Nail your colors to the mast (idea) by Lometa
“If they catch you at disadvantage, the mines for your life is the word; and so we fight them with our colours nailed to the mast.” The Pirate, 1821. For over 4,000 years humanity has used some sort of device to communicate when not within hearing distance like smoke signals, drums, flashing lanterns or lights. Many times they would correspond with vexilloids which were metal or wooden poles with engravings on top. About 2,000 years ago, pieces of colored fabric or material were added to some of these vexilloids as a decoration, so they could be more readily recognized as a symbol, or fo...
Source: everything2.com