A minced oath is a euphemistic expression formed by misspelling, mispronouncing, or replacing a part of a profane, blasphemous, or taboo term to reduce the original term's objectionable characteristics.
Some examples include gosh, darn, dang, and heck.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minced_oath
landlubber / lubber. Noun: An inexperienced sailor; a sailor on the first voyage
lubber's line / lubber's mark / lubber's point. Noun: A fixed line on a ship's compass indicating its heading
lubber's hole. Noun: Hole in a platform on a mast through which a sailor can climb without going out on the shrouds
Avast. Interjection: (nautical) cease; stop
From www.wordweb.info
Avast, ye landlubbers! (parody of pirate slang) listen!, pay attention!.
From http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/avast
A sailor is expected to keep hauling until the mate hollers ‘Avast!’
From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/avast
The first patented clothes peg issued in March 1832, described a bent strip of hickory held together with a wooden screw which proved to be totally impractical. Rain or even dampness would cause the screw to swell, rendering the pin inoperable
From http://www.ecoforce.co.uk/history-of-clothes-peg.htm
The (modern) clothes peg design was invented by David M. Smith of Springfield, Vermont (USA) in 1853 by creating two interlocking plastic or wooden prongs in between which is often wedged a small spring.
From http://www.dryingforfreedom.com/general-laundry-news/clothes-pegs-make-history/
Other Names for the clothes peg
From http://www.heritageandhistory.com/contents1a/2010/04/wooden-pegs-c47-or-a-clothespin/
Mini Matchstick Gun - The Clothespin Pocket Pistol
See http://www.instructables.com/id/Mini-Matchstick-Gun-The-Clothespin-Pocket-Pistol/
33 Crafty Things To Make With Clothespins
Angled flap
Bellows
Besom
Bucket
Camp
Cargo
Denim top-stitched
Double
Epaulette
Flap
Jetted
Kangaroo
Mechanic’s
Napoleon
Patch
Petal
Shirt
Side
Ticket
Utility
Watch
Welt
Western
See more at
http://textileapex.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/different-pocket-types.html
Keep the rubber on the road: A cyclist’s way of saying “ride smart” (or “you better not be a turkey and crash because I want to jam hard today”).
Squirrels and turkeys: Some cycling lingo is just plain fuzzy. Squirrels are panicky or unstable riders who can't maintain a steady line, while turkeys are inexperienced riders. Be cautious around this wildlife to stay safe on the road.
See more cycling lingo at
http://www.bicyclesource.com/bicycling_glossary
http://greatist.com/fitness/ultimate-guide-cycling-lingo
http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2010/03/dictionary-of-bike-commuter-slang.html
Marooning
Throwing Overboard
Cat O’ Nine Tails
Keelhauling
Walking The Plank
Selling Into Slavery
Dunking
Clapping In Irons
Sweating
Hanging
See more at Http://Pirateattack.Co.Uk/Top-Ten-Pirate-Punishments-2/
Janet Jackson
Lois Lane
Billy Bunter
Farrah Fawcett
See more at
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091223103459AAKXTEp
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls051320983/
http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion-1/characters-with-the-same-letter-initials-1455146/
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Famous-Authors-Best-Known-by-their-Initials-157225.html
And some theories about it all http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/9375/why-are-there-so-many-double-initials-in-comic-books
The action of rolling one’s eyes, typically as an expression of exasperation, disbelief, or disapproval:
From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/eye-rolling
Looking upward with an expression of contempt, often combined with a sigh. Used to indicate frustration and annoyance with the stupidity of a person or thing.
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Rolls+eyes
To move your eyes upwards as a way of showing that you are annoyed or bored after someone has done or said something
From http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/roll-your-eyes
John F. Kennedy
Wile E. Coyote
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Samuel L. Jackson
Harry H. Corbett
James T. Kirk
See more at http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/03/famous-middle-initials.html
and http://metro.co.uk/2008/04/25/top-15-mystery-famous-initials-102820/
Lick by lick, the cow ate the grindstone
See more at http://www.waywordradio.org/cow-ate-the-grindstone/
How to eat an elephant
http://www.recruiter.co.uk/personal-dev/2013/07/the-best-way-to-eat-an-elephant-goal-setting/
A. A. Milne
B. B. King
F. Scott Fitzgerald
H.G. Wells
J. Edgar Hoover
J. B. Priestley
H. Rider Haggard
See more at
http://mentalfloss.com/article/28788/real-names-18-authors-known-initials
A zeugma is an interesting device that can cause confusion in sentences, while also adding some flavor. Let's take a famous example from Star Trek: The Next Generation: "You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit." In this sentence, the word "execute" applies to both laws and citizens, and as a result, has a shocking effect.
Therefore, a zeugma is a figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence. In the above example, it has a dramatic effect. However, sometimes the attempted use of a zeugma can be confusing.
See lots more examples at
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-zeugma.html
A Morton's Fork is a specious piece of reasoning in which contradictory arguments lead to the same (unpleasant) conclusion. It is said to originate with the collecting of taxes by John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury in the late 15th century, who held that a man living modestly must be saving money and could therefore afford taxes, whereas if he was living extravagantly then he was obviously rich and could still afford them.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton's_fork
A character is presented two alternatives, A and B. If the character chooses A, then something bad happens. If they choose B, a similar or identical bad thing happens — but for a different reason. The Many Questions Fallacy is often a form of this, where a loaded question ("Have you stopped beating your wife lately?") precludes a "safe" answer (since, in this case, by deigning to answer the question, you are essentially admitting that suspicions about you beating your wife are legitimate).
Also see mentioned Hobson's choice, Xanatos Gambit, Sadistic Choice, Contrast Sweet and Sour Grapes, etc, etc
See more at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MortonsFork
Q:Who is the fat lady?
To me, a jag is still a short brass finger on the end of a cleaning rod that is wrapped in four-by-two before being shoved up a rifle barrel with a cry of "up yours!", sar-major.
To anyone in Scotland, a jag is a needle injection, usually preceded by a verbal warning "just a tiny prick". When the person offering just a tiny prick is male, polite patients suppress a smile. Fully-vaccinated children are referred to as having "had all their jags".
from alt.usage.english
Bringers of Bad Fortune -
See more like this at http://www.vacation-lists.com/salty-superstition.html
If you encounter a red-haired person en-route to your boat, speak to them before they speak to you or prepare for a disastrous voyage.
Shaving, cutting hair, trimming nails is bad luck.
See more like this at http://uk.boats.com/boat-content/2013/04/ten-top-seafaring-superstitions-for-sailors-and-boaters/
Never step onto or off a boat with your left foot first.
Tattoos and piercing are said to ward off evil spirits, hence sailors’ love for ink.
See more like this at http://www.dockwalk.com/Essentials/HotTopics.aspx?id=23170
See also http://www.dtmag.com/Stories/Weird%20Stuff/08-06-feature.htm
And http://www.shipwreck.net/oid/Nov12-maritimesuperstitions.php
Ear all, see all, say nowt,
Eat all, sup all, pay nowt,
And if tha ivver does owt fer nowt –
do it fer thissen
from alt.usage.english
Q: What's a rub?
A1. I was always given to believe that a "rub" was a feature of a bowling green such as a ridge or hump that serves as an obstacle to make the game more difficult, now regularised in crown green bowls. Hence its use to mean an obstacle more generally.
From alt.usage.english
A2. Shakespeare , Hamlet
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life
The phrase uses "rub" in its less common definition as "obstacle" or "snag" rather than the more common usage of applying pressure to a surface
'Heavens to Murgatroyd' is American in origin and dates from the mid 20th century.
The expression was popularized by the cartoon character Snagglepuss - a regular on the Yogi Bear Show in the 1960s, and is a variant of the earlier 'heavens to Betsy'.
The first use of the phrase wasn't by Snagglepuss but comes from the 1944 film Meet the People. It was spoken by Bert Lahr, best remembered for his role as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Snagglepuss's voice was patterned on Lahr's, along with the 'heavens to Murgatroyd' line.
See more at https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080707123703AA9IoCE
The title is "just a reference to the time of day" and that "the song is about writing a song. It's not mystical." The time of day in reference is 3:35 AM (or 3:34 AM), which would then be 25 (or 26) minutes to 4 AM.
See more at http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_or_6_to_4
