In other words get out of the way shipmate! Not sure how many of you ran track in high school, but this phrase is similar to yelling “Track!” when at practice. But there are times when you need to get some place and there are people in the way of your progress.

On board ship there are times when an engineer or maybe one of the weapons guys needs to get someplace fast. There are always people hanging around doing nothing. So when you see a group of then blocking your path you would state loudly, “Make A Hole!” They will move, if not make like Dick Butkus, or insert your favorite player here, and knock em out of the way.

There is a scene on “The Hunt for Red October” when Scott Glenn is heading down to see Alec Baldwin. He says “Make a hole, down ladder.” This told people to move t and stay away from the ladder, stairway.

This is even done at shore installations as well. Just like on a ship if people are in the way, tell them to make a hole. In boot camp the first time you hear this you stand there like an idiot and say to the guy next to you, “What does that mean.” Then when you end up either on your butt or kissing the bulkhead, you figure it out.

Most of the time when I heard somebody say, “Make a hole.” I would add “Don’t be a hole.” I was sort of a smart butt at times.
During GQ drills there was a set way to travel around the ship to prevent people from running into one another, “Down and aft Port, Up and Forward Starboard.”