History
Although the Oxford English Dictionary says the expression "shiver my timbers" probably first appeared in a published work by Frederick Marryat called Jacob Faithful (1835), the phrase actually appeared in print as early as 1795, in a serial publication called "Tomahawk, or Censor General,", which gives an "extract of a new MS tragedy called 'Opposition'." In the words of the "old sailor":
"Peace? Shiver my timbers! what a noise ye make -- ye seem to be fonder of peace than ye be of quiet." ... "Lather me! -- Shiver my timbers. if so be he comes athwart me -- I'll soon lower his topsails for him -- Here's King George and old England for ever!"
The expression is a derivative of actual 18th century nautical slang, when the phrase "timbers!" or "my timbers!" meant an exclamation (cf. "my goodness!") as can be seen in Poor Jack, a song from 1789 by Charles Dibdin.
The opening of the phrase, 'shiver my..', also predates Jacob Faithful with the following lines from John O'Keeffe's 1791 comic play Wild Oats an earlier example:
- Harry: I say it's false.
- John: False! Shiver my hulk, Mr. Buckskin, if you wore a lion's skin I'd curry you for this.
Read more about this topic: Shiver My Timbers
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