The story
See beat (“to signal beating a drum”)
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
beat to quarters
Today it means: To summon the crew of a sailing man-of-war to their stations for action against an enemy. Full definition →
Today it means: To summon the crew of a sailing man-of-war to their stations for action against an enemy. Full definition →
See beat (“to signal beating a drum”)
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.