swabbing

A sailor. Disparaging. This term, frequently used by non-sailors to refer to sailors, is most likely a contraction of the term "swabbie" or "swabby", presumably derived from the notion of sailors "swabbing the deck". "Swabbie/y" is currently in use only among the elderly; "swab" is the more common term among young people. Typically applied to sailors of the U.S. Navy.