shipshape and Bristol fashion

English

Etymology

The saying in today's form has been recorded as early as 1840 ("shipshape" alone being about 200 years older).[1]

Bristol was the most prosperous port of west-coast Britain, and its ship chandlery was of the highest quality.[2]

The term may have developed in view of the port of Bristol which had (before the Floating Harbour was constructed) a very high tidal range of 13 metres (43 ft), the second highest in the world.[3][4][1] Ships moored in this area would be aground at low tide and, because of their keels, would fall to one side. If everything was not stowed away tidily or tied down, the results were chaotic and cargo could be spoiled.

Adjective

shipshape and Bristol fashion

  1. (chiefly nautical) Tidily tied down and secure.

References
  1. Ship-shape and Bristol fashion on www.phrases.org.uk (retrieved 20 August 2007)
  2. “Shipshape and Bristol fashion”, in (Please provide the title of the work)‎, accessed October 15, 2018
  3. “Severn Estuary Barrage”, in UK Environment Agency‎ (PDF), 31 May 2006, archived from the original on 30 September 2007, retrieved 2007-09-03
  4. “Coast: Bristol Channel”, in BBC‎, accessed 2007-08-27
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