Why does 'pipe down' mean 'shut up?'

sequoianoir

On sailing ships signals were given to the crew by blowing whistles (pipes). One such was the signal to go below decks. When an officer wanted a sailor to be dismissed below he would have him 'piped down'. Sep 23 03, 10:14 AM

Hamlet.

Yes, the original "pipe" in "pipe down" was a boatswain's whistle, and "pipe down" was a signal to sailors that they were dismissed for the day and could go belowdecks. By the late nineteenth century, the tattoo signal, usually sounded immediately before "taps," explicity meant to quiet down. Obviously the deck was quieter once the sailors went belowdecks. Eventually the boatswain's whistle was replaced by a bugle, but the meaning of the signal was the same. Sep 23 03, 3:23 PM

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