A saying you might hear frequently when taking part in English conversations is ‘Davy Jones locker.’ But what does this term mean and where did it come from? We are going to look into the meaning of this term and how we can use it.
Davy Jones Locker
Davy Jones Locker Meaning
The saying ‘Davy Jones locker’ simply refers to the bottom of the ocean. Often the term can refer to a burial at sea. ‘He was buried in Davy Jones locker.
Origin of this Idiom
Davy Jones was the name given to the sailors devil back in the 19th century and was believed to have been the ghost of Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale in a biblical story.
Other Ways to Say the Phrase
There are many other ways to express the meaning of the idiomatic term ‘Davy Jones locker.’ Here are some ways you could say it using other words.
- The briny deep
- Resting place for dead pirates
- Bottom of the ocean
“Davy Jones Locker” Examples
Example Sentences
Whilst the term is heavily used in naval environments, you may hear the term used in other conversations. The phrase ‘Davy Jones locker’ can be heard multiple times in the media, like TV and film in sea themed films such as Spongebob Squarepants and the pirates of the Caribbean.
However you may hear the term used in other conversations, for example,
- ‘If you don’t stop it, I’m going to send you to Davy Jones locker.’
It might also be used to talk about dead sailors, for example you might hear someone say
- ‘My father served for a long time in the navy, but now he is in Davy Jones locker.’
Conversation Examples
If you are interested to learn how the term ‘Davy Jones locker’ might fit into an every day conversation, here are some examples of how it would work. In the first conversation we see someone explaining that they would like to be buried at sea and in the second example we see someone referring to the bottom of the sea as where their lost phone ended up.
Conversation 1:
- Person 1: “I want to be cremated when I die.”
- Person 2: “Really? I want to be buried at sea.”
- Person 1: “Noted, I’ll be sure to chuck you into Davy Jones locker in that case.”
Conversation 2:
- Person 1: “Did you enjoy your cruise holiday?”
- Person 2: “It was good but I dropped my phone into the sea.”
- Person 1: “Ah it’ll be no good in Davy Jones locker.”
Davy Jones Locker | Image
