Thursday, August 9, 2012

Gybe or Jibe


When I turn away from the wind and the boom comes across and I end up like the above - what am I trying to do?

Gybing, jibing, gibing or jybing?

OK, I made up "jybing", but still one frequently sees "gybing" and "jibing".

Not to be confused with "gibing" which does not refer to the maneuver itself, but which is derived from a verb used to describe the opinion rendered by an observer on my maneuver - it is used in the sense of "taunting".  "Gibing" also can be used in the sense of "being in accord with" but I have never experienced that meaning from any of my observers.

Speaking of things you do with a boat - is it a maneuvermanoeuvremanoeuver or manœuvre? 

At any rate, back to "gybe" or "jibe", the ultimate authority for all human knowledge, Wikipedia, says both are acceptable but gybe is more common in Brit English and jibe in American English.

Does anyone have anything to add to this? Are there any other differences or nuances?  If one gybes instead of jibes (or vice versa), does one stand a better chance of not ending up like the above?


7 comments:

  1. And then there's booies and boys.

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  2. It's gybing. Always has been and always will be. Got nuthin' to do with a "jib".

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    Replies
    1. I was gonna write: Call it gybe to avoid confusion with the jib. The Jib has got nothing to do with gybing. Anyway, we use another word, "bomme", not in any way related to a certain Sir Wembley Gybe aka Buff Staysails Great Grand Uncle or sum ding :-D

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  3. It depends on whether the spars are aluminium or aluminum.

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  4. I think gybe came first, as explained here.

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  5. Given the Olympic results, it might be better to do a British gybe instead of an American jibe.

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  6. Gybing it is

    Buff Staysail denies anything to do with your tiller get stuck

    ReplyDelete

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