Editing Knot (section)

=== Bitter end ===
:As a ropeworker's term, "bitter end" refers to the end of a rope that is tied off. In British nautical usage, the bitter end is the ship end of the anchor cable, secured by the anchor bitts and the bitter pin in the cable locker under the [[forecastle]]. At anchor, the more anchor line that is payed out, the better the anchor's hold. In a storm, if the anchor drags, ships will pay out more and more anchor line until they reach the "bitter end." At this point, they can only hope the anchor holds, hence the expression "hanging on to the bitter end". (A ''[[bitts|bitt]]'' is a metal block with a crosspin for tying lines to, also found on piers.)  Also, the working end.