Sailing terms for landlubbers

24/04/2024 01:52

In a humorous movie scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Jack Sparrow and his mutinous helmsman-turned-ally Hector Barbossa stomp down the deck of the Black Pearl barking orders at the crew. "Trim that sail!" one of them shouts. "Slack windward brace and sheet!" another roars. "Haul the pennant line!" they bellow in unison.

Although the scene ultimately revolves around the unsolved question of which one of them is Captain, much of the comedy derives from the fact that the film's audience—largely comprised of 21st-century landlubbers with a limited understanding of sailing jargon—has absolutely no idea what the characters are talking about. – Full report

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