SOS is the standard option for calling for help at sea these days. Everyone knows the Morse code translation: three long bursts, followed by three short bursts, followed by three more long bursts. The long-short-long makes the pattern recognizable, and it’s often featured in movies and games as a good way to attract attention for the damsel in distress if she’s savvy enough to know it. However, despite what a lot of people think, the letters really don’t mean for anything.
They were picked mainly for their configuration in Morse code because the original distress message was too confusing for those that didn’t know a lot of Morse code. A lot of people think the letters stand for “save our ship” or “save our souls”, but really, there is no meaning to the letters, as stated before.
