Interesting Words 01: Deck

I got to thinking about the holiday song Deck the Halls and the word deck. This is like many English words, in that it has many multiple meanings. In the above song, it is the verb to deck. As a verb, it means to decorate. So according to the song, Deck the halls with boughs of holly means to decorate the hall with holly branches. It comes from the Dutch word dekken and the Old High German word decchen meaning 'to cover.' So you are covering the hall with decorations. It is also related to the Alsatian word Däcka.

In the same idea, to be decked out is a very idiomatic way of saying that you are wearing your finest clothes. If you get dressed in nicest clothes for a nice Christmas party, you migh say, "We're all decked out for the party."

To deck someone is an idiomatic way of saying 'to hit someone' and/or 'knock them down.' I can only guess that its roots are the same as above in that you may threaten to 'decorate' someone with a bloody nose or a black eye!

Deck is also a nautical term meaning the floor of a ship. It has the same Germanic roots as mentioned above and can also be traced to the Middle English word dekke. It is also related to the Alsatian s'Däck. Modern ships are comprised of several decks. From this meaning we get a couple common idiomatic expressions. On deck means to be ready to work. My mother often uses the naval term, "I need all hands on deck." In other words, she needs everyone to be ready to help with a certain task or job.

To hit the deck is an idiomatic expression that also comes from naval terminology. As in the navy, it means to get out of bed. It also means to fall or drop to the ground in a prone position because there is something flying through the air that could hit you. You often here it used in war films when the soldiers hear a bomb coming.

A pack of playing cards is also called a deck of cards. From this we get the slang expression to play with or have a full deck which means to be rational, sane or intelligent. You often hear it used as an insult to describe someone who is a bit stupid, "He isn't playing with a full deck." Another expression that comes from cards is to stack the deck. In card playing it means to arrange the cards in such a way as to cheat! From this, it can also mean to manipulate events or information to get an advantage or to obtain a desired result.

Many homes in America have a raised platform attatched to the back of the house where they can barbecue or spend some time outdoors. This raised platform is called a deck. See the photo to see what I'm describing.

There are a few more very technical meanings, but I'll leave it to you to look those up if you are interested.