Etymology Journal ยท S
Shiver me timbers!
Meaning
- An exclamation of shock or astonishment. It is rarely used seriously and is mostly associated with pirate-themed humor.
Humorous, antiquated
Used in a sentence
- Shiver me timbers, I did not expect to see you here today!
- When I heard the news, I nearly cried shiver me timbers.
- He loves telling the kids stories and always says shiver me timbers.
The backstory
It originates from 19th-century nautical fiction. Timbers refers to the wooden ribs of a ship, which would allegedly shiver or shake during a rough storm or an explosion.
Heard in
Nationwide
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