The Amazing Adventures of Archibald Esq.
Dog Sayings: Salty Dog, He Heh!
Some two-legged sayings that use ‘dog’ or ‘hound’ avoid the all-too-frequent derogatory connotations that human beans make when linking ideas to things doggish.
One such positive saying is that of a ’salty dog’, as the saying - pertaining to the idea of a lustful sailor - represents a certain kind of adventurous, lusty individual who lives life to the fullest. (That, bearing in mind that a less salubrious sailor dog-word is that of someone acting the role of a ‘dogsbody.’ Grrrwoooof!)
In the U.S. Marines and Navy, one who is a ’salty dog, Ahaaarh!’ is a sailor who is very experienced, having travelled much and seen more than his fair share of things. The term is used more in the lower enlisted ranks to establish some kind of credibility regardless of rank.
A ‘Salty Dog’ is a cocktail of vodka or gin and grapefruit juice, served in a glass with a salted rim.
Salty dog also has a tinge of sexual innuendo in American folklore and song. For example, the traditional song ‘Salty Dog Blues’ uses the lyric “let me be your salty dog” in a way that means “let me be your sweetheart.” Or something to that effect.
The term is said to come from the term “sea dog” or horny sailor.
Salty dog can also imply ornery, as in the T-Bone Walker tune “Ain’t Salty No More.”
GGggrrWwwoooooF! Archie, a salty teenager dog.
Posted 27 Sep 06
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