Sound Like a Sailor

The Book of Nautical Expressions

R. Bruce Macdonald

$34.99

Hardback

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English

Harbour Publishing
30 October 2025

Historical & comparative linguistics; Maritime history; Ships & shipping: general interest; Sailing

An essential collection for every sailor's library, this fun dictionary of phrases and terms is anchored in nautical history.

Life-long sailor Bruce Macdonald knows a thing or two about the language of the sea and, in Sound Like a Sailor, he catalogs nautical terms and idioms that are used in the common vernacular. Delving deep into the colorful history behind each word or phrase, this alphabetical reference will help readers understand the maritime origins of our most ubiquitous expressions.

Discover how minding your p's and q's originates in how bartenders kept track of pints and quarts on sailors' tabs, how ""going berserk"" calls up images of shirtless Vikings, and how the word ""footloose"" originally referred to an untethered sail flapping around like Kevin Bacon's legs. And, as any superstitious sailor knows, it's best to ""cheat the devil"" by having an arsenal of euphemisms at the ready when needed, as cursing is said to invite trouble aboard.

An essential book for boating enthusiasts and language buffs alike, Sound Like a Sailor is a windfall of fascinating linguistic information.

By: R. Bruce Macdonald
Imprint: Harbour Publishing
Country of Publication: Canada
Dimensions: Height: 215mm, Width: 139mm,
ISBN: 9781998526239
ISBN 10: 1998526232
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

R. Bruce Macdonald is a writer, sailor and artist with a passion for Canadian history. Macdonald has logged over 100,000 nautical miles and, for many years, lived along the BC coast aboard North Star with his family. He is the author of North Star of Herschel Island (Friesen Press, 2012), Sisters of the Ice (Lost Moose Books, 2021), and Never Say P*g: The Book of Sailors' Superstitions (2022).

Reviews for Sound Like a Sailor: The Book of Nautical Expressions

Praise for Bruce Macdonald's previous book, Never Say P*g: ""whether you're looking for some salty trivia or to cultivate some new nautical paranoia, this book is guaranteed to enchant and inform."" --SAIL magazine ""Never Say P*g merits signing aboard with anyone's library, be they pollywog or shellback. It will inform as well as entertain on dark and stormy nights or in the noon-day sun, at sea or ashore."" --Captain Jonathan Bacon Smith, SEA HISTORY magazine ""Nicely illustrated throughout with black-and-white images, Never Say P*g: The Book of Sailors' Superstitions is an inherently fascinating and informative compendium of maritime beliefs that will fully engaging the reader from first page to last. Unique, informative, thought-provoking and fun, Never Say P*g: The Book of Sailors' Superstitions is highly recommended."" --Midwest Book Review ""The information is interesting enough for a non-sailor to find enjoyable and crucial for a sailor to know and respect...interesting and informative."" --San Francisco Book Review, 5-star review