swallow the anchor

English

Verb

swallow the anchor (third-person singular simple present swallows the anchor, present participle swallowing the anchor, simple past and past participle swallowed the anchor)

  1. (naval slang) To leave the navy.
    • 2008, Scott Telek, The Ghost Ship, page 184:
      My grand pa was the carpenter on his ship, but had a few years before swallowed the anchor and stepped on land to repair boats.
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