The small spar on the bow of a ship is slso a staff, specifically the Jack Staff (or jackstaff). This also means the the U.K.'s flag should only be refered to as the Union Jack (after which the spar was named) when flown on a ship, and the Union Flag elsewhere.
The small spar on the bow of a ship is slso a staff, specifically the Jack Staff (or jackstaff). This also means the the U.K.'s flag should only be refered to as the Union Jack (after which the spar was named) when flown on a ship, and the Union Flag elsewhere.
That’s interesting. It’s kind of amazing how many common English phrases are tied to sailing terms.