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The Daily Insight

What does the phrase catching a crab mean?

Author

Emily Wong

Updated on March 06, 2026

What does the phrase catching a crab mean?

catch a crab To make a poor stroke while rowing, perhaps by missing the water entirely. The boat jerked as I caught a crab with my oar.

What happens when an oarsman catches a crab?

While rowing, “catch a crab” means to put one’s oar in the water at the wrong time which results in the oar flipping parallel to the boat. When an oar goes from perpendicular (good) to parallel (bad) a rower must pull the oar in and over their head. This can be difficult to fix as the boat moves.

What is an ejector crab?

In rowing, when you can’t lift your oar back out of the water after a stroke, the water will essentially pull your oar beneath the boat, knocking you out of the water with the handle if you can’t wrestle it back out. Usually, people can avoid the handle, but here, he can’t, hence the name “ejector crab”.

What is the catch in rowing?

Catch: This position is sometimes called the ready or start position, with the name coming from the point at which on a boat, the blade of the oar would ‘catch’ the water. You’re at the front of the machine, ready to drive and produce force through the feet. “How far forward is forward?” you might ask.

What are crabs on a girl?

Pubic lice, commonly called crabs, are tiny insects found in your genital area. They are a different type of louse from head lice and body lice. Measuring 1/16 inch (1.6 millimeters) or less, pubic lice received their nickname because their bodies resemble tiny crabs.

Why is it called a crab?

crab Add to list Share. A crab is a stubby sea creature with a flat body, eight legs, and claws. You can sometimes find tiny crabs in the sand on the beach. The word crab comes from a Germanic root related to the Low German krabben, “to claw.”

What does the stroke do in rowing?

The “stroke” is the rower closest to the stern of the boat and usually the most competitive rower in the crew. During a race, it is the stroke’s responsibility to establish the crew’s rate (number of strokes per minute) and rhythm. (In coxed boats, the coxswain will assist the stroke in establishing the rate).

In which sport do competitors use the phrase catching a crab?

In competitive rowing, there are specialized terms that are important in the corresponding aspects of the sport. One such term is:Crab, or Catch a crab.

Why do you catch a crab in rowing?

Most of the time, a crab occurs when the oar is turned too far, too soon. This is because the rower panics and grips the handle too tightly, banging it down with their wrist. Instead, a rower should use less wrist to take the blade out of the water. For most rowers, catching a crab can happen suddenly and unexpectedly.

What is feathering in rowing?

The rower pushes the oar handle down so the oar blade comes out of the water. Just as the oar blade is being removed from the water, the rower rotates the oar handle 90 degrees so that the blade is again parallel to the water. This action is referred to as feathering.

Does shaving pubic hair get rid of crabs?

Shaving your pubic hair, whilst it might make you feel better, does not get rid of the crabs but does remove their eggs. The crabs will cling on to you and crawl to other body hair. If you do decide to shave, do it a long while after you have applied the lotion.