Fic Rush 48

*giggles madly*
Here I was about to give up and collapse into bed, but I think you've got me fired for one more hour. I'm locking up the liquor and keeping an eye out for devious flippered things.

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Yes! You can do it! We'll show those penguins what's what!

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*determined face*

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sid

Helloooo, handsome! Let's party!

Or we could write instead. I'm underdressed. I'll just write then. *pouts*

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Partying with Penguins sounds like maybe a Tom Lehrer song anyway. Which might be hilarious but I'm sure the writing will be just as much fun.

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LOL

I'm taking a break this hour after finishing my fic AND my ironing - but I am going to write an LJ post...

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How marvelously productive you've been!

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I know! *blinks in surprise*

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lolmac

Darn. *puts bottle away and apologises to penguin* I guess it was a little early in the day to start drinking.

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Give the penguin the bottle. I'm sure it will take care of the liquor for you until the sun is past the yardarm. (Also, what does that even mean, o, person with actual nautical linguistic knowledge?)

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This expression is thought to have its origins in an officers' custom aboard ships sailing in the north Atlantic. In those latitudes, the sun would rise above the upper yards - the horizontal spars mounted on the masts, from which squaresails were hung - around 11 a.m. Since this coincided with the forenoon 'stand easy,' officers would take advantage of the break to go below for their first tot of spirits for the day. The expression washed ashore where the sun appears over the figurative yardarm a bit later in the day, generally after 5 p.m., and the end of the workday." From "When a Loose Cannon Flogs a Dead Horse There's the Devil to Pay: Seafaring Words in Everyday Speech" by Olivia A. Isil (International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, McGraw-Hill, 1996)

Source (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/15/messages/458.html) - I find this website a very useful resource.

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Oh man, I so wish I were writing a fic where this info could be relevant.

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lolmac

If you're interested in the Age of Fighting Sail, start with the Hornblower books and progress to Patrick O'Brian.

O'Brian is also one of the best places to go to learn how to write really outstanding action sequences; and he's a marvelous multi-book lesson on how finely detailed research doesn't have to bog down a good story.

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I wasn't until 5 seconds ago, but hey, I'm up for anything! Thanks for the recs.

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sid

Also, I'm not getting any writing done because I'm discussing one of Mr. O'Brian's books at

mandc_read instead!

Llamas and vicunas and pumas, oh my!

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lolmac

Have you debauched my sloth? And the wombat's eaten your number one scraper.

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sid

Never in life, joy! There's not a moment to lose!

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lolmac

You are requested and required to go write more porn. England expects that every man shall do his duty; who he does in his spare time is up to him.

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sid

And after all, Surprise is on our side!

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Hee! Time for nautical fic?

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Perhaps!

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Harry Sullivan to the rescue? :D

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sid

Hello Harry! Haven't seen you in years!

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I luffs Harry! ♥

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sid

What's not to luff? ;-)

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Absolutely nothing!!

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lolmac

LOL! The yard on a square-rigged sailing vessel is the horizontal spar at the top of the sail. On a modern, fore-and-aft rigged vessel, the sail is not square, the horizontal spar is at the bottom of the sail, and it's called a boom.

Although a tall ship has multiple sails (in fact, it can't be called a tall ship unless it has at least three masts, square-rigged to deck level), when 'the yardarm' is mentioned by itself, it means the yard of the mainsail, on the mainmast.

The height of the yardarm above the deck varies depending on the size of the ship, but it's always a fair distance up into the sky. You can execute people by hanging them from the yardarm (since no trees are available out on the ocean). And by the time the sun has risen to the point where it's past, above, or over the yardarm, the morning is sufficiently far advanced that drinking can begin.

Per Wikipedia: "the phrase seems to have originated in the north Atlantic, where, in summer, this would have typically been at about 11 a.m."

I should be concerned that I only had to check Wikipedia for that last line . . .

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I'm amazed that you had to look at Wikipedia for any of it. You sounded so authoritative. Also, it is nearly 11am here. Although I need food before penguin drinks.

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lolmac

My knowledge of nautical terminology is on firmer footing than my sense of the clock.

It does put me in an eyerolling spot, though, because with very few classic sailing vessels afloat (including the replicas), they all advertise themselves as "tall ships". Most of them aren't (they're square-rigged vessels but not tall ships), and I can't always keep myself from pointing this out, which is a waste of breath.

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