Salts and landlubbers alike delight in hearing a tall tale told with all the trimmings by someone with a talent for "spinning a yarn." While today "spinning a yarn" refers to any exaggerated story, originally it was exclusively a nautical term understood by sailors only. Officers and mates in the old Navy were stern disciplinarians who believed if sailors were allowed to congregate and tell sea stories, no wok would be done. However, there was one job that required congregating on a weekly basis - unraveling the strands of old line. On this day, the salts could talk to their heart's content and the period came to be known as the time for "spinning yarns." Later anyone telling a tale was said to be "spinning a yarn," a cherished naval tradition.
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