GeneP59 wrote: 

 DaveInVA wrote: 
Surrendering to the French?

 Inamorato wrote: 


Ouchie, be careful with all this patriotism or I might be inspired to post the union kack (as I inadvertently typed the other day).

 marquemarx wrote: 
Oh good grief.

I use some a lot of those products, and I'm glad they are there to use.

Or let's go back to caves... what the heck.

 hobiejoe wrote: 
Good job.
I knew they were signal flags, I was just to lazy to hunt down the meanings.
And when your misses turned the cold shower on you, I knew you might have been implying something there.

The French battle flag

 oldslabsides wrote: 
It gets better with every telling, although the version I heard was US Navy vs. Canadian Lighthouse, which added a certain "Je ne sais quois".
 

 hobiejoe wrote: 

Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather off the California coast for  several days. As night fell, the captain noticed the patchy fog and decided to remain on the bridge.
    Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light. Bearing on the starboard bow".
    "Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain asked.
    The lookout replied, "Steady, captain," which meant the battleship was on a collision course with the other ship.
    The captain called to the signalman, "Signal that ship. You are on a collision course.   Advise you alter course
     20  degrees."
    Back came the answering signal, "Advisable that you change course 20 degrees."
    The captain said, "Send another message. I am a senior captain. Change course 20 degrees."
    "I am a seaman second class," came the reply, "Change your course at once."
    The officer was furious. He spat out, "We are a battleship squadron. Change your course 20 degrees."
    The flashing light replied, "I am a lighthouse."
    The squadron changed course.

 KurtfromLaQuinta wrote: 
Aye, aye sir!
 
They're maritime signal flags, which are part of the International Code Of Signals, although the former pre-date the latter, as Nelson would have told you.
 
Each flag represents a letter (square) or number (pennant), with a couple of others - the ctrl & alts of the flag-waving world. But a lot of them, mainly letters, may have particular meanings on their own, for instance flag A on its own also means "keep clear, I have divers operating below me" or flag P, the "Blue Peter", when flown at the masthead in port means that the vessel is preparing for sea, and so on.
 
And then, flags may be flown in combinations for more complex messages. I, for instance, posted Quebec Romeo One, which, as MrsHJ noticed, means "Permission To Lay Alongside", which in nautical terms means "can I tie my boat up alongside your boat". So I was most surprised when she said "you are standing on into danger" which, as the teeshirt amply illustrated, is signalled by flag Uniform.
 
Any clearer? If it's any consolation I have to look most of them up as well.
 
 
*Edit* "Standing on" simply means when a vessel continues on its course. But important in right-of-way situations, whereby the stand on vessel has as much responsibility as the give way vessel - after all, there are no road markings, and when the give way vessel alters course she has to be sure that the stand on vessel does do exactly that - stand on, without variation in course or speed.

 hobiejoe wrote: 
Howsabout a English translation?
This one went over my head.

Nothing to unusual about that though.

 MrsHobieJoe wrote:  
Been there, got kicked in the bokes the teeshirt
 

 hobiejoe wrote: 

Oh dear oh dear, permission refused.



You are standung into danger matie.

The best one there is...

 Manbird wrote: 
poor Shakey

 

 Manbird wrote: 



let your freak flag fly

 oldslabsides wrote: 
Surprise.