One of the many common phrases with obvious nautical origins ‘to take on board an idea’ stems from the age old practice of checking cargo, belongings, luggage and livestock as it is loaded onto a ship. After it is checked and approved whoever is responsible is told to ‘take it on board’. Officers and sailors adapted the phrase whilst advancing nautical technology and theory essentially bringing their ideas on board ships to be discussed, understood, tried and tested. It was inevitably picked up by landlubbers.
