The Explainxkcd for this lead me to the Wikipedia article for Block and tackle, which lead me to Block (sailing), whose first paragraph is giving me Plumbus vibes:

In sailing, a block is a single or multiple pulley. One or a number of sheaves are enclosed in an assembly between cheeks or chocks. In use, a block is fixed to the end of a line, to a spar, or to a surface. A line (rope) is reeved through the sheaves, and maybe through one or more matching blocks at some far end, to make up a tackle.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

sailing is such a fun subject because it's so fucking old and historically important that everything related to it is a thick soup of utterly inscrutable jargon

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Nautical terminology is PRECISE, and for very good reasons. You don't want to be in the middle of a gale and ask for the round thingamagig to pull or something. That is why you use starboard instead of right. Starboard is the right when looking at the bow. "To the right" on a boat can mean your right, my right, etc.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

hoist up the thing, batten down the whatsit
what's that thing spinning, somebody should stop it
turn hard to port (that's not port!) -wait i've got it
trust me i'm in control