Davy Jones' Locker is an
idiom used as a
euphemism for
drowning ("to be sent to Davy Jones' Locker"). This illustration from the English satirical magazine
Punch shows Jones on his locker while viewing a 1789 chart of
Ferrol Harbour, Spain, belonging to
HMS Howe. The ship had run aground at the mouth of the harbour on
2 November 1892, allegedly after using a poorly prepared naval chart to navigate its waters. In the accompanying caption (not included here), Jones is saying, "Aha! So long as they stick to them old charts, no fear o' my locker bein' empty!!"
Artist: John Tenniel