and does anyone know of any websites where I can find the original of phrases?
2006-09-23 23:11:01 · 3 answers · asked by Amanda L 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
its definately swing the lmap - a friend asked me and I'd never heard of it, but have seen it posted on some websites now i've searched - but no idea of origin.
2006-09-23 23:20:21 · update #1
Do you mean swing the lead?
2006-09-23 23:18:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Swinging the lamp and swinging the lead are both of nautical origin. When a ship was in shallow water, the leadsman would become vital to its safety because it was he who sounded the depth of water under the keel. He would swing out a line with a heavy lead weight and call out the depth thus found. It was actually a very skilled job to do properly but any poser could look the part by just swinging out the lead without any clue as to how he should read it.
It was the practice to allow a yarn-spinner to continue with his story for as long as an overhead lamp was in motion after being given a good swing.
2006-09-24 00:09:52 · answer #2 · answered by Jellicoe 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe it comes from the old seafaring days. When old sailors started to tell a yarn, someone would say 'Look out swing the lamp, Jack is going to tell us a story'. It was supposed to give the impression of a ship at sea.
2006-09-24 00:13:30 · answer #3 · answered by Alex 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋