Ship ShapeShip Shape : PhrasesMeaning: Everything is neat and tidy. Example: Origin: This phrase comes from two aspects of the old Bristol docks in the days before the Floating Harbour was established in the 1830s. Bristol had, and still has, one of the largest differences of water level between ebb and flood in the World (~ 10 metres). At low tide, ships in the harbour, if not really properly constructed and laden, would either break their backs or their cargoes would shift. Because of this, Bristol ships were always first class in these respects, hence the saying. Phrases Index
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