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You are here: Home / Language / What Does “Before the Mast” Mean and Where Did the Nautical Expression Come From?

What Does “Before the Mast” Mean and Where Did the Nautical Expression Come From?

July 31, 2020 by Karen Hill

In his book Two Years Before the Mast, the American lawyer and author Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882) reveals his experiences as a young man at sea aboard the brig Pilgrim in 1834.

The mast of a sailing ship was the boundary between the quarters of officers in the rear and the crew in front.

Dana kept a diary of the wretched treatment and conditions experienced by a common seaman living “before the mast,” and from his notes he compiled his book, published in 1840.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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