The phrase “dressing down” seems like something you’d hear if a waiter spilled a bowl of creamy Italian dressing all over the restaurant floor. Or maybe you’d hear a person yell, “Dressing down!” as a warning to others before they strip naked. But actually, it’s a term that means “to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong.” So how did this turn of phrase come to be associated with a scolding?
The origins of the phrase “dressing down” date back to the 1400s, when it was primarily used among sailors to describe the process of slathering a ship’s sails with tar, wax, or oil to renew their efficacy and quality. By the 1900s, that usage was expanded to describe sailors who were reprimanded for committing infractions. If a sailor was “dressed down,” then they were unlikely to repeat the same mistake, thus improving their effectiveness, much like a freshly waxed sail.
“Dressing down” is just one of many nautical phrases that have transcended their initial meaning and are widely used today. Today, people may say “learn the ropes” to describe learning the basics of any trade, but the expression was originally intended to describe the intricate rope and pulley systems found on many ships. “Pipe down” originated on the seas, too, referring to a nightly signal made by the boatswain’s pipe to alert the crew that it was time to retire for the evening. If you feel groggy, you’re likely saying you’re tired and feel a bit foggy, but if you’re a sailor, you might be feeling the effects of having one too many cups of grog — a cocktail of rum, water, sugar, and lime juice.
