"Whistle everyone upstairs!" What does the expression mean. Who and why whistled before

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Everyone must have heard this expression, and maybe he himself used it more than once in a speech. "All hands on deck!" - what does this phraseological unit mean, where did it come from and when is it appropriate to use it? Let's sort it out in order.

- Why are they calling everyone upstairs?.. They whistle everyone upstairs when there is emergency work.

©Goncharov I. A. (Frigate "Pallada")

"Whistle everyone upstairs!" - what does

mean

This expression came to us literally from the depths of the sea. The watchman used the sound command - "whistle everyone upstairs" - which meant a momentary gathering of the entire crew on the upper deck.

But it is unlikely that many of you can boast of deep knowledge in the field of marine terms, commands and other things. So why are we using this expression today, and what does it mean in simple conversation (the case when you are a sailor of a ship will not be counted; sailors have no questions).

When to use the phrase

Imagine a force majeurea situation: an emergency at work, a natural disaster, or "five more minutes", as a result of which the time for training is reduced by the same amount … In general, they presented it. The admiral spirit immediately awakens in you, which requires you to gather and throw all your strength into solving the problem. To do this, you involve everyone and everything who will owe you, need, be useful, or who just happens to pass by. That's when this expression will fit very succinctly into the plot.

From history

This command is rooted in the past, when ships sailed through the waves with the help of oars. Powerful ships required a large number of rowers, but in order for the work to go smoothly, it was necessary to maintain a single rowing rhythm. At different stages, different instruments solved this problem: from the gong and drum to the flute and whistle. With the development of shipbuilding and the advent of the sail, the need for quick and well-coordinated work of the crew increased even more. It was then that the pipe-whistle appeared, with which the expression known to everyone is associated. Over time, the name stuck to it - the boatswain's pipe, as it was issued to junior ship ranks.

The boatswain's pipe device made it possible to issue various signals: from a drawn-out whistle to an iridescent trill. Thus, over time, up to sixteen commands were developed, with the help of which it was possible not only to whistle, that is, to collect the crew, but also to raise the flag, call for a change of watch, wake up the team, and much more.

Since it was quite difficult to record such a melody with ordinary notes,even a special "notation" was created for the boatswain's pipe, consisting of oblong lines - long sounds, dashes - short and circles - trills. The art of playing the pipe was passed on from one generation of sailors to another, but now there are hardly any craftsmen who are ready to demonstrate this talent. With the development of technology, the pipe lost its direct purpose, but as a naval tradition, it still serves as an indispensable attribute of watchmen.