The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy, and the lash.

The remark is presented as a sharp retort to objections from naval officials who appealed to “naval tradition” when resisting a proposed change. The earliest located appearance is a 1950 diary entry by Harold Nicolson, who says he heard the anecdote from Paddy Leigh Fermor and attributes the line to Churchill during his Admiralty period, making the chain of transmission indirect.

The quip mocks the idea that “tradition” is a noble justification, reducing it to a few notorious features associated with historical naval life: alcohol rations, sexual misconduct, and harsh corporal punishment. It functions as a cynical critique of institutional self-justification rather than a literal description.

“Naval tradition? Naval tradition?’ said Winston. ‘Monstrous. Nothing but rum, sodomy, prayers and the lash.’

“Don’t talk to me about naval tradition. It’s nothing but rum, buggery [sometimes ‘sodomy’] and the lash.”

“Traditions of the Navy? I’ll give you traditions of the Navy—rum, buggery, and the lash.”

“Rum, sodomy, and the lash—that is the tradition of the Navy.”