I allways thought it was just "diner speak." What are the clues (if any) that it is of nautical origin? I'll have to check out the aforementioned sea song.I dont know if they kept chickens on sailing ships, never heard of it. Maybe after refrigeration became commonplace you might find eggs on board. I think they would they would have been using powdered eggs and I think it would not be refered to in a kindly way, more like chicken shit on a raft

Nick