This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
swirlie · F
"Three sheets to the wind" is an old nautical term for 'tall ships' of long ago which used 3 sails at once on a wooden sailing ship, comprised of a large main sail and two smaller jib sails, with sails being referred to as 'sheets'.
If the boat were turned so as to point directly into the wind, it will cause all 3 sails to 'luff' which means to flap back and forth like sheets flapping on a clothes line and no longer acting as 'lifting devices' anymore to move the vessel along it's intended track, resulting in the vessel going dead in the water, which means it stops moving forward.
Depending on the 'sail set', 1 of 3 sails can suddenly start luffing while the remaining 2 sails keep on flying, which means that 1 luffing sail has 'stalled' and is no longer acting as a 'lifting' sheet because of it's too sharp of an angle of attack relative to the longitudinal axis of the vessel itself.
In this case, the remaining 2 sails are what propel the vessel forward until that stalled sheet is re-set to the correct sailing angle of attack by the crew, at which point it fills with air and begins to assist with the movement of the vessel through the water by being at the correct sailing angle.
During the days of pirates and tall ships, a drunken sailor was assessed as being 1, 2, or 3 sheets to the wind in terms of assessing his level of drunkenness.
If he was only staggering back and forth a little bit but could basically walk a straight line, he was said to be "1 sheet to the wind".
If he was staggering and needed occasional support and perhaps occasional direction with his navigation, he was said to be "2 sheets to the wind".
If he was bouncing off the walls, falling down more than standing up and having no idea where he was, he was said to be "three sheets to the wind" because he would be lying on his back, passed out and not going anywhere!
If the boat were turned so as to point directly into the wind, it will cause all 3 sails to 'luff' which means to flap back and forth like sheets flapping on a clothes line and no longer acting as 'lifting devices' anymore to move the vessel along it's intended track, resulting in the vessel going dead in the water, which means it stops moving forward.
Depending on the 'sail set', 1 of 3 sails can suddenly start luffing while the remaining 2 sails keep on flying, which means that 1 luffing sail has 'stalled' and is no longer acting as a 'lifting' sheet because of it's too sharp of an angle of attack relative to the longitudinal axis of the vessel itself.
In this case, the remaining 2 sails are what propel the vessel forward until that stalled sheet is re-set to the correct sailing angle of attack by the crew, at which point it fills with air and begins to assist with the movement of the vessel through the water by being at the correct sailing angle.
During the days of pirates and tall ships, a drunken sailor was assessed as being 1, 2, or 3 sheets to the wind in terms of assessing his level of drunkenness.
If he was only staggering back and forth a little bit but could basically walk a straight line, he was said to be "1 sheet to the wind".
If he was staggering and needed occasional support and perhaps occasional direction with his navigation, he was said to be "2 sheets to the wind".
If he was bouncing off the walls, falling down more than standing up and having no idea where he was, he was said to be "three sheets to the wind" because he would be lying on his back, passed out and not going anywhere!