APAD: Pipe Down

Meaning:

   A request to be quiet.

 

Background:

   On sailing ships signals were given to the crew by sounding the boatswain's

   (bo'sun's) pipe. One such was `piping down the hammocks' which was the signal

   to go below decks and retire for the night. When an officer wanted a sailor

   to be dismissed below he would have him `piped down'.

 

   This usage is recorded in Royal Navy workbooks from the 18th century; for

   example, Gillespie's Advice to Commanders & Officers, 1798:

 

     "At four o'clock, P.M. the hammocks should regularly be piped down."

 

   There's no unequivocal link between this naval practice and the `be quiet'

   meaning. It could well have derived from the fact that, if there was a

   disturbance onboard ship, officers could quell it by sending the crew below

   decks, that is, by piping them down. This notion is supported by records of

   ship's crew's being told to `pipe down' rather than signalled to by the use

   of an actual pipe; for example, this report from The Gettysburg Star And

   Banner, April 1850:

 

     `Pipe down!' cried the Captain, and the crew slowly dispersed.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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The NOAD (New Oxford American Dictionary) stresses "imperative"

    pipe down: [often in imperative] Informal Stop talking; be less noisy.

 

but it doesn't have to be. The other day, my son said something about someone

might be better off piping down.

 

AHD (American Heritage Dictionary) says nothing about requesting,

    pipe down: Slang To stop talking; be quiet.

 

It also lists "pipe up" as "to speak up," which might also be used in the

indicative mode.

got It. b quietOrQuieter ;) another good1, 7G! thx4sharing.

knew y the hammocks, but always wonder how could people

sleep in it. must be tough to be a sailor ...

Thank you! Hammocks might work better than a hard bed in a

vessel constantly tossed around out there in the sea.

Thought they sleep on bunk beds, tho may b shared by shifts,

Still solid beds

submarines make me feel buried alive

If it's big enough&works well, I might forget the scary part

haha, seeing the word "tossed" I feel seasick rightAway ;-)

want to try a U-boat? There r still 4 left ;-))

Hammocks&beds, come 'n' go like fads:-)) This is when I feel

the OED might be helpful.

You have a great sense of language :-))

Didn't know they take on passengers to earn their keep :-)

yes,4 one with motionSickness. I need 2 blockEars onPlane;)

Learned. Thanks for sharing!

Same here. Thanks for reading :-)

A hard bed might need a net to catch the sleeper in case:-)

Life on USS Ohio maybe even luxury

death from the submarine Titan was not event bad, swift

What is the meaning of the "pipe" here? Thanks

My son like sleeping in a hammock at night when camping.

he said it is comfy. I don't understand how can it be comfy.

To signal (crew members) with a boatswain's whistle.

The only way to find out is to try it yourself :-)

I see. Thanks