Jack Tar (also Jacktar, Jack-tar or Tar) is a common
English term that was originally used to refer to
seamen of the
Merchant Navy or the
Royal Navy, particularly during the
British Empire. By
World War I the term was used as a nickname for those in the
US Navy.[1] Members of the public and seafarers alike made use of the name in identifying those who went to sea. It was not used
pejoratively, and sailors were happy to use the term to label themselves.[2]
Etymology
There is some dispute among historians about the origin of "Jack", but it was a frequently used generic name for the common man.[3] There are several plausible etymologies for the reference to "
tar":
Seamen were known to "tar" their clothes before they departed on voyages to
make them waterproof before the invention of
waterproof fabrics. Later, they frequently wore coats and hats made from a waterproof fabric, called
tarpaulin. That may have been shortened to "tar" at some point.[3]
In a widely-accepted myth with no period evidence, it was said that sailors smeared their hair with tar. In a book published in 1915, the author surmised that it was common among seamen to plait their long hair into a
ponytail and smear it with high-grade tar to prevent it from getting caught in the ship's equipment.[1]
Linehandlers would pull their hair back in ponytail fashion and then apply a tarry substance to prevent any strands from flying loose and becoming entangled or ripped out during the complicated and dangerous linehandling maneuvers that kept their ship at full sail
Gilbert and Sullivan's 1878
operetta, H.M.S. Pinafore, subtitled The Lass That Loved a Sailor, uses the synonym "tar" frequently in its dialogue, including the songs "The Merry Maiden and the Tar" and "A British Tar".
In the 19th century,
coopers who crafted barrels on ships were often called groggers or jolly jack tars, as when a barrel of rum had been emptied, they would fill it up with boiling water and roll it around, creating a drink which was called
grog.[5]
One of
John Philip Sousa's lesser-known works was his "Jack Tar March", written in 1903, which featured "
The Sailor's Hornpipe" tune in one of its segments.
Jack Tars: Life in Nelson's Navy is a best-selling non-fiction book written by Roy and Lesley Adkins about the real lives of sailors in
Horatio Nelson's age.[6]
The traditional English
folk song "
Go to Sea Once More", alternatively titled "Jack Tarr the Sailor", tells the tale of a sailor by the name of Jack Tarr who loses everything after an ill-advised drunken escapade while he is ashore in
Liverpool.
The traditional English folk song "Jacky Tar" was sung by
Eliza Carthy (previously collected and sung by
A. L. Lloyd as "Do Me Ama"):
Roud 511;
Laws K40; Ballad Index LK40.[7]
People born in
Swansea,
Wales, are known as "Jacks" or "Swansea Jacks". One explanation for the name is that the people of Swansea had a reputation as skilled sailors and that their services were much sought after by the navy.[10]
In
Anthony Shaffer's comedy/thriller play Sleuth, the most prominent of Andrew Wyke's automata is Jolly Jack Tarr, the Jovial Sailor. This life-sized figure laughs, and his body shakes appropriately with the pressing of a remote control button. He is in several scenes, including one in which a clue to a murder is hidden on Jolly Jack Tarr's person.
The term forms the basis for the expression, "
I'm alright, Jack", which signifies smug complacence at the expense of others.
Period writers often referred to the simplicity of Jack Tar, and when he was represented as a drunk and a womanizer, the moral of the story was that he was easy prey for women,
publicans and keepers of
boarding houses.[3]
^
Williams, James H (1917).
"A Better Berth for Jack Tar". The Independent (Sept. 29). New York: S.W. Benedict: 502–503, 515. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
Jack Tar (also Jacktar, Jack-tar or Tar) is a common
English term that was originally used to refer to
seamen of the
Merchant Navy or the
Royal Navy, particularly during the
British Empire. By
World War I the term was used as a nickname for those in the
US Navy.[1] Members of the public and seafarers alike made use of the name in identifying those who went to sea. It was not used
pejoratively, and sailors were happy to use the term to label themselves.[2]
Etymology
There is some dispute among historians about the origin of "Jack", but it was a frequently used generic name for the common man.[3] There are several plausible etymologies for the reference to "
tar":
Seamen were known to "tar" their clothes before they departed on voyages to
make them waterproof before the invention of
waterproof fabrics. Later, they frequently wore coats and hats made from a waterproof fabric, called
tarpaulin. That may have been shortened to "tar" at some point.[3]
In a widely-accepted myth with no period evidence, it was said that sailors smeared their hair with tar. In a book published in 1915, the author surmised that it was common among seamen to plait their long hair into a
ponytail and smear it with high-grade tar to prevent it from getting caught in the ship's equipment.[1]
Linehandlers would pull their hair back in ponytail fashion and then apply a tarry substance to prevent any strands from flying loose and becoming entangled or ripped out during the complicated and dangerous linehandling maneuvers that kept their ship at full sail
Gilbert and Sullivan's 1878
operetta, H.M.S. Pinafore, subtitled The Lass That Loved a Sailor, uses the synonym "tar" frequently in its dialogue, including the songs "The Merry Maiden and the Tar" and "A British Tar".
In the 19th century,
coopers who crafted barrels on ships were often called groggers or jolly jack tars, as when a barrel of rum had been emptied, they would fill it up with boiling water and roll it around, creating a drink which was called
grog.[5]
One of
John Philip Sousa's lesser-known works was his "Jack Tar March", written in 1903, which featured "
The Sailor's Hornpipe" tune in one of its segments.
Jack Tars: Life in Nelson's Navy is a best-selling non-fiction book written by Roy and Lesley Adkins about the real lives of sailors in
Horatio Nelson's age.[6]
The traditional English
folk song "
Go to Sea Once More", alternatively titled "Jack Tarr the Sailor", tells the tale of a sailor by the name of Jack Tarr who loses everything after an ill-advised drunken escapade while he is ashore in
Liverpool.
The traditional English folk song "Jacky Tar" was sung by
Eliza Carthy (previously collected and sung by
A. L. Lloyd as "Do Me Ama"):
Roud 511;
Laws K40; Ballad Index LK40.[7]
People born in
Swansea,
Wales, are known as "Jacks" or "Swansea Jacks". One explanation for the name is that the people of Swansea had a reputation as skilled sailors and that their services were much sought after by the navy.[10]
In
Anthony Shaffer's comedy/thriller play Sleuth, the most prominent of Andrew Wyke's automata is Jolly Jack Tarr, the Jovial Sailor. This life-sized figure laughs, and his body shakes appropriately with the pressing of a remote control button. He is in several scenes, including one in which a clue to a murder is hidden on Jolly Jack Tarr's person.
The term forms the basis for the expression, "
I'm alright, Jack", which signifies smug complacence at the expense of others.
Period writers often referred to the simplicity of Jack Tar, and when he was represented as a drunk and a womanizer, the moral of the story was that he was easy prey for women,
publicans and keepers of
boarding houses.[3]
^
Williams, James H (1917).
"A Better Berth for Jack Tar". The Independent (Sept. 29). New York: S.W. Benedict: 502–503, 515. Retrieved March 24, 2010.