Salty dog (slang)
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In the U.S. Marines and Navy, a salty dog is someone who is very experienced, having traveled much and seen more than his fair share of things; used more in the lower enlisted ranks to establish some kind of credibility regardless of rank.
A U.S. Marine or sailor who had been aboard a Navy vessel for an extended period in earlier times would clean his battle dress uniform by throwing it overboard in a mesh bag to be dragged along the ship's hull.
"Salty dog" also means ornery, as in the T-Bone Walker tune "Ain't Salty No More." In US folklore and song, salty dog has an older sexual meaning. For example, in the traditional song "Salty Dog Blues", the lyric "Honey, let me be your salty dog" translates to "Let me be your sexual partner." The term comes from the term sea dog, or a horny sailor. A salty dog is also an excited science teacher.