Posted by Jonathan Labaree on September 23, 2002 at 15:02:09 from 207.5.198.231 user JLabaree.
In Reply to: Re: We Didn't Mean... ODDITIES-swigging posted by Chris Hatt on September 23, 2002 at 07:39:17:
Ed,
This is terrific stuff, thanks so much for compiling it.
Here in the US, I think the phrase "to sweat a line" is more common than "to swig a line". It means the same thing. I have heard the former frequently, but the latter never on American vessels. By the way, it's not always easy to sweat (or swig) a line alone, since it's very handy to have someone "tailing" the line (taking up the slack) after you make your pull. It's possible, of course, to do this by yourself, but usually more effective with a partner or two. On larger ships, two or three people might lend their weight to the halyard during this operation.
I have always assumed it derives from the fact that when you pull hard on a damp line, it "sweats" as moisture is squeezed from it. But I admit that I have not given its derivation very much thought. Perhaps Robert's OED will shed light on this one, too. [By the way, Robert, those dictionary-toting professors were always my favorites, starting with my father.]
- Jonathan