But Gibb conjectured the phrase as part of a 'floating lyric' (6 Mar 0814). But surely the concept of the 'floater' implies widespread use and familiarity; whereas here we have a phrase which nobody can point to more than one usage of: in the shanty I have identified, in which I have often heard it sung, sometimes varied to "Dogleg Alley".

If it's a 'floater', I ask again: to which other shanties is it known, or alleged, to have 'floated'?

≈M≈