The phrase “hit on the head” is a euphemism for using the bathroom, originating from Navy and Coast Guard slang. The term “head” comes from ancient sailing ships, where the designated area for relieving oneself was near the bow. Other naval terms that have entered popular usage include “wallop,” “hunky-dory,” and “scuttlebutt.”
There’s no delicate way to put it: If someone says they’re about to hit their head, that means they’re going to use the bathroom. The expression comes from Navy and Coast Guard slang for the bathroom. Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard members call their facilities chiefs, while military shore personnel call them latrines. Warships actually have the word “head” stamped on the watertight doors that lead to the cramped but functional structures.
The origin of this phrase can be traced back to ancient sailing ships. Sailors who needed to relieve themselves made their way to a designated area below deck near the bow or bow of the ship. This area was chosen for several reasons. First, odors would be dissipated into the air before reaching main living and working areas. Second, the constant spray of ocean water would act as a natural disinfectant and keep the area relatively clean.
As this area was also close to the carved figurehead on the arch, it came to be known informally as the head. The term also stuck as shipbuilders incorporated internal plumbing and other modern conveniences to naval vessels. Generations of sailors have since adopted the phrase hit on the head as a euphemism, and the term eventually became part of popular culture as these men and women assimilated back into society.
The phrase is just one example of military slang entering popular usage. There are a number of other naval terms and expressions that may sound very familiar to land ears, such as the word wallop. King Henry VIII is said to have sent an Admiral Wallop to France to avenge the French burning of the city of Brighton. The resulting damage to the French coast was so severe that Wallop’s name became synonymous with the use of overwhelming force.
Other familiar phrases of naval origin include hunky-dory, presumably a corruption of Honki-Dori, a Japanese street known for its hospitality to seamen on leave. A slang word for office gossip, scuttlebutt, is also said to come from naval history. Sailors stored their drinking water in closed barrels called scuttlebutts, or simply butts. Time spent around these water barrels often involved repeating rumors or other news of the ship.
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