Lubber's Hole
Preserved but no longer current.
In sailing ships a seaman's name for the vacant space between the head of a lower mast and the edge of the top, because timid boys, or "lubbers," got through it to the top, to avoid the danger and difficulties of the "futtock shrouds." Hence, some means for, or method of, wriggling through one's difficul- ties.
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 “Lubber's Hole” mean?
In sailing ships a seaman's name for the vacant space between the head of a lower mast and the edge of the top, because timid boys, or "lubbers," got through it to the top, to avoid the danger and difficulties of the "futtock shrouds." Hence, some means for, or method of, wriggling through one's difficul- ties.
Is “Lubber's Hole” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.