What is Run Like Smoke N'oakum?
1.
Oakum
n : loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unravelling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and pack joints in wooden ships
(these seems are called The Devil...the origins of the term "the devil's to pay")
It obviously means to take flight quickly, though I do not know the full history of the term...
"We shall run like Smoke N'Oakum" Captain Jack Aubrey in Master And Commander: Far side Of The World. (attributed to the 6th book of the series Desolation Island)
