[net.nlang] 3 sheets to the wind

gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) (05/01/85)

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> The expression I heard of a similar nature was "Three sheets to the
> wind."  Can any sailing/ocean-going enthusiast explain this?

A sheet is a line (on a sailing vessel all pieces of string are called
"lines", never "ropes") that controls a sail, usually by being attached
to it.  A square-rigger will have two sheets per sail--connected to the
two lower corners.  When sailing properly, one sheet will be to wind-
ward, the other to leeward (except when on a dead run downwind).
If both sheets were to windward, the sail would be backwinding, and
the boat would be out of control.  I assume the extra sheet in
"three sheets to the wind" was added to exaggerate the notion of being
totally out of control, in the sense of dead drunk. 
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kdh@hou2h.UUCP (K.HUNTER) (05/01/85)

>> The expression I heard of a similar nature was "Three sheets to the
>> wind."  Can any sailing/ocean-going enthusiast explain this?

>If both sheets were to windward, the sail would be backwinding, and
>the boat would be out of control.  I assume the extra sheet in
>"three sheets to the wind" was added to exaggerate the notion of being
>totally out of control, in the sense of dead drunk. 

Actually, it's worse than that.  A sheet being "to the wind" is a reference
to a sheet which has been lost, i.e. is flying horizontally (and thus
quite out of reach from the deck) from the corner of the sail due to
the force of the wind and a clumsy (or drunk) deckhand.  Since
this makes the sail useless (the sheet is used to control the
angle (set) of the sail with respect to the wind and the boat/ship)
a boat with *three* sheets to the wind is in bad shape indeed.


				Kevin Hunter
				AT&TIS
Sail away.......

dwl@mtx5b.UUCP (D Levenson) (05/15/85)

A tour-guide on Nantucket Island (Mass.) was showing us a Windmill.
She pointed out that there were four blades, each consisting of a
wooden latice-work.  Cloth sails are applied over these blades when
wind power is to be harnessed.  All four sails are deployed in a
light breeze.  Only two are used in a strong wind (don't harvest
more energy than you can safely consume!).  She added,
parenthetically, that you had to use two or four sails -- with three
the mill would be unbalanced.  This, she claims, is the origin of
the expression.  

I consider the nautical origin more likely.

-- 

	"I haven't lost my mind;
	it's backed-up on tape somewhere."

					Dave Levenson
					AT&T-IS, Holmdel, NJ