to splice the mainbrace
- idiom
- Archaic
:
brindar
- After a long day at sea, the captain allowed the crew to splice the mainbrace and relax.
Examples
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The sailors cheered when they were permitted to splice the mainbrace after the victory.
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Let's splice the mainbrace after finishing this project!
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It's an old tradition to splice the mainbrace whenever a voyage ends safely.
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After a long day at sea, the crew decided to splice the mainbrace.
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After a long day at sea, the captain allowed the crew to splice the mainbrace and relax.
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It's an old tradition to splice the mainbrace whenever a voyage ends safely.
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The sailors cheered when they were permitted to splice the mainbrace after the victory.
Synonyms
9
3.7
Hold up a drink with others to celebrate someone or something
To raise a glass and drink to wish someone good health
To celebrate loudly with singing and drinking
Surface Forms
Morphology
splice + the + mainbrace
The celebratory meaning (‘to have an alcoholic drink’) derives from historical naval practice rather than from the literal senses of the parts: 'splice' = join/repair rope and 'mainbrace' = a specific ship's rope. A B1 learner who knows those words would most likely interpret a literal rope-repair action, so the intended meaning is cultural/idiomatic and not predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Splice the mainbrace comes from old sailing ships. The mainbrace was a very large rope that helped control the main sail, and to splice it meant to join or repair that rope — a tough job, so the captain would give the crew extra rum as a reward. So today splice the mainbrace means 'to celebrate with a drink'.