TACK
HARD TACK
Old slang name for ship's biscuit.


SOFT TACK
Old slang name for bread.


ON THE WRONG TACK
Naval expression meaning doing things incorrectly or pursing the wrong line
in an argument.
A sailing ship makes progress towards the direction from which the wind is
blowing by tacking; so a ship on the wrong tank is progressing in the wrong
direction. It has been suggested that a ship on the wrong tack is one on the
port tack, whose responsibility it is to give way to a ship on the starboard
tank.


TACKLE
In the Navy when this noun refers to an outfit of pulley-blocks and rope it
is pronounced TAY-KLE.


TACTICS
STRATEGY AND TACTICS
The aim of naval strategy is the manipulation of naval forces for the control
of sea lanes and the denial of these lanes to the enemy. Tactics is the art
of disposing and handling forces in contact with the enemy.


TAIL
TAIL END CHARLIE
Naval slang name for the last ship in the line.


TAILORMADES
Naval slang for professionally manufactured (as opposed to homerolled)
cigarettes.


TAKE
TO TAKE CHARGE
Said of ships' fittings or furniture which break away from their fastenings
in bad weather and are thrown about by the motion of the ship.


TALLY
Slang word meaning Name; hence, Death-tally (identity).
The word comes from the tally-stick used in checking cargo in the old days
(hence the phrase "tallying the cargo"); these were wooden batons on which
the checkers cut notches - just as early cricket scorers kept their sides'
scores (whence the expression "notching the runs").


TANKY
(1) of officers ... the title by which is known the Midshipman detailed as
assistant to the Navigating officer. In former times the Navigating Officer
was responsible for the ship's water tanks.
(2) of ratings ... the title by which is known the Captain of the Hold - the
seaman rating attached to the Provision party and in whom is vested
responsibility for stowage and care of the provision holds.


TAR
TAR AND FEATHERS
JACK TAR
An old civilian name for a sailor. One theory explains the word JACK as a
diminutive of Jacket (i.e. meaning a short jacket), the TAR referring to the
old sailors' practice of waterproofing their clothes with tar.


TARPOT
A naval slang name for an elderly seaman.


TAUT
A TAUT HAND
A good all-round seaman whom everyone respects.


TEAK
PACING TEAK
Naval officers' slang expression referring to walking the quarter-deck as
officer-of-the-watch; a relic of the days when teak was used for deck-
planking.


TEN
TEN-A
The old official name for the authorised naval punishment (2 hours' extra
work or drill) awarded for minor offenses.


TEN-A MATCHES
Only safety matches are permitted on board HM ships; non-safety matches
therefore often led to awards of No 10-A punishment and so acquired this
slang name.


TICKET
BLUE TICKET
Officers' slang name for the official intimation received by a senior officer
that he is to be placed on the retired list. These notices were originally
written on blue paper.


PINK TICKET
The metaphorical card of permission obtained by a married officer from his
wife to enable him to join in an evening entertainment at which she will not
be present.


TIDDLY
Naval adjective meaning Stuart. Possibly it originates from "tidily".


TIDDY
TIDDY-OGGY
The traditional name in the Navy for a Cornish Pasty; also a nickname for a
Devonport rating.


TIDE
NEAP AND SPRING TIDES
Neap tides are those which, twice a lunar month, rise least and fall least
from the mean level.
Spring tides are those which, twice a lunar month, rise mist and fall most
from the mean level.


TIFFY
The inevitable slang abbreviation of the rank-title 'Artificer'.


TOBACCO
NAVY TOBACCO
Smoking was introduced on board HM Ships in about 1700, over tubs of water in
the forecastle only. Tobacco was first issued in the Navy a hundred years
later. The issue on repayment of leaf tobacco ceased in 1953 and tobacco is
now available as "Pipe" and "Cigarette" only.


TOM
LONG TOM
A paint brush lashed to the end of a long pole, used for painting
inaccessible places.


TON
TON : TONNAGE
LONG TON - the English ton of 2240 lbs; 2240 lbs was the average weight of a
tun of wine whose capacity was fixed by law in 1434 as 252 gallons.
SHORT TON - the American ton of 2000 lbs.
METRIC TON - one thousand killogrammes (2204.6 lbs).
REGISTER TON - unit of internal capacity of a ship = 100 cu ft.
DISPLACEMENT TON - unit approximately equal to the volume of a long ton
weight of sea water (35 cu ft), used in reckoning the displacement of ships.
MEASUREMENT or FREIGHT TON - unit of volume for cargo, usually reckoned at 40
cu ft.
MANIFEST or REVENUE TON - unit at which cargo is manifested when the carrier
has the option to assess freight charges on the basis of a ton weight or a
ton measurement, whichever affords the greater revenue.
GROSS(REGISTER)tonnage - measure of cubic capacity of a ship; 100 cu ft of
permanently enclosed space equals 1 gross tons.
NET(REGISTER) TONNAGE - gross tonnage less non-earning spaces such as crew
space, &c.
DEADWEIGHT TONNAGE - the weight (in long tons) of cargo and ballast that a
ship carries when laden to her waterline.
DISPLACEMENT TONNAGE - the weight (in long tons) of a ship measured by the
weight of the amount of water she displaces.


TOAST
THE LOYAL TOAST
The privilege accorded to the Royal navy of remaining seated while drinking
the Sovereign's health is of long standing but obscure in origin. There are
three popular beliefs about this -
(a) that King Charles II when on board the ROYAL CHARLES bumped his head on
rising to reply to the toast;
(b) that King George IV when Regent, dining on board one of HM Ships said, as
the officers rose to drink the King's health "Gentlemen, pray be seated, your
loyalty is above suspicion";
(c) that King William IV while Duke of Clarence (Lord High Admiral) bumped
his head as he stood up at dinner in one of HM Ships.
It is to be noted that in many of the wooden ships it was almost impossible
to stand upright between decks except between the deck-beams; furthermore, in
ships having a pronounced 'thumble-home' (i.e. steeply sloping sides) anyone
seated closer to the ship's side would find it difficult to stand at all.
The privilege of remaining seated does not extend to naval messes on shore,
nor afloat when the National Anthem is played, nor dies it apply in the Royal
Yacht. If no one takes wine for the loyal toast, the mess president has his
glass filled at the expense of the mess so that, through him, all the members
of the mess do drink the Sovereign's health.
It has been said that the practice of drinking the loyal toast in an empty
glass, or in water, was authorised by King George V out of defence to
officers' pockets.



TRADITIONAL WARDROOM EVENING TOASTS
The following are quoted by Commander Beckett as the routine toasts drunk
after dinner in wardrooms in Nelson's time:

Sunday ............... Absent friends.
Monday ............... Our ships at sea.
Tuesday .............. Our men.
Wednesday ............ Ourselves (as no one else is likely to concern
themselves with our welfare).
Thursday ............. A bloody war or a sickly season.
Friday ............... A willing foe and sea room.
Saturday ............. Sweethearts and wives.
Thursday's toast is clearly a reference to promotion, only then to be
obtained in dead men's shoes.


Other versions are:
Sunday ............... Absent friends and those at sea. Absent friends.
Monday ............... Our native land. Queen and country.
Tuesday .............. Our mothers. Health and wealth.
Wednesday ............ Ourselves. Our Swords. Old Ships (i.e. shipmates).
Thursday ............. The King.
Friday ............... Fox hunting and old port. Ships at sea.
Saturday ............. Sweethearts and wives. Sweethearts and wives.


Of these, only the old Saturday's toast still remains, and that or if the
ship is at sea. The mess president gives the toast and then calls on the
youngest member of the mess present to reply to the toast; this, of course,
comes after the loyal toast.


TOOFER
Ward room slang name for a cigar; said to be derived from the cynical
suggested price of the cigars - "Two for Sixpence"! The verb associated with
a toofer is to push - e.g. "He was pushing a toofer".


TOOT
(1) A grouse or complaint. The verb associated with this form of Toot is to
have.
(2) A minor drinking party, in the expression "On the toot".


TOP
EVERYTHING ON TOP AND NOTHING HANDY
An old naval expression used to describe a badly stowed compartment or
locker. It originates from the traditional description of the old-pattern
midshipman's sea chest in which were kept his clothes.


TOUCH
TOUCH AND GO
An expression commonly used to mean uncertainty. It is of maritime origin and
refers to a ship touching the sea-bottom and then slipping off.


TRICK
A TRICK
The naval name for a spell of duty, a watch, particularly as coxswain at the

steering wheel.


TUBES
An old officers' slang name for Macaroni pudding, originating from Royal
Naval College, Dartmouth.


TURKEY
One of the many traditional nicknames for a Marine.
Other traditional nicknames for royal Marines are "Bashi-Basouks",
"Leathernecks", "Bootnecks", "Royals", "Joeys", "Bullocks", "Cheeks",
"Jerines", "Flatfoots", "Jollies".


TWELVE
ROLL ON MY TWELVE
The naval man's heart-cry when depressed, implying literally that he will be
so relieved when the end of his 12-year engagement in the Navy comes that it
cannot come too quickly for him. The remark should almost never be taken
literally!