A lash-up

Posted by ESC April 04, 2009 at 00:59In reply to A lash-up posted by Jo Jones on April 03, 2009 at 15:41:

Where did the phrase 'It's a lash-up' come from please?
It sounds like another of the nautical ones.

Yep. Its literal meaning is to secure something with ropes as a temporary repair or to stop an item from going adrift during bad weather. Figurative -- "a hurried expediency, a badly performed job or complete disorganization." From "Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions" by Bill Beavis and Richard G. McCloskey (Sheridan House, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., 1995. First published in Great Britain, 1983). Page 46.

Why does that make me think of government.