betwixt wind and water
Preserved but no longer current.
A nautical phrase denoting that part of the hull that is below the water-line except when the ship heels over under pressure of the wind. It was a most dangerous place for a man-of-war to be shot m; hence a "knock-out" blow is often said to have caught the victim betwixt wind and water.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “betwixt wind and water” mean?
A nautical phrase denoting that part of the hull that is below the water-line except when the ship heels over under pressure of the wind. It was a most dangerous place for a man-of-war to be shot m; hence a "knock-out" blow is often said to have caught the victim betwixt wind and water.
Is “betwixt wind and water” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.