What Is Splice the Mainbrace?

"Splice the mainbrace" is an order given aboard naval vessels to issue the crew with an alcoholic drink.

What is meant by splice the Mainbrace?

Eventually the order “Splice the mainbrace” came to mean that the crew would receive an extra ration of rum, and was issued on special occasions: after victory in battle, the change of a monarch, a royal birth, a royal wedding or an inspection of the fleet.

Where does the saying splice the Mainbrace come from?

To splice the main brace means to celebrate (with a drink). It is a nautical term from the time of sailing ships. Sailors who risked climbing the highest rigging (the main brace) to adjoin ropes (splicing) were rewarded with extra rum.