Fill Yer Boots with the colourful language of the Royal Canadian Navy
Mark Nelson — I was introduced to Jackspeak when I began my 26-year naval career in HMCS Chippawa on July 1, 1980. I quickly learned my training base was a Stone Frigate, floors were decks, the ceiling was a deckhead, walls were bulkheads, and the upper ridge of my boot soles were catwalks. Unfortunately, my catwalks were dirty, so I had to turn to at birds, which was a quaint way to say I had to stay late and polish brass. From that day forward, aside from having perfectly clean catwalks, I became engrossed with the language of the Navy. To a newcomer, the jargon can be a gateway to a fascinating world. However, it can also be confusing. For example, there is more than one way to refer to a lazy person, as they can be a skiver, skate, or be described as swinging the lead. The same goes for sleeping arrangements, as a sailor might sleep in a pit, cart, or rack, but only occasionally in a bunk. Nuances must be learned. The term mess carries no less than three meanings in a Canadian warship. Whistling is frowned upon unless you’re a cook, then you are allowed, just as long as you don’t whistle up a wind. Every ship is represented by a uniquely designed badge and never referred to as a ‘crest’ unless you are willing to face admonishment. Similarly, if you want to live on the edge, just say you served ‘on a ship’. You will be quickly told that sailors always serve in a ship. If you made this mistake more than once, your keelhauling would likely take place in half a dog watch. The ship’s engineers are far more commonly referred to as stokers, even though no ship’s engineer has stoked a coal-fired furnace...
