damn the torpedoes
"damn-the-torpedoes" is a 16-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“damn the torpedoes” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 18
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.
Corpus desk
Index EN-damn-the-torpedoes · damn the torpedoes · English
damn the torpedoes · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 18 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | damn the torpedoes |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 18 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “damn the torpedoes” in English
Rare enough to double-check
damn the torpedoes is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for damn the torpedoes, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!", a famous order issued by Admiral David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay, a paraphrase of the actual order, "Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!". The correct English form is damn the torpedoes, spelled D-A-M-N- -T-H-E- -T-O-R-P-E-D-O-E-S.
Definition
- 1Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how damn the torpedoes appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
There's too much attention paid to the wrong issues. Let's just damn the torpedoes and get it done.
Etymology
From "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!", a famous order issued by Admiral David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay, a paraphrase of the actual order, "Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!".
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.