Man Survives Sinking of the Titanic with Liquid Courage
cool, calm, and collected: to stay calm and not too worried or excited, even in difficult situations
Charles Joughin was a baker on the Titanic. He survived the ship’s sinking in an unconventional way. When the Titanic hit an iceberg, Joughin didn’t panic. He jumped out of bed and ordered the lifeboats to be stocked with food. He then sat down for a drink. Next, he helped people get on the lifeboats but refused a seat for himself. Instead, he went back to his cabin for more drinks. He had many more drinks and then returned to the front of the boat. As the ship sank, he stepped off into the freezing Atlantic Ocean. As 1,500 people drowned around him, he calmly waited. By dawn, he spotted a lifeboat and was rescued.
The alcohol Joughin consumed played a surprising role in his survival. Normally, drinking in cold environments increases the risk of freezing to death. But in this case, the liquid courage relaxed him so he didn’t waste energy in the water. Alcohol usually causes blood vessels to expand, dangerously moving warm blood away from the organs towards the skin’s surface. However, the extreme cold of the ocean likely overpowered this effect, constricting his blood vessels again. The alcohol may have also reduced his sensitivity to the cold, helping him stay cool, calm, and collected while waiting to be rescued.
Sample sentences
1. The pilot kept cool, calm, and collected during the storm, ensuring a safe landing for everyone on board.
2. Despite the angry customers, the waiter stayed cool, calm, and collected, handling the situation well.
3. She answered all the tough questions in the interview, remaining cool, calm, and collected.
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How a baker survived the Titanic sinking by getting really drunk