The spelling of the phrase "broke short" is based on the phonetic transcription of its pronunciation /brəʊk ʃɔːt/. In this transcription, the symbol /ə/ represents the schwa sound, commonly found in unstressed syllables, while /ɔː/ denotes the "aw" sound. The combination of /r/ and /o/ creates the distinctive "r" sound, which is common in British English. Lastly, the /ʃ/ symbol represents the "sh" sound, and the final /t/ denotes a consonant stop that concludes the word.
"Broke short" is a phrase with distinct meanings in different contexts. In nautical terminology, it refers to a ship or vessel that has suddenly come to a halt or stopped abruptly. This could be due to a technical malfunction, adverse weather conditions, or an intentional action to quickly halt forward movement. For example, the ship broke short when the anchor abruptly caught on a rocky seabed.
In financial jargon, "broke short" typically describes a situation where an investor or trader has taken a short position on a security or asset and subsequently experiences a significant loss, rendering them unable to repay borrowed funds or cover their financial obligations. It signifies a state of financial insolvency or bankruptcy resulting from unsuccessful speculative trading or poor investment decisions.
Additionally, "broke short" can be colloquially used to denote a state of being without sufficient funds or financial resources. It signifies a state of poverty or destitution where an individual or entity lacks the means to meet their financial needs or fulfill their financial obligations.
Overall, the phrase "broke short" carries different meanings depending on the context, encompassing the sudden halt of a ship, financial insolvency resulting from short trading, or a state of financial destitution.
The term "broke short" refers to a situation when a ship's anchor cable breaks suddenly, causing the ship to drift. However, it seems unlikely that "broke short" is derived from a single word with a specific etymology. Instead, it is a compound phrase consisting of two separate words: "broke" and "short".
"Broke" is the past tense of the verb "break", which comes from the Old English word "brecan". Its etymology is believed to trace back to the Proto-Germanic word "brekanan", meaning "to break" or "to shatter".
"Short", on the other hand, has a somewhat different etymology. It traces back to the Old English word "sceort", meaning "short".