answersLogoWhite

0

shiver me timbers probably dates back to the old popeye comic strip. that is the only place i remember seeing it.

answer The expression in Popeye is borrowed, and predates it by at least a century. The expression dates back to the time of wooden sailing vessels, and most likely refers to the working of wooden planks in heavy seas, possibly to planks flying about when a ship hits rocks, or splinters ("shiver" means splinter in some English dialects) flying about in battle (wooden splinters being a major source of battle casualties).

Whatever its origin it is usually associated with pirates, the phrase being used for instance by Robert Louis Stevenson.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

What else can I help you with?