It was soon common to express one's admiration for a vessel by referring to it as an 'A1 ship.'įrom there, A1 acquired the figurative sense 'of the finest quality' or 'first-rate,' and was applied to anything regarded as an outstanding example of its kind. Since shipping was of such great importance to the British economy in the 18th and 19th centuries, and since Lloyd's was so well known, the rating system became part of the public consciousness. The Stores of Vessels are designated by the figures 1 and 2 1 signifying that the Vessel is well and sufficiently found. The character A denotes New Ships, or Ships Renewed or Restored.

(To date, Lloyd's has insured food critic Egon Ronay's taste buds, soccer star David Beckham's legs, and business magnate Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic private spaceship.) Lloyd's registry of ships explains the A1 rating in this way: The term referred to the highest possible rating in the system instituted prior to 1800 by that very famous insurer of almost everything, Lloyd's of London. There are still those that will stand by their opinion to the bitter end.Ī1 was first used to mean 'having the highest qualifications' in reference to commercial ships. Introverts are less likely to make social gaffes or get bored. The nautical theory seems more likely to etymologists, but they have not reached a consensus on it. Thinking better when youre alone, not initiating small talk, and even wearing headphones in public can all be signs of introversion. Another theory holds that bitter end refers to death and traces the phrase to a line in the Bible that reads 'but her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword.' The suggestion is that death is the ultimate bitter end and, by extension, any difficult ending or defeat is a bitter end. Uncomfortable in social situations- When one begins to find comfort in their aloneness it gets uncomfortable to. Not needing people to live their day-to-day life is one such attribute to find in someone with an aloof personality trait. When the line is paid out to the bitter end, there is no more line, and you are literally at the end of your rope. Independent in nature- Staying alone or away from people naturally inbuilt the independent factor in a human. The bitter end is the inboard end of this anchoring line. On a ship, the word bitter is used for a turn of anchoring line around the bitts, or the posts fixed to the deck for securing lines. Two theories are usually offered as explanations for the phrase 'to/until the bitter end.' One of them suggests that the phrase derives from the nautical term bitter end. They should neither remain aloof from what goes on in life, nor should they spend all their time solving industrial problems.Definition: the last extremity however painful or calamitous.Does this show that the father would not be neutral if he remained aloof from the quarrel?.They remained aloof from the front row out of disdain and from the back row out of a sense of responsibility.Fanshawe remained aloof from all that, quietly standing in his corner, paying no attention.Barbara remains aloof behind the barrier of her menu.Some researchers feel it is important to let others generate enthusiasm for their ideas so that they remain aloof and objective.He preferred to remain aloof, an invisible presence worshipped from afar.She believed in holding herself aloof.keep/hold yourself aloof (from somebody) The organization is controlled by aloof intellectuals who do not take an interest in the ordinary members.Barbara remained aloof behind the barrier of her menu.aloofness noun Examples from the Corpus aloof hold/keep (yourself) aloof from something The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew. ► see thesaurus at unfriendly 2 deliberately not becoming involved in something remain/stand aloof (from something) Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign. Beneath that aloof exterior, Gayle is a warm, sympathetic person. keep/hold yourself aloof (from somebody) She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class. From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English aloof a‧loof / əˈluːf / adjective, adverb 1 UNFRIENDLY unfriendly and deliberately not talking to other people remain/stay aloof (from somebody) They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local inhabitants.

Aloof meaning