I was shanghaied
I was tricked into doing it against my will
TRANSLATION
to shanghai = gewaltsam anheuern
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"My boss SHANGHAIED me into committing time for this project - I now wish that I could get out of it!"
Did you
know?
shanghaied
In the 1800s, when long sea voyages were very difficult and dangerous, people were understandably hesitant to become sailors. But sea captains and shipping companies still needed crews to sail their ships, so they gathered sailors any way they could - even if that meant kidnapping.
The word "shanghai" comes from the name of the Chinese city of Shanghai. People started to use the city's name for the unfair way of obtaining sailors because the East was often a destination of ships that had kidnapped men for their crew.
In the 1800s, when long sea voyages were very difficult and dangerous, people were understandably hesitant to become sailors. But sea captains and shipping companies still needed crews to sail their ships, so they gathered sailors any way they could - even if that meant kidnapping.
The word "shanghai" comes from the name of the Chinese city of Shanghai. People started to use the city's name for the unfair way of obtaining sailors because the East was often a destination of ships that had kidnapped men for their crew.
