Talk:cockscomb

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cockscomb

Rfv-sense A serrated cleat once fitted to the yards of a square-rigged ship and used when the sail was being reefed.

I'm unable to confirm this sense in my ready-to-hand references (Smyth 1867, Layton 1982). cockscombing (rope fancywork on cylindrical items such as spars or or rails), coxcomb (alternative term for cockswain), and several nautical senses of comb (especially, a fitting or timber through which various lines are rove or stoppered.) Nautical jargon being what it is, being unable to find it in my references isn't saying much, but can anyone else find a citation? - Amgine/^talk 14:41, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

It's not hard to find secondary sources that support this — [1] [2] [3] [4] — but I don't know enough about nautical jargon to try to cite it from primary sources. Could you give it a try? —Ruakh_TALK 16:04, 5 September 2010 (UTC)

The links to the second and fourth links work for me (and I have the Lenfestey on the shelves) - so it's attested in dictionaries. It may be a development of the late 19th century (when square rig reached its zenith), which I've not concentrated on in my dictionary purchases. Very little jargon is attested in primary sources, unfortunately, and the two primary texts for the industry were Smyth and Dana for much of the 19th century, but neither discusses this particular device.

I'm certainly satisfied by the two sources above. - Amgine/^talk 00:35, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Thanks! Striking. —Ruakh_TALK 19:29, 26 November 2010 (UTC)