Wordology, Bitter End
This term first appeared in Captain John
Smith's 1627 publication, Seaman's Grammar: "A Bitter is but
the turne of a Cable about the Bits, and yeare it out by
little and little. And the Bitters end is that part of the
Cable doth stay within boord." Basically, a bit is a post on
the deck of a ship to which rope is wrapped around. When a
rope is pulled out to the "bitter end," it means there is no
more rope left to be used.
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