Charlie Noble

English

Etymology

Uncertain; said to allude to an officer or captain of this name who insisted on having the funnel polished.

Noun

Charlie Noble (plural Charlie Nobles)

  1. (naval slang) A funnel for discharging smoke from the galley.
    • 1917, Orton Porter Jackson, ‎Frank Edgar Evans, The Marvel Book of American Ships (page 357)
      One of the last customs that passed from the decks of the modern navy was the “shooting of Charlie Noble.” The chimney or galley-stack of the ship's kitchen was dignified by the name of Charlie Noble, and when the galley-stack became clogged with soot the ship's cook fired a blank cartridge up it, loosening the soot.
    • 1945, Harold Augustin Calahan, Learning to Cruise (page 120)
      Charlie Nobles should be fitted with cowls which will automatically turn to leeward and thereby force the draught. A Charlie Noble should be demountable and the hole through the cabin roof should be covered by a strong, tight-fitting lid.
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