Six Common English Phrases That Come From The British Navy

Our language is filled with naval colloquialisms

(By Alberto Cutileiro (1915–2003) — Museu de Marinha, Lisboa, Portugal., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119645385)

How much time have you spent on the deck of a sailing ship or sailboat? Most people in the modern world have spent little to no time under the sails. Yet, despite that, naval terms roll off of our tongues on a near-daily basis. The English language is filled with colloquial phrases and idioms that come directly from the annals of British naval history. The British navy was one of the most fearsome and powerful forces in the world for centuries. The institution was so prominent that terms from day-to-day life have made it into our language despite the fact that the Age of Sail ended over a century ago.

Here are six common phrases that come from the British Navy that people use without any idea of their origins.

Turn a Blind Eye

(By John Francis Rigaud — Website of the National Maritime Museum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2833247)

Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson is one of the most famous and successful military leaders in all of history. He is a national hero in England and his aggressive style changed naval warfare forever. Early in his career, Nelson was blinded in one eye (likely due to a piece of shrapnel or hot…