pissdale n. on a ship, a scupper for urination; a urinal. Now historical. Etymological Note: The etymological information given in the cite from The Sailor’s Hornbook is likely correct. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Dax in Santa Cruz, California, wonders: Now that we’re into the 21st century, when will people stop saying that initial 20 when referring to a year such as 2028 the way we dropped the 19 in the term 1980s and just started referring to the ’80s? This...
Mark in Bismarck, North Dakota, spent years as a sailor, and wonders about the term sea painter, meaning “a rope attached to a lifeboat.” Why painter? The word may derive from Middle French pendeur meaning “a kind of rope that hangs,” literally...