mast (redirected from pinning colours to the mast)

at half-mast and at half-staff

[of a flag] halfway up or down its flagpole. The flag was flying at half-mast because the general had died. Americans fly flags at half-staff on Memorial Day.

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be at half-mast  (British humorous)

if someone's trousers are at half-mast, they are too short His hair was dirty and his trousers at half-mast.

nail your colours to the mast  (British & Australian) also nail your colors to the mast (American & Australian)

to publicly state your opinions about a subject Nobody knows which way he's going to vote because he has so far refused to nail his colours to the mast.

See nail colours to the mast, show in true colours

See also: colour, nail