the.com/coxswain
The one person in the boat allowed to yell and not row.
means The person who steers a boat (especially a racing shell or lifeboat) and directs the rowers, without pulling an oar themselves.
from From Middle English 'cock' (a small ship's boat) plus 'swain' (a boy or servant, related to Old Norse 'sveinn'). So a coxswain was literally the 'boat-boy' — the servant put in charge of the little cock-boat, responsible for minding it and steering, while everyone else did the rowing.
- pronunciation
- cox-sun, the w quietly retires
- job
- steers the boat, barks the rhythm, faces forward
- weight rule
- lighter coxswains are prized, sometimes under 110 lbs
- only backward view
- everyone else rows blind, facing away from the finish