they moved inland, their stories, songs, and slang traveled with them.
Navigating The Unknown
You may never command a ship, raise a sail, or swab a deck. But every time you lead a project, survive a layoff, or launch something bold – you’re doing what sailors have always done.
You’re navigating the unknown.
You’re trying not to crash.
And whether you know it or not… you’re still talking like a sailor.
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