Two, Six, Heave!
Tom May
Can anybody help with a trivial enquiry.
We used to have a couple of ex-sailors where I work who would, when lifting or
moving anything in consert, use the count "Two, Six, Heave". I must admit that I'd
forgotten this until I heard the same count used again, quite recently.
My questions are simply:
Does anybody know the origin of this count?
Is it only Royal Navy (and, I assume also Commonwealth Navies) or does it appear
in other navies?
Do other navies have any similar terms?
Regards
Tom May
Eugene Griessel
a...@npl.co.uk (Tom May) wrote:
>My questions are simply:
The origin comes from the days of the old broadside cannon and ships of wood.
The gun crew of such a cannon would be numbered - each 'number' having a
specific task in the swabbing out and reloading of the gun. Numbers two and
six, among their other chores, had the task of hauling the cannon back into
position for firing. Hence - the exhorataion "two, six - heave!" given by the
gun captain once the gun was ready to be fired again. Or that is how a
drunken gunner (a breed I neither trust nor like) explained it to me in a pub
one night many years back.
Eugene L Griessel eug...@dynagen.co.za
www.dynagen.co.za/eugene
SAAF Crashboat Page - www.dynagen.co.za/eugene/eug3.htm
Thought for the day .......
24 hours in a day...24 beers in a case...coincidence?
Barry Lake
Eugene's explanation makes sense, but I've only heard "one and six, heave!"
or "two and six, heave!" so I always thought it came from English money.
Maybe something sailors had to pay for cost that? Barry
Matt Clonfero
Tom May <a...@npl.co.uk> wrote:
>Does anybody know the origin of this count?
Someone on the newsgroup has both the Manual of Seamanship and
Jackspeak, so you should get a proper answer. But IIRC it dates back to
cannon firing, and who moves the gun back into position after it
recoils.
Aetherem Vincere
Matt.
--
================================================================================
Matt Clonfero: Ma...@aetherem.demon.co.uk | To Err is Human
My employers and I have a deal - They don't | To forgive is not Air Force Policy
speak for me, and I don't speak for them. | -- Anon, ETPS
L Bridgewater
I vote for the Gunners Story - he told me the same story!
Jack Speak has the 'Gunners' definition (as much as Jack Speak is
definitive - no origins are given)
Manual of Seamanship/Oxford Companion to Ships/Janes Naval Terms - no
entry
--
Lloyd Bridgewater
Matt Clonfero wrote in message ...
snip
Malcolm
On Wed, 15 Apr 1998, Barry Lake signalled:
>Eugene's explanation makes sense, but I've only heard "one and six, heave!"
>or "two and six, heave!" so I always thought it came from English money.
>Maybe something sailors had to pay for cost that? Barry
Never heard "one and six, heave" in the RN, nor "two and six". Always
"two-six, heave". And I still use it. And Eugene's explanation is the
one I go with. In "Jackspeak", by Cdr Rick Jolly, the same explanation
is given - nos 2 and 6 of the guns crew were responsible for running out
the cannon after reloading.
---
Regards
Malcolm
"The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest
coward like everybody else". Umberto Eco ("Travels in Hyper Reality", 1986)
Barry Lake
I'll buy the gunnery version as being correct. The money version is
probably one of those things that evolve or don't travel well. When I
joined the RCN early 60's we were told to say , "block and TAKE-AL" instead
of the natural "block and TAAKAL." Nobody knew why you had to say it that
way except if you didn't, you weren't "navy" I don't think anybody bothers
any more to say it "right." Some things do stick in the colonies. I
remember trying to learn some Spanish from a young lady in BA , Argentina ,
but she sounded funny even to me, because she was lithping some words and I
couldn't copy her. I thought maybe she had too much to drink, which seemed
promising,. but I found out that in Spanish they do that still because some
king way back did so everyone around him did too, as a form of courtier
brown-nosing. So hundreds of years later, they do it in Argentina! RN
things don't last so long without any local reason to keep them going, I'm
afraid. Regards, Barry
Ian Mac Lure
Barry Lake (bfl...@coastnet.com) wrote:
: I'll buy the gunnery version as being correct. The money version is
IIRC Castilian ( standard if you will ) and Galician ( Galithian )
Spanish involve a "lisp" of sorts but then again there are some
varieties of Gaelic ( including the Cape Breton ) variety that
seem to have it as well.
--
*******************************************************************
***** Ian B MacLure ***** Sunnyvale, CA ***** Engineer/Archer *****
* No Times Like The Maritimes *************************************
*******************************************************************
* Opinions Expressed Here Are Mine. That's Mine , Mine, MINE ******
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db...@vega.co.uk
In article <6h45u3$f...@borg.svpal.org>,
i...@svpal.svpal.org (Ian Mac Lure) wrote:
>
> IIRC Castilian ( standard if you will ) and Galician ( Galithian )
> Spanish involve a "lisp" of sorts but then again there are some
> varieties of Gaelic ( including the Cape Breton ) variety that
> seem to have it as well.
>
You got it - High Castilian as she is spoke around Madrid has the lithp.
Hence "Grathias", etc.
Wouldn't "Galician" be "Gallego", with that "y" instead of the "ll"?
Andalucians consider it it bit of an affectation, IIRC and I expect
a Catalonian would spit in your eye (ask Steven Maturin - well, I had to
get something naval back into the discussion).
David "No Hablo Ethpaniol" Bass
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
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Jeff Crowell
Barry Lake (bfl...@coastnet.com) wrote:
: joined the RCN early 60's we were told to say , "block and TAKE-AL" instead
: of the natural "block and TAAKAL." Nobody knew why you had to say it that
: way except if you didn't, you weren't "navy" I don't think anybody bothers
: any more to say it "right."
Proper pronunciation is as if it was spelled "TAY kul".
Not sure why, but that's the traditional form. Most folks just say "tack ul".
Jeff
--
"Fairness" is a concept invented by man. Nature doesn't believe in it.
Barry Johnson
I was told that 'three' could be mistaken for 'heave', which could be
dangerous!
Tom May <a...@npl.co.uk> wrote in article
<6h2u3t$pdd$1...@lightning.cise.npl.co.uk>...
> We used to have a couple of ex-sailors where I work who would, when
lifting or
> moving anything in consert, use the count "Two, Six, Heave". I must admit
that I'd
> forgotten this until I heard the same count used again, quite recently.
Glenn Dowdy
db...@vega.co.uk wrote:
>
> In article <6h45u3$f...@borg.svpal.org>,
> i...@svpal.svpal.org (Ian Mac Lure) wrote:
> >
> > IIRC Castilian ( standard if you will ) and Galician ( Galithian )
> > Spanish involve a "lisp" of sorts but then again there are some
> > varieties of Gaelic ( including the Cape Breton ) variety that
> > seem to have it as well.
> >
>
> You got it - High Castilian as she is spoke around Madrid has the lithp.
>
Glenn Dowdy
BlackBeard
>> >
>>
>> You got it - High Castilian as she is spoke around Madrid has the lithp.
>>
>Who's the cruel bast*rd that put an 's' in lisp?
>
I believe you meant Bathtard
BlackBeard
Submarines once, Submarines twice...
Trying to reason with hurricane season, in the Mojave desert.
Glenn Dowdy
BlackBeard wrote:
>
> In article <353658...@hp.com>, Glenn Dowdy <glenn...@hp.com> wrote:
>
> >> >
> >>
> >> You got it - High Castilian as she is spoke around Madrid has the lithp.
> >>
> >Who's the cruel bast*rd that put an 's' in lisp?
> >
>
> I believe you meant Bathtard
>
Glenn Dowdy
Malcolm
On Thu, 16 Apr 1998, Jeff Crowell signalled:
>Barry Lake (bfl...@coastnet.com) wrote:
>: joined the RCN early 60's we were told to say , "block and TAKE-AL" instead
>: of the natural "block and TAAKAL." Nobody knew why you had to say it that
>: way except if you didn't, you weren't "navy" I don't think anybody bothers
>: any more to say it "right."
>
>Proper pronunciation is as if it was spelled "TAY kul".
>
>Not sure why, but that's the traditional form. Most folks just say "tack ul".
>
Same in the RN, or it was in my day.
Rob Wheeler
Malcolm wrote:
> On Thu, 16 Apr 1998, Jeff Crowell signalled:
> >Proper pronunciation is as if it was spelled "TAY kul".
> >Not sure why, but that's the traditional form. Most folks just say "tack ul".
> Same in the RN, or it was in my day.
Still is now.
Rob.
--
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r...@pypers.demon.co.uk
Brit H--: a-- s++:- hb- y+ P++ M++ R A(++) C---
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Gregg Germain
Distribution:
It came from the positions of the men who returned the guns to
position after firing.
It's still used today on all the square riggers I've served aboard.
--
--- Gregg
"I don't want to die, baby.
gr...@head-cfa.harvard.edu but if I gotta die......
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics I'm gonna die last."
Phone: (617) 496-7237 Robert Mitchum
Tom May
Gentlemen,
Thank you for your help.
Tom May
BlackBeard
>> >
>>
>> I believe you meant Bathtard
>>
>Sorry, I was Army; I don't lisp. Navy, were you?
>
>Glenn Dowdy
I wath jutht trying to thpeak thpanish