Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions by Bill Beavis and Michael Howorth

"Above board," "aloof," "bearing up," and "by-and-large" are all expressions used everyday by many of us. They all also have origins in nautical lore. The authors explain the etymology of more than 200 words with amusing illustrations, amusing because the illustrations don't always seem to match what they are describing.

I first ran across this book on a trip to England in the 1980s. I could not find another copy anywhere and guarded my copy closely. 

This a great book to help you be very obnoxious at cocktail parties!

I'm happy to find that it is now available on Amazon: