Black cats?

'Tis a while since I left the mob but as the RNA says, once navy always navy. Seems odd but some of the old pussers sayings that were used regularly in the mob without any concious understanding of why and where they came from sometimes come to mind as to how and why. The one I've thought about recently is black cat like I've gotta blacker cat than you. Question, is it black cat or black hat?
It makes more sense to say blacker hat from the days when jack wore black hats for winter rig so if I say I've gotta blacker hat than you well bobs yer uncle sort o' thing. So here we go is it cat, hat or even cap. Cant see any connection with cat but I can see how the word hat could become cat. :?

 

Black cat, as the the opener would be "I've got a black cat", but the "black-catter" would respond with "I've got a panther" just to prove they are one better. I don't think it has any connection that can be traced, it's just one of those things that simply "is".

Like an absence of humour in a Master at Arms.

 

If you've been to Tenerife,I've been to Elevenerife :lol:

 

Two boats alongside trot 3 Dolphin. One trot sentry say's to the the other " we've got a right black catting bastard on this boat" The other trot sentry say's " You're alright shippers, we've got two on this one".

 

We had a METOC join us on a recent deployment, this guy was the biggest Black-catter I've known - even used to try and tell the Skipper what's what. He was known as the 'Five-caster' - like a forecaster, but obviously one better! :lol:

 

I seem to recall a thread on ARRSE about blackcatters. One was accused of claiming that; if you'd had a pi55 on the hard shoulder, he'd had a shlt in the fast lane.

The Tugg cartoon sums 'black catter' up nicely. Caption "....and her sisters"

 

I recall a dit about a blacker catter who was trying to upstage a young lad who had recently cycled a race for charity. stating that "He'd enter the Tour De France on a pussers red devil and was doing ok until his pedal came off"!
Needless to say he got a good tinning.

 

Apparently, way back when, there was a bar called the Black Cat. Anything went on in this bar so if anyone tried to tell you what happened on a run ashore it happened bigger and better in the Black Cat.

 

Yes there was a bar in Malta called the black cat was used by the S&S as our local when alongside St Angelo after the seventies Cyprus war

By the way it was directly opposite St Angelo jetty

 

Got a pongo Cpl in the office here who has a cage full of panthers!

No matter what any one say's he can black cat it or knows some one who can! - get's very boring after a day or two!