Dave wrote:
On Tue, 05 Sep 2006 16:47:45 -0400, Jeff said:

It is never caller a "stopper knot." That term is used today for
knots like the figure-eight or stevedore's knot that is tied on the
end of running rigging to prevent unreeving.

Sorry, Jeff, but you're just plain wrong on that one. Among my billets
during my tour of duty was Deck Officer. I can assure you that the BMC
called it a stopper knot, and every deck hand knew what kind of a knot the
chief wanted. And it wasn't a figure 8.

Well, I can't argue with the possibility that there are other usages
of the term, but virtually everyone I've sailed with, and every
reference I've seen would consider a stopper knot to be represented by
a figure eight.


I agree that it's a somewhat confusing name for the knot, and this usage may
be limited to a small group, such as ASR deck hands. So if you're a
prescriptivist (and usually I am) you'd say the name is incorrect. If you're
a descriptivist you'd say it's correct but with limited usage.

I have no objection to the descriptivist approach, as long as esoteric
usage is so identified, especially when it is a usage quite different
from the prescriptive, or common usage.