that was my sheet anchor
Preserved but no longer current.
My best hope, chief stay, last refuge; if that fails me, then all is indeed lost. The sheet anchor is the largest anchor of a ship, and in stress of weather, the sailor's chief dependence. The Greeks and Romans said, "my sacred anchor," because the sheet anahor was always dedicated to some god.
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 “that was my sheet anchor” mean?
My best hope, chief stay, last refuge; if that fails me, then all is indeed lost. The sheet anchor is the largest anchor of a ship, and in stress of weather, the sailor's chief dependence. The Greeks and Romans said, "my sacred anchor," because the sheet anahor was always dedicated to some god.
Is “that was my sheet anchor” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.