On 3/13/2012 12:25 AM, W Brewer wrote:
> Anchors away 20120313
>
> <<<Larry Sheldon wrote: xxx boats are away xxx The leading "a" seems to
> mean "doing". xxx>>>
>
> WB: So, my extensive experience with war movies tells me this means: the
> little boats are moving away from the mother ship? away< Anglo-Saxon
> on-weg: boats are on their way/path/road, enroute.
That is my understanding, The OOD might order a small boat launched, the
crewmember (not in the boat) might report "Admiral's Barge is away" when
the order is complete.
> LS:<<<In "anchors aweigh" xxx anchor xxx clear of the bottom (being
> "weighed" on the chain and gear) and the ship can get under way.>>>
Should have written "Anchor's aweigh"
>
> WB: Oh, God: and what about underway? There is evidently a nautical usage
> underweigh.
I've never heard the term underweigh.
Q: what are the official (US or other) Navy spellings of (1)
> anchors aweigh/away, (2) under( )way/underweigh?<<<clear of the bottom>>>:
> bottom of the ship or bottom of the sea/harbor? No wonder us landlubbers
> get nausea mulling these matters.
I don't know where way for purposeful movement comes from but we see it
in "get underway" Or is it "Get under way"? Give way (yield to).
Anchor's aweigh == clear of the bottom, but not yet hauled aboard.
Under way or underway == going some place purposefully, not moored, not
anchored, not drifting. Not sure about "being towed or pushed".
> LS:<<< xxx "ship" and "boat" have precise meanings xxx.>>>
> WB: But a boatswain works on ships, and a coxswain works on boats? Has the
> US Navy abandoned these terms? What about bell-bottoms? Nixon sure hated
> them hippies. Confucius say: Sailor who quit navy leave buddies behind.
> (Village People, too, I would guess.)
The coxswain is a specific title--and is in command of and steering the
small boat.
The other is probably archaic--I think there are other things that seem
boat-like aboard a ship. (After though--cares for the deck equipment
including the boats, on deck, or in the water. So it would be :works
aboard shipm not on ships. And as matter of fact taking care of the
ship itself is mostly engineering.)
And those terms are ALWAYS pronounced coxun and bosun. And the ships
bosun is a warrant officer (maybe senior petty officer on a small
ship--dunno), the enlisted folk are bosun's mates.
I don't know what the current status of any of that stuff is--apparently
the Navy has gone to camo fatigues.
Bell-bottoms are interesting00they tried to get rid of them in the
1950s. Much rebellion, partly because of the triaditions, particularly
involving the 13-button type, partly because the bell bottoms were
supposed to alloy you to get out of them if wound up in the
water--water-logged wool is heavy.
There were lots of stories about homosexuality--I never say any hint of it.
>
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