Round turn
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A common example is, "a round turn and two half-hitches", a knot said to be "Good enough for the King's yacht". | A common example is, "a round turn and two half-hitches", a knot said to be "Good enough for the King's yacht". | ||
==In the Canon== | ==In the Canon== | ||
| - | Characters throughout the canon frequently speak of being, "brought up with a round turn". For example, in [[The Reverse of the Medal]], Wilks, a sailor on | + | Characters throughout the canon frequently speak of being, "brought up with a round turn". For example, in [[The Reverse of the Medal]], Wilks, a sailor on ''[[HMS Irresistible]]'' says of [[Jack Aubrey|Aubrey]], "The [[Sam Panda|black parson]] will bring him up with a round turn".<ref>O'Brian, Patrick. ''The Reverse of the Medal''. (c)1986 First published as a Norton Paperback 1992. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York, NY: p. 16</ref> |
[[Stephen Maturin|Maturin]] often mistakes the phrase. At one point, he tells [[Major Beck]] that he "brought him up with a round [[stern]]". At another he assures Aubrey that, "if the Admiral proves inquisitive, I may toss him off with a round turn."<ref>O'Brian, Patrick. ''The Reverse of the Medal''. (c)1986 First published as a Norton Paperback 1992. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York, NY: p. 21</ref> The nautical error, leaving aside the question of pun, is that a round turn helps to make something fast, not to let it loose. | [[Stephen Maturin|Maturin]] often mistakes the phrase. At one point, he tells [[Major Beck]] that he "brought him up with a round [[stern]]". At another he assures Aubrey that, "if the Admiral proves inquisitive, I may toss him off with a round turn."<ref>O'Brian, Patrick. ''The Reverse of the Medal''. (c)1986 First published as a Norton Paperback 1992. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York, NY: p. 21</ref> The nautical error, leaving aside the question of pun, is that a round turn helps to make something fast, not to let it loose. | ||
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==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<div class="references-small"> | <div class="references-small"> | ||
Revision as of 17:17, 9 July 2009
Specifically, a round turn is the passing of a line through 360 degrees around an object. The friction caused by the turn when such a line comes under tension is dramatic. Thus, in tending a line apt to come under heavy strain, a sailor will often "catch a turn" around a belaying pin, cleat, or bitt to aid him in maintaining control.
A common example is, "a round turn and two half-hitches", a knot said to be "Good enough for the King's yacht".
In the Canon
Characters throughout the canon frequently speak of being, "brought up with a round turn". For example, in The Reverse of the Medal, Wilks, a sailor on HMS Irresistible says of Aubrey, "The black parson will bring him up with a round turn".[1]
Maturin often mistakes the phrase. At one point, he tells Major Beck that he "brought him up with a round stern". At another he assures Aubrey that, "if the Admiral proves inquisitive, I may toss him off with a round turn."[2] The nautical error, leaving aside the question of pun, is that a round turn helps to make something fast, not to let it loose.
