SON OF A GUN

Well I'll be "a Son of a Gun!" Many of us have used that expression. It has been around for a long time. Like so many "old sayings," we find ourselves using them, even when the meaning is not known to us. 

Did you ever wonder where the phrase "Son of a Gun" came from? You might be surprised to learn that it has a nautical origin. In fact, by the end of this column, you might wonder whether to refer to yourself that way again.

There was an era when the Royal Navy permitted women to accompany their husbands at sea. The timing of ship deployments and pregnancies didn't always provide for births to be in port. Many a child was both conceived and delivered at sea. The term "Son of a Gun" referred to a boy born aboard a sailing warship.

In those days, women shared the "gun deck" with their husbands, both in port and at sea. In order to keep working spaces and gangways clear, they occupied the only space available, which was between the guns. Childbirth often occurred on the gun deck between the guns. Thus, the expression "Son of a Gun" evolved.

It was customary to record births in the "Deck Log". In cases where there was a dispute about paternity, naturally there was also a question as to the surname of the child. In such cases, it was common for the deck log entry to state that the child was "a Son of a Gun."

Like most old expressions, the meanings may change over time, or additional meanings might evolve. A variation of the original definition describes a boy that was "conceived" alongside a gun, whether or not he was also delivered there.

An 1835 entry in a captain's journal sailing offshore of Spain adds another dimension to the story. The captain wrote, "This day the surgeon informed me that a woman had been labouring in child for 12 hours and asked if I could fire a broadside to leeward. I did so and she was delivered a fine male child."

There aren't too many deliveries of a child where gunpowder was used to assist labor. My guess is that today's navy would consider it "Politically Incorrect" to use explosives in the delivery room.

Some mariners were proud to be referred to as "a Son of a Gun." Another variation of the term was used to refer to a professional sailor as a "Son of a Gun." In this case, it was in the context of a compliment to a natural born sailor, but one who was not necessarily born at sea. An Admiral is known to have stated that he "literally was cradled under the breast of a gun carriage."

The next time someone calls you "a Son of a Gun" you may not know how to take it. It could either be taken as a compliment or an insult. I guess it all depends on who's doing the talking!

Until next time, I wish you clear skies, fair winds, and calm seas!