It seems to me that all of the hantavirus “rats on ship”….is really COMMS, if you flip it.
“Rats jumping ship “ is moar likely the message?
————-
What does rats on a ship mean?
"Like rats leaving a sinking ship" is an idiom describing people who quickly abandon a failing organization, project, or relationship at the first sign of trouble. It suggests disloyalty, implying that those leaving are selfishly saving themselves rather than staying to help fix the problem.
Cambridge Dictionary
+4
Origins and Meaning
The Metaphor: The phrase is based on the old maritime belief that rats, sensing danger or water entering the hold, would be the first to abandon a doomed ship before it sinks.
Historical Use: This concept dates back centuries, including references in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1610).
Modern Usage: It is frequently used in business or politics to describe employees, partners, or members fleeing a company or party in crisis.
Cambridge Dictionary
+3
Related Phrases
Jump ship: To leave a job or situation, often suddenly.
Abandon ship: A broader term for leaving a failing project.
QuillBot
+1
Literal Meaning
Ship Rat: A "ship rat" (or black rat) is simply a rodent that infests ships.
Ratlines: A network of ropes on a sailing ship used as a ladder.
Merriam-Webster
+1
SHIP RAT Definition & Meaning | Merriam-Webster Medical
noun. : a rat (as the brown rat or roof rat) that frequently infests ships.
Merriam-Webster
ELI5:"when rats leave ship first" what is the logic behind this idiom? - Reddit
Rats generally lived in the lowest part of the ship because that's where they were least likely to be seen or bothered. The bottom of the ship is also the first…
——-
Rats deserting a sinking ship" is a metaphor for people abandoning a failing company, relationship, or project just before it collapses, similar to how rats supposedly flee a doomed vessel. Historically, it reflects the belief that rats, sensing danger, are the first to leave a ship that is about to sink.Key Meanings and Contexts:Metaphor for Betrayal: The phrase describes disloyal individuals who abandon a team or organization during a crisis, leaving others to deal with the fallout.Sign of Impending Failure: Just as sailors took the departure of rats as a warning of a doomed voyage, in life, it suggests noticing early signs of trouble before they are obvious to everyone else.Literal Maritime History: Rats were common stowaways, inhabiting the holds of ships for centuries, feeding on cargo, and creating a hazard by gnawing through cables.The Physical Phenomenon: Rats live in the lower, dark parts of a ship (the hold). When a ship begins to leak or take on water, the rats, living at the lowest point, are the first to feel it and flee to higher ground or off the ship entirely, explaining the origin of the phrase.Protective Measures: In modern shipping, "[rat guards]" are used, which are metal discs placed on ropes to prevent rats from boarding while docked.The phrase is commonly used in business or social scenarios to describe opportunistic, quick departures during a catastrophe.