This is the third of four posts excerpting The Adventurer’s Glossary, a word-nerd exploration of the theory and practice of all sorts of adventure by my old friend and frequent Boing Boing co…
Source: What is a “Gilligan Hitch?” | Boing Boing”
GILLIGAN HITCH
The mysterious origin of Bob Denver’s character’s name on the 1960s TV show Gilligan’s Island is known only to producer Sherwood Schwartz. However, one suspects that it’s a tribute to the antiquated nautical jargon gilligan hitch, meaning “unusual or hastily tied knot.” This expression, in turn, may refer to an old-time vaudeville character, Mr Gilligan, a brawler who placed opponents in clumsy but effective choke holds.
