{"id":1930,"date":"2022-03-03T17:57:49","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T17:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=1930"},"modified":"2022-03-03T17:57:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T17:57:49","slug":"anchors-aweigh-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/anchors-aweigh-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Anchors Aweigh \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you getting ready to leave on your road trip across the country? If so, you could yell \u201canchors away<\/em>\u201d to your friends as you leave the driveway to signal the start of your adventure. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The official meaning of the saying is to pull up anchors and set sail. However, with the widespread adoption of the expression in culture, it changed to a different meaning. Now, the saying means that you're leaving imminently and people should expect your departure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\"When anchors aweigh<\/em>, look around the harbor, and it's empty. That's not a pretty sight for the harbormaster.\"<\/p>\n

\"When the ship failed to move out of the slip, the captain turned to the first mate and asked him to check if anchors are aweigh<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n

\"When the harbormaster anchors \"anchors aweigh<\/em>\" over the radio,. It means that everyone needs to get out onto the water right now.\"<\/p>\n

\"You can sit around thinking about the bad times in life, or you can decide to free yourself from depression and \"anchors away<\/em>\" into a new life.\"<\/p>\n

\"As the tide rolled in, we cried \"anchors aweigh<\/em>\" and headed out to sea.\"<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The earliest reference to the expression \"anchors aweigh<\/em>\" comes from the maritime industry. The book \"The Tempest<\/em>,\" authored by John Dryden in 1670, has the saying in the following original variation.<\/p>\n

Trincalo: \"Is the Anchor<\/em> a Peek?\"<\/p>\n

Stephano: \"Is a weigh! is a weigh<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n

The phrase would evolve over the years, with Admiral William Henry Smyth, using it in his dictionary \"The Sailor's Word-Book: an alphabetical digest of nautical terms<\/em>,\" published in 1867. It appears as follows.<\/p>\n

\"The anchor is a-trip, or a-weigh<\/em>, where the purchase has just made it break ground, or raised it clear. Sails are a-trip when they are hoisted from the cap (thick block of wood), sheeted home, and ready for trimming\"<\/p>\n

Charles A. Zimmerman composed the song \"Anchors Aweigh<\/em>\" in 1906, with Alfred Hart Miles writing the lyrics. The United States Navy would later adopt the song as its anthem.<\/p>\n

\"Stand Navy down the field, sails set to the sky.<\/p>\n

We'll never change our course, so Army, you steer shy-y-y-y.<\/p>\n

Roll up the score, Navy, Anchors Aweigh<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Sail Navy down the field and sink the Army, sink the Army Grey.\"<\/p>\n

Anchors Aweigh<\/em> was also a musical comedy premiering in 1945, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.<\/p>\n