Word of the Day
Tar (tahr)
· Common clues: Sailor; Veteran crewman
· Crossword puzzle frequency: 3 times a year
· Frequency in English language: 17700 / 86800
Tar: a sailor
The word “tar” for sailor is a shortened form of the word “tarpaulin”. The word “tarpaulin” for sailors was first applied in the mid seventeenth century referring to how sailors often used tarpaulins to keep things dry.
The Lone Sailor statue at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to all those who have ever served in the Navy. The bronze used in the casting included artifacts from eight Naval ships, including fragments from the post-revolutionary ships U.S.S. Constitution and Constellation; the Civil War-era U.S.S. Hartford; the battleship U.S.S. Maine; the iron-hulled steamer/sailing ship U.S.S. Ranger; the World War II-era cruiser U.S.S. Biloxi; the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hancock, and the nuclear-powered submarine U.S.S. Seawolf. The latest addition was bits of metal from a National Defense Service Medal which can be awarded to sailors either in war or peace.
[Source: http://www.senate.gov/~byrd/vets-celebrating.htm]
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