Devil Information

When a Loose Cannon Flogs a Dead Horse Theres the Devil to Pay Seafaring Words in Everyday Speech

Have you ever wondered about the origin of “son of a gun,” “flotsam and jetsam,” or “hunky-dory”? You’ll find the nautical derivation of these expressions and more than 250 others in this collection of nautical metaphors and colloquialisms. In addition, this book includes thought-provoking and entertaining examples of these words drawn from literature, movies, and song, and contains sections of legends of the sea and weather lore. Fascinating reading for sailors and language enthusiasts alike.

Here’s the scuttlebutt: Barge right in and swallow the anchor, and let’s chew the fat and splice the main brace ’til we’re three sheets to the wind. Listen, you son of a sea cook, I’m tired of minding my P’s and Q’s. I tell you, I’m all at sea, and this is the bitter end. Nothing I can do will keep this ship on an even keel. Hells bells! You think I didn’t tell it to the old man? Delivered a broadside, I did, but he just called me a loose cannon. Maybe I caught him between wind and water. Listen, mate. You’d better bootleg a bible aboard. We’re sailing under false colors, and where we’re headed it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. It’s Davy Jones’ locker I’m talking about. The crew was scraped from the bottom of the barrel. They don’t know the ropes, and anyway they’re deserting like rats from a sinking ship. It’s time to fish or cut bait, mate, or there’ll be the devil to pay. No use flogging a dead horse. Let’s stay armed to the teeth and look for any port in a storm. There’ll be nothing but flotsam and jetsam when this tub goes down the hatch.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Throw me an anchor…….
PLEASE!! Forgive me for being aloof…all at sea.Barge In,its
ok.I just don’t get it. I’ve read better cereal boxes.

5 Stars A great little book for “the head”.
It is intriguing to learn how many familiar expressions in our everyday speech have their origins at sea (having “washed ashore” as the author puts it). Many of these sayings started out as fairly technical naval terms.

For instance the “bitter end” is the tail-end of an anchor line that may disappear overboard if not properly secured (along with a sailor’s reputation). To “flake out” means to lay chain out on deck so it may be inspected for weak links.

And I won’t “let the cat out of the bag” (another entry) in regards to the ever-popular “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey”, except to say that it’s NOTHING CLOSE to what you think it means! As always the author’s voice is clear and refreshing as she recounts coaxing the explanation out of an old salt. (I can’t help thinking that it is the woman’s perspective on the subject that helps make this little book so delightful.)

The book is divided up into “Metaphors and Colloquialisms”, “Wind, Waves and Weather”, and “Yarns of the Sea, Legends, Myths and Superstitions”. I recommend a randomized reading approach to best savor the little surprises.

5 Stars Wonderful book!
I’m now having to purchase my third copy of this book! I buy a copy, loan it out and then never see it again! It is truly amazing to find out how many of our colloquialisms come from the sea. Buy this book and you will enjoy every minute of it.

5 Stars This is no ’sloppy’ work!
There are many books that inform us of the number of phrases and words that originated in the days of sail and have become part of every landlubber’s English voacabulary. Olivia Isil’s book takes a fresh and more comprehensive look at these derivations. Immensely readable, entertaining and informative. Essential to have by the bedside or in the yacht’s locker to settle arguments!

5 Stars A lovely book full of seagoing lore…
This book is a gem! It’s full of history and lore related to the sea and those who sail upon it. It has over a hundred pages of interesting information regarding the derivation of words and phrases used in everyday speech. My husband was raised on the seacoast of Nova Scotia, and I’ve spent many summers on the coast of North Carolina, so we are no strangers to the sea and sailing. This book made a perfect gift for him this past Christmas.

Buy/More Info

The Devil Went Down to Georgia is a popular song released in 1979 by the Charlie Daniels Band. 30 years later it’s still popular|People haven’t grown tired of it in 30 years, and it doesn’t look like they ever will.

An older song called Lonesome Fiddle Blues provides the melody. Charlie took the song, raised it an octave, and set lyrics to it.  The Devil Went Down to Georgia became the most popular hit the band ever had.  The RIAA says that amongst songs with a state name in the title, this is the top seller of all time.

The plot is something like this.  It’s been a slow year so the devil travels to Georgia in search of souls.  He’s willing to negotiate.  He happens upon a young fiddler named Johnny, to whom he offers one of these deals.  It takes the form of a fiddle contest.  The devil puts up a golden fiddle.  The assumption is that the fiddle is worth a fortune.  Johnny bets his soul.

The devil goes first, and he’s a hard act to follow.  He has a demonic backup band.  It seems as if Johnny is doomed.  But Johnny’s simple and pure fiddle work is even better.  Both Johnny and the Devil agree.  The devil gives him the golden fiddle.  Johnny brags that he’s open for a rematch.  In the original version of the song, son of a gun was replaced by a more colorful phrase.

There have been countless remakes and parodies of the song.  “El Diablo bajo a Georgia”  is a Spanish version.  The cartoon Futurama features a contest between the main characters and the robot Devil.  But after the robot devil plays they beat him in the head with the golden fiddle so they can escape.  There is a good Devil Went Down to Georgia video on YouTube.  There was even a sequel by Charlie Daniels.  It was called “The Devil Comes Back to Georgia”.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia was sung by Charlie Daniel’s band.  And if you heard ‘em sing it when it was done you’d give them boys a hand.