Bine Peter
Preserved but no longer current.
A flag with a blue ground and white square in the centre, hoisted as a signal that the ship is about to sail. It takes its name from a "repeater", a naval flag hoisted to indicate that a signal has not been read and should be repeated, this flag having been used with that meaning originally.
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 “Bine Peter” mean?
A flag with a blue ground and white square in the centre, hoisted as a signal that the ship is about to sail. It takes its name from a "repeater", a naval flag hoisted to indicate that a signal has not been read and should be repeated, this flag having been used with that meaning originally.
Is “Bine Peter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.