AT SEA, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Puzzled; WIDE (q.v.): cf. HALF-SEAS-OVER.
1864. Cornhill Magazine, Nov., 577. ‘What is he?’ I asked, still more AT SEA.
1889. Polytechnic Magazine, 24 Oct., 263. For the first ten minutes the B’s were all AT SEA on the rough and peculiarly shaped ground.
PHRASES AND COMBINATIONS.—SEA-CRAB = a sailor (GROSE); SEA-DOG = (1) a privateer (temp. Eliz.), and (2) a sailor: spec. an OLD SALT (q.v.); SEA-GALLOPER = a special correspondent; SEA-GROCER = a purser; SEA-LAWYER = (1) a shark (GROSE), and (2) a captious or scheming fo’csle hand: whence SEA-LAWYERING = argument with officers; SEA-LEGS = ability to walk the deck of a rolling ship without staggering; SEA-WAG = an ocean-going vessel; SEA-RAT (old) = a pirate: cf. RIVER-RAT; SEA-ROVER = a herring: see ATLANTIC RANGER; SON OF A SEA-COOK = a nautical term of abuse; SEA-CONNIE (or CUNNIE) = (1) the helmsman on an Indian trader, and (2) = a Lascar quartermaster (CLARK RUSSELL); SEA-COAL = money.
c. 1835. R. H. DANA, Jr., Two Years Before the Mast, ii. I had not got my SEA LEGS on, was dreadfully sick … and it was pitch dark.
1836. M. SCOTT, Tom Cringle’s Log, xvi. Ay, you supercilious SON OF A SEA-COOK, you may turn up your nose at the expression.
1865. H. KINGSLEY, The Hillyars and the Burtons, xxiv. It made her stand firmer on her … had I been speaking of an English duchess I would have said her SEA LEGS.
1874. J. R. GREEN, A Short History of the English People, 406. The Channel swarmed with SEA-DOGS … who accepted letters of marque from the Prince of Condé.
1890. Spectator, 3 May, Rev. of ‘Slang and its Analogues.’… The extraordinary ‘bouncer’ that a very common request at Lockhart’s coffee-houses in London is for ‘a doorstep and a SEA-ROVER.’
1899. R. WHITEING, No. 5 John Street, xi. At the words ‘doorsteps and SEA-ROVER,’ the man at the bar produces a slice of bread and a herring.
1899. HYNE, Further Adventures of Captain Kettle, v. Robinson’s a SEA-LAWYER, is he? Courts, he talks about.
1901. Referee, 7 April, 1, 2. Great care should be exercised so as to minimise chances of their being able to take two chances for their money, one in the game and the other by ‘SEA-LAWYERING.’
1901. Army and Navy Gazette, 13 July, 683, 2. Whether these SEA-GALLOPERS—to use Lord Spencer’s historical designation—in the battleships will be able to see much of the fun is, we should imagine, doubtful.
