The colours onboard ship is its national flag. Sometimes pirates or enemies would show false colours to lure a vessel within the range of their guns but most often it would be to clearly show your own side who's side your on so that you don't fall foul of your own sides guns. Colours on war ships in the days of sail were very big for that reason.
By SailingQuiz November 2019 Category: Nautical Saying
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What does Show your true colours mean?
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Definition of the nautical phrase "Show your true colours".
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