box the compass

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | 253 words | Copyright

box the compass recite the compass points in correct order; the phrase is recorded from the mid 18th century, and box may come from Spanish bojar ‘sail round’, from Middle Low German bōgen ‘bend’, from the base of bow.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "box the compass." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "box the compass." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-boxthecompass.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "box the compass." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-boxthecompass.html

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