A landlubber is someone who lives on land and knows little about sailing or life at sea. Sailors invented this mildly teasing term for people who've never learned the ways of ships and the ocean. If you get seasick easily, can't tell port from starboard, or think a jib is something you say instead of something you hoist, sailors might affectionately call you a landlubber.

To experienced sailors, people unfamiliar with the sea do seem awkward: they stumble on deck when the ship rolls, don't know how to tie proper knots, and might call the floor a floor instead of a deck.

Landlubber isn't usually meant as a serious insult. It's more like how a skilled skateboarder might gently tease a friend who's never been on a board. Everyone starts as a landlubber, after all. Even the most weathered sea captain once had to learn which rope does what and how to keep their balance in rolling waves. The word simply recognizes that sailing requires special knowledge and skills that most people who spend their lives on solid ground never develop.