The Sailor's Word-Book Part 230

SQUARE-STERNED AND BRITISH BUILT. A phrase to express the peculiar excellence of our first-cla.s.s merchantmen.

SQUARE TIMBERS. Those timbers which stand square with, or perpendicular to, the keel.

SQUARE-TOPSAIL SLOOP. Sloops which carry standing yards.

SQUARE TUCK. The after-part of a ship's bottom, when terminated in the same direction up and down as the wing-transom.

SQUARE YARDS! The order to attend to the lifts and braces, for going before the wind.--_To square a yard._ In working ship, means to bring it in square by the marks on the braces. Figuratively, to settle accounts.

SQUARING THE DEAD-EYES. Bringing them to a line parallel to the sheer of the ship.

SQUARING THE RATLINES. Seeing that all are horizontal and ship-shape.

SQUATTER. The flutter of sea-birds along the water. Also, one who settles, without a t.i.tle. The hybrid but expressive Americanism _absquatulate_, means to clear off; the reverse of to _squat_.

SQUAW. A woman of the North American Indians.

SQUEEGEE. An effective swabbing implement, having a plate of gutta-percha fitted at the end of a broom handle.

SQUETEE. The Yankee name of a labrus, very common in the waters of Long Island Sound and adjacent bays, but never found in rivers.

SQUID. An animal allied to the cuttle-fish, belonging to the cla.s.s _Cephalopoda_; the calamary or _Loligo_ of naturalists.

SQUILGEE, OR SQUILLAGEE. A small swab made of untwisted yarns.

Figuratively, a lazy mean fellow.

SQUIRM. A wriggling motion like that of an eel. Also, a twist in a rope.

STABBER. A pegging awl; the same as _p.r.i.c.ker_.

STABILITY. A quality implying a ship's capacity to bear every motion of the sea.

STACK. A precipitous rock rising out of the sea, in northern hydrography.

STACKEN CLOUD. The same as _c.u.mulus_ (which see).

STADE. The Anglo-Saxon _staede_, still in use. A station for ships. From stade is derived _staith_ (which see).

STAFF. A light pole erected in different parts of a ship, whereon to hoist and display the colours; as, _the ensign-staff_, reared immediately over the stern; _the jack-staff_, fixed on the bowsprit-cap.

In military affairs, the staff includes all officials not having direct and specific military command, as the adjutant-general, quartermaster-general, majors of brigade, aides-de-camp, &c. This term has been unaccountably pilfered by the admiralty lately from the army, as a prefix to a naval t.i.tle.

STAFF-CAPTAIN. A designation conferred in 1863 upon masters of the fleet.

STAFF-COMMANDERS. A designation conferred in 1863 on masters of fifteen years' seniority.

STAFF-OFFICER. On the general staff of the army, or of a combined force.

_See_ STAFF.

STAG. A name given to a rock that should be watched for, as off the Lizard, Castlehaven, &c.

STAGE. Planks let over the ship's sides by ropes, whereon the people may stand when repairing, &c.--_A floating stage_ is one which does not need the support of ropes.--_Stage-gangway_ (_see_ BROW).

STAGER. A resident or practised person. _See_ OLD-STAGER.

STAGGERING UNDER IT. A ship's labouring under as much canvas as she can bear.

STAGNES. A statute term for pools of standing water.

STAITH [Anglo-Saxon _staede_]. An embankment on the river bank whence to load vessels. Also, a large wooden wharf, with a timber frame of either shoots or drops, according to circ.u.mstances.

STAKES. A _weir_ (which see) for taking fish, as black-stakes, &c.

STAL-BOAT. A peculiar fishing-boat, mentioned in statute 27 Eliz. c. 21.

STALKERS. Certain fishing-nets mentioned in old statutes.

STAMMAREEN. The after or helmsman's seat in a Shetland fishing-boat.

STAMP AND GO! The order to step out at the capstan, or with hawsers, topsail-halliards, &c., generally to the fife or fiddle.

STANCH. _See_ STAUNCH.

STANCHIONS. Any fixed upright support. Also, those posts of wood or iron which, being placed pillar-wise, support the waist-trees and guns.

STANCHIONS OF THE NETTINGS. Slender bars of iron or wood, the lower ends of which are fixed in iron sockets at proper distances.

STAND, TO. The movement by which a ship advances towards a certain object, or departs from it; as, "The enemy stands in sh.o.r.e;" "We saw three sail standing to the southward." "That ship has not a mast standing," implies that she has lost all her masts.

STANDARD. Formerly, in ship-building, was an inverted knee, placed upon the deck instead of beneath it, and having its vertical branch pointed upwards from that which lay horizontally.--_Royal standard._ A flag in which the imperial ensigns of England, Scotland, and Ireland are quartered. It is never hoisted on board a ship unless when visited by the royal family, and then it is displayed at the mast-head allotted to the rank; at the main only for the sovereign.

STANDARD-DEALS. Those planks of the pine or fir above 7 inches wide and 6 feet long: under that length they are known as _deal-ends_.

STANDARD-KNEES. _See_ DECK STANDARD-KNEES.

STAND BY! The order to be prepared; to look out to fire when directed.--To _stand by_ a rope, is to take hold of it; _the anchor_, prepare to let go.

STAND CLEAR OF THE CABLE! A precautionary order when about to let go the anchor, that nothing may obstruct it in running out of the hawse-holes.

Also, a warning when idlers obstruct quarter-deck duty.

STANDEL. In our statutes, is a young store oak-tree.

STAND FROM UNDER! A notice given to those below to keep out of the way of anything being lowered down, or let fall from above.

STANDING BACKSTAYS. The rigging proper. (_See_ BACKSTAYS.)

STANDING BEVELLING. The alteration made obtuse or outside a square, in hewing timber, as opposed to acute, or _under-bevelling_, which is within a square.

STANDING BOWSPRIT. One that is fixed permanently in its place, not the _running-in bowsprit_ of a cutter.