If I said I will meet you at "eight bells", would you know what I mean?

[KrakenAttackin]

[Laciejordan]

I would have said 8am but knew that would be too easy, so I read the comments. I learn a lot on here. Just a couple days ago, I learned about a guy being asked, “do you dress to the left or right”? 🤣🤣🤣

[KrakenAttackin]

@laciejordan. Ha! So you have learned about junk swinging and bells ringing 😂😂😂

[Cutegirl06]

8:00

[KrakenAttackin]

@Cutegirl06. Not quite. Each strike of the bell equals 30 mins of time. One bell 30 mins have passed, 2 bells means one hour has lasted, up to 8 bells or four hours and the end of your watch on a naval vessel.

[Cutegirl06]

Oh wow I totally messed that up 🤣 Thanks for the info though 👍

[KrakenAttackin]

@Cutegirl06. There is no reason you would have known this. Onboard a ship there really isn't a need for regular crew to know the actual time, so the bell system has been used for hundreds of years.

[Cutegirl06]

That's interesting 🤔

[KrakenAttackin]

@Cutegirl06. It's an elegant solution to an ancient issue.

[Cutegirl06]

Thanks for MHO!

[meetkitty123]

At first glance one may think 8 bells 8 rings of a clock... Therefore 8 o'clock...

But it is also a sailors watch/post term.

On sailing ships in the 18th and 19th centuries, each watch was 4 hours long. A bell sounded every half hour. Thus eight bells would be four hours into the watch. In other words, it would signal the end of the watch.

So I'm assuming you're saying you're coming to relieve me of my duty after eight bells.

[KrakenAttackin]

@meetkitty123. Yes ma'am, well done!

[electromagnetic]

I know I’m wrong because I’ve read the comments BUT I would say 8 bell was 8 PM. My grandparents used to have this clock the dinged based on the time in PM. So 2 PM was 2 dings. I liked it because it never disturbed anyone between 12 AM and 11 AM for the sleepers.

[Static_In_The_Attic]

Somewhere in the world I’m sure it’s a bar or strip club or something like that however does it have to do with ship bells in this case? Maybe eight bells means see you are the time clock at the end of the day.

[KrakenAttackin]

I never thought of that but it is a good name for a bar.

[Static_In_The_Attic]

A long time ago I worked in a building with bells. A starting bell, a break time bell, a back to work bell, a lunch bell, return from lunch bell, a break time bell, a back to work bell & the last bell. I would always laugh on Monday when people asked how I was doing & I always said I’ll be a lot better after 40 more bells.

[Lliam]

"After I'm done with my watch."
In the navy, eight bells sound to signal the end of a four hour watch.

Or it could mean "When I'm dead."
It's used as an expression of “end of watch” for the dead.

[SaoirseS]

My best guess is "meet you after work."

[KrakenAttackin]

Close.

[slatyb]

I think each is half an hour but I'm not sure, so 0400 or 1600?

[KrakenAttackin]

Yessir. A watch is four hours and each strike of the bell signifies the passage of 30 minutes.

[slatyb]

When does the count reset to zero?

[KrakenAttackin]

0000

[KrakenAttackin]

Or 2400 depending on your preference.

[slatyb]

So it goes from 1 to 47?

[KrakenAttackin]

No sir. One to eight than the clock resets.

[slatyb]

That's what I thought.

[LaurenM1997]

Is it part of when someone dies? They ring eight bells?

[KrakenAttackin]

Well, sometimes. On a warship a bell is sounded every 30 minutes, starting with one bell up to eight bells (four hours). Eight bells is the end of a watch, so YES, sometimes eight bells are sounded at a naval funeral to signify the departeds "end of watch".

[LaurenM1997]

Ah ok gotcha

[KrakenAttackin]

@LaurenM1997. Good guess however.

[LaurenM1997]

Thanks

[RebelinSteel]

It’s end of one of four watches, it can also signify the passing of a sailor / mariner, as in their watch is over. Random thing if I remember correctly the RN don’t do a Five bells.

[Exterminatore]

8 o’clock. Like the chimes on a clock. 8 for 8 o’clock.

[KrakenAttackin]

Not quite. In the Naval world a bell is sounded ever 30 my minutes from one bell to eight bells, with eight bells being the end of a four-hour watch.

[Exterminatore]

Interesting. I never knew that.

[KrakenAttackin]

@Exterminatore. On a ship there really isn't a need for actual time so the bell system has worked well for hundreds of years.

[spartan55]

Uh...8 o'clock... am or pm whichever is next.

[KrakenAttackin]

It could mean that, but not exactly.

[spartan55]

Okay, meet by the clock tower?

[Redstang88]

Yeah, which watch?

[KrakenAttackin]

There ya go...

[exitseven]

yes, it is the end of watch.

[Fuentes]

Same as a church bell

[Likes2drive]

I would think at a clock tower at 8 pm

[laly520]

so after 4 hours?

[Anonymous]

A bar?

[KrakenAttackin]

Not quite.

[Opinion Owner]

I figured it out by reading the comments. At least you know I didn't cheat, lol.

[msc545]

2000

[handsomelad70]

Yep.

[KrakenAttackin]

Yep?

[handsomelad70]

I'm old, boy.

[shortster]

8 o'clock