Colloquialisms...

A regional expression.

One of the other boat captains enroute to the whales asked me for a conditions report yesterday, and I said, "3 to 4 feet, confused seas."  Another captain came back with, "Confused?  That's putting it mildly."  I guess some discussions differ depending on where you are.  With waves coming from all directions, not in set patterns, we call it "confused."  You hear that a lot down in the Gulf.  Another interesting difference is in discussing on the radio who is going where in a crossing/passsing situation... the first time I said, "On the one," (as in one whistle signal), I got back a...

"What?"

"Port to port."

"OK."

It seems they don't use "on the one" (passing port to port, or making your passing maneuver to starboard) or "on the two"  (starboard to starboard, or making your maneuver to port).

Back home, if I am going to pass a tug, the radio conversation sounds like this...

"Tug Brownwater, this is Wild Blue coming up on your stern, looking to pass."

"On the one."

"Roger, on the one.  Thanks."

If we were using sound signals, I would come up behind him, give one blast on the horn, he would signal back with one blast, letting me know that he receives my signal and agrees.  Thus: on the one (whistle or horn).

Easy.

I asked a couple captains here about that... "Nope, no one around here uses that."

Well, okey-dokey (or "Howdy, y'all")... they don't use that, either. ;-)