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Military Requirements for Chief Petty Officer,
NAVEDTRA 12047, Naval Education and Training
Program Management Support Activity, Pensacola,
Fla., 1992.
Navy Fact File, 8th ed., Office of Information,
Washington, D.C., 1988.
U.S. Department of Defense, Soviet Military Power:
An Assessment of the Threat 1988, Washington, D.C.,
1988.
SUGGESTED READING
Mack, W.P., and T.D. Paulsen, The Naval Officer’s
Guide, 9th ed., Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md.,
1983.
Miller, N., The U.S. Navy: An Illustrated History,
Bonanza Books, New York, N.Y., 1977.
Polmar, N., Guide to the Soviet Navy, Fourth Edition,
Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1986.
SHOW A LEG
MANY OF OUR NAVY’S COLORFUL EXPRESSIONS ORIGINATED AS PRACTICAL MEANS OF
COMMUNICATING VITAL INFORMATION. ONE SUCH EXPRESSION IS “SHOW A LEG.”
IN THE BRITISH NAVY OF KING GEORGE III AND EARLIER, MANY SAILORS’ WIVES ACCOMPANIED
THEM ON LONG VOYAGES. THIS PRACTICE CAUSED A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS BUT SOME
INGENIOUS BOSUN SOLVED ONE THAT TENDED TO MAKE REVEILLE A HAZARDOUS EVENT:
THAT OF DISTINGUISHING WHICH BUNKS HELD MALES AND WHICH HELD FEMALES.
TO AVOID DRAGGING THE WRONG “MATES” OUT OF THE RACK, THE BOSUN ASKED ALL TO “SHOW
A LEG.” IF THE LEG SHOWN WAS ADORNED WITH SILK, THE OWNER WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE
SLEEPING. IF THE LEG WAS HAIRY AND TATTOOED, THE OWNER WAS FORCED TO “TURN TO.”
IN TODAY’S NAVY, SHOWING A LEG IS A SIGNAL TO THE REVEILLE PETTY OFFICER THAT YOU
HAVE HEARD HIS CALL AND ARE AWAKE.
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