This common expression for being highly inebriated comes to us from English naval terminology in the 18 – 19th C. when ‘three sheets in the wind’ referred to the erratic behavior of a ship that had lost control of its sails. In nautical terminology, “sheets” are the ropes that adjust the sails relative to the wind. Losing control of the sheets (ropes) during a strong wind would lead to a wildly out of control sail of which it would be extremely difficult to regain control. This lack of control is compared to that of person in a state of drunkenness.

Here are some boat related phrases we came across.

œThree Square Meals A Day:In the days of wooden ships and iron men, the crew ate their meals on long, narrow tables which had wooden railings around the edges, called œfiddles. These railings formed a rectangular pattern on the table top and kept things from falling off the table. Sailors were served their meals on square wooden plates that just fit into these rectangular, table top spaces which, by design, kept the plates in place, even if the ship was pitching and rolling. Therefore, since the sailors were served their chow on a square plate and ate three times day, they got œThree square meals a day.

œHeadWhy is the toilet on a boat called the œhead? On old ships the œout house was placed at the bow of the ship. These necessary rooms were placed in that forward area where the ship slanted inward to form the bow. Therefore, when nature called and you needed to use one of these facilities, you went forward to the bow or the œheadœ of the vessel. Thus, the outhouse/toilet came to be called the “head”.