lose the number of one's mess

present singular third person loses the number of one's mess · participle present losing the number of one's mess · participle past lost the number of one's mess · past lost the number of one's mess

1. idiomaticnauticalTo die, to perish.

   "And then before the mast, there was poor John Proby, who lost the number of his mess two days out of Callao."

   1993, Patrick O'Brian, The wine-dark sea

   2 more examples

   "What do you think we come to sea for? If we can take a man-of-war of our own size she's worth half a dozen merchant craft, though, to be sure, some of us may lose the number of our mess; but we all know that, and make no count of it."

   1870, W.H.G. Kingston, From Powder Monkey to Admiral

   Shore folk think sailors are heartless, and that when a poor chap is lost overboard, they only say that "So-and-so has lost the number of his mess!" and, after having an auction over his kit in the fo'c's'le, then dismiss him from their memory!

   1880, J.C. Hutcheson, Fritz and Eric