Tapping the Admiral!

[The Red Baron]

Just saw this on the VSC preview page:

An admiral defeat in the League Cup during the week won't have done Rovers confidence any harm as they travel to the Midlands to face Walsall.

We certainly went down with all hands at Walsall! 

[scaley back rover]

We were definatly all at sea at Walsall

[BillyStubbsTears]

Is that a Victorian euphemism for playing cheeky? Like Tipping the Velvet?

[The Red Baron]

"Tapping the Admiral" is an old naval phrase for covert drinking. It comes from the fact that when Nelson was killed at Trafalagar in order to preserve his body on the return journey he was stored in a cask of brandy. Needless to say, when The Victory returned to Portsmouth the cask was not full!

Of course, when sailors were killed at sea (including senior officers) it was normal to either throw them over the side (if during the heat of battle) or bury them at sea if time permitted. As Nelson was a national hero it was felt that his body had to be returned home- hence the unusual embalming.

[Bentley Bullet]

Was that when they invented 'full bodied' Brandy?

[hoolahoop]

"Tapping the Admiral" is an old naval phrase for covert drinking. It comes from the fact that when Nelson was killed at Trafalagar in order to preserve his body on the return journey he was stored in a cask of brandy. Needless to say, when The Victory returned to Portsmouth the cask was not full!

Of course, when sailors were killed at sea (including senior officers) it was normal to either throw them over the side (if during the heat of battle) or bury them at sea if time permitted. As Nelson was a national hero it was felt that his body had to be returned home- hence the unusual embalming.

Interesting but how can you bury someone at sea ?
Do they send a couple of divers down to the seabed with a bucket and a spade....the mind boggles. Lol

[hoolahoop]

Was that when they invented 'full bodied' Brandy?

Yep a 47 year old vintage one in that barrel .

[Bentley Bullet]

I'm off to Tesco's later, I'll keep an eye out for that one.

[The Red Baron]

"Tapping the Admiral" is an old naval phrase for covert drinking. It comes from the fact that when Nelson was killed at Trafalagar in order to preserve his body on the return journey he was stored in a cask of brandy. Needless to say, when The Victory returned to Portsmouth the cask was not full!

Of course, when sailors were killed at sea (including senior officers) it was normal to either throw them over the side (if during the heat of battle) or bury them at sea if time permitted. As Nelson was a national hero it was felt that his body had to be returned home- hence the unusual embalming.

Interesting but how can you bury someone at sea ?
Do they send a couple of divers down to the seabed with a bucket and a spade....the mind boggles. Lol

In practical terms, there is very little difference between burying someone at sea and throwing them over the side. By "burying" I mean that there is some kind of ceremony and the corpse (wrapped in a sheet) is committed to God. If you were killed in battle the odds were you'd be thrown over the side. If you died of your wounds after the battle, you'd get the sheet and the ceremony! Such was life on board a fighting ship in those days.

[ravenrover]

The shroud was sewn up and the last stitch went trough the sailors nose just to make sure they were dead, weighted down with a cannonball to make sure it sank.

[Branton Rover]

is there any truth that Nelson paid half price for a bottle of Optrex

[RedRover45]

is there any truth that Nelson paid half price for a bottle of Optrex

Aye....

[Bentley Bullet]

He said he could see a bit out of his bad eye after using Optrex, but not a patch on his good eye.

[bobjimwilly]

i'd normally pick up on spelling mistakes like that; oops 

[Hag]