To clear out for Guam
Preserved but no longer current.
A now forgotten shipping phrase; used when a ship is bound for no specific place. In the height of the gold fever, ships carried passengers to Australia without making arrangements for return cargoes. They were, therefore, obliged to leave Melbourne in ballast, and to sail in search of homeward freights.
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 “To clear out for Guam” mean?
A now forgotten shipping phrase; used when a ship is bound for no specific place. In the height of the gold fever, ships carried passengers to Australia without making arrangements for return cargoes. They were, therefore, obliged to leave Melbourne in ballast, and to sail in search of homeward freights.
Is “To clear out for Guam” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.