Just another view point here,Elizabeth Helen Drake wrote:During World War ll , If a military man were to use the expression that someone had come in "with all flags flying", what would that mean?
That expression was used in our direction to explain a situation and I am sure that its up to me to find out exactly what it means. And right now, I really don't have a clue.
I think that it has a specific meaning. But since I am not familiar with the phrase that much, to me it would simply mean that whoever was arriving was arriving with some amount of fanfare. Would I be right in assuming that? Somebody pretty important? I just thought I would ask my research helpers out there. Has anyone run into this expression? Am I on the right track? Elizabeth
Perhaps you are all reading too much into the statement. In my family, myself and my one Uncle (Mother's side) were the only ones to go into the Army. However, My Father, his brothers, etc were all Navy men. The term "all flags flying" is a Navy term (Old Navy). Ships would signal each other with flags as to orders. If all flags were flying, orders were being given and they were going into battle. Remember, before radio, there would be one ship that would be commanding a battle at sea, the flagship, and all other ships would be looking upon her for orders.
To use the term in respect to people meant that that person was taking charge and were being bellicos.
Mr. Twigsnapper was a Navy man, perhaps it was just an expression.
Just a thought,
Mikado
