Over the top (seafaring)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term over the top comes from the sailor's language .

At the time of the windjammer it was and is the custom that the newly hired sailors had to prove their seaworthiness. To do this, they were required to board the highest mast (mostly the main mast , sometimes also the central mast ) of the sailing ship. The candidates had to climb up the shrouds on one side of the ship and back down on the other. Whoever passed this test was allowed to hire, was over the top .

In a figurative sense, it also means passing a life test or belonging to a group or elite.

literature

  • Dietmar Bartz: Sailor's language: From ropes, Pütz and Wanten. 2nd edition, Delius Klasing, Bielefeld 2007, ISBN 978-3-7688-1933-6 .