splice the mainbrace en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From splice + mainbrace. Splicing the mainbrace, a heavy piece of running rigging that supported the main yard, was a skilful and arduous task, so that the men responsible would be rewarded with an extra tot of rum. Nowadays, a ceremonial order to pour a drink for a ship's company.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To have an alcoholic drink.
[T]he skipper invited us to ‘splice the main brace’; which, in the language of the landlubber, means to have a spot of rum.
1933, Frank Clune, Try Anything Once, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 89:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| splicing the mainbrace | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| splices the mainbrace | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| spliced the mainbrace | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| spliced the mainbrace | Tense=Past | lexicographic |