aye, aye, sir

“I fear that there is something more serious than accident here, Mr. Brently,” said the captain. “I wish that you would make a personal and very careful examination of Mr. Caldwell’s effects, to ascertain if there is any clew to a motive either for suicide or murder—sift the thing to the bottom.” “Aye, aye, sir!” responded Mr. Brently, and left to commence his investigation.

1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Wreck of the ‘Lady Alice’”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published March 1915, →OCLC, page 172

Beginning tomorrow, telephone operators at the Navy Department’s giant 60,000-call-a-day switchboard will abandon the traditional “thank you” acknowledgment of requests, in favor of the salty and exclusively maritime “Aye, aye, sir!” “A little something extra,” the Navy calls it—“an affirmative answer with a personality.”

1945 April 22, AP [Associated Press], “Navy Phones Go ‘Aye, Aye, Sir’”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Jul 2025

“Can it wait?” / “Sir, yes sir. I suppose, sir.” / “Then wait, Dean. I don’t need to think about all that when I’m on liberty.” / “Sir, I—” They were all staring at him, not unkindly, but he had intruded and he had no business in their Sunday lives. “Aye, aye, sir.” Can’t you even introduce me? “Well, have a nice day, sir.”

1981 March, James Webb, chapter 0915, in A Sense of Honor, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, published April 1982, →ISBN, part 4 (Sunday, February 11, 1968), page 203

[A]dviſe the Europe Captain to ſtand to the weſtward again on the ebb tide, and keep firing guns and burning lights, and he would ſoon find them.—O, the devil; all wrong again!—This is done on purpoſe to keep out of the way of the Company’s ſhips, becauſe they get more money by carrying in the country ones.—Note that, Purſer: Aye, aye, Sir—A ſail! a ſail! Another, another: Four, five Dutch, French, Engliſh; all ſtanding down upon us.

1782 February 16, Joseph Price, A Letter to Sir Phil[ip] Jen[nings-]Clerke, Chairman of the Committee of the House of Commons, to Whom the Petition of Benjamin Lacam, Sole Proprietor of New Harbour in Bengal, Was Referred, London: […] [F]or the author, published 1783, →OCLC, page 102

"[…] We will take off without delay before the weather shows further signs of deterioration." / "Aye, aye, Sir. May I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours to locate and sink her?"

1979, John Drew, “Weather Willie”, in War Time Romances of Sailors, Bognor Regis, West Sussex: New Horizon, →ISBN, page 203

“Mr. Paul, release that villain from the round house—bring him to me immediately.” / “Aye, aye, Sir, I shall do that with pleasure,” was the gardener’s reply.

2002, Wallace Bruce, “Towards the End of Schooldays”, in John Paul Jones: Father of the United States Navy: U.S.S. Ranger—U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard—U.S.S. America, Lincoln, Neb.: Writers Club Press, →ISBN, page 22