You are standing into danger

On lists of nautical flag meanings (one and another), the letter U means you are standing into danger. I am familiar with the phrase from a sailing point of view - it means something like "if you keep doing what you're doing, something bad will happen." Like if you're headed for a reef or something. Today I used it (in a gentle, teasing tone) to a family member who was annoying me. And they asked "why standing and not heading into danger?"

I think it's because it also applies if you stay still; it just means whatever you are about to encounter will not be good. But I'd appreciate a little background on the history and etymology of the phrase, and whether it applies only if you're moving, or not moving, or whatever.

Solution 1:

Stand may mean "hold a course at sea" or, more generally, "face into". Hence we have expressions such as "standing into the storm", which were likely broadened over time to contemplate non-nautical dangers.

I read "standing into" as implying movement most of the time, though I suppose it's not necessary: the world moves relative to us at times, just as one may stand on a ship's deck and be moved through the heart of a storm. I think it seems all right to read the expression at issue as either "heading into danger" or "facing danger", but maybe someone with an open copy of the OED will weigh in.

Solution 2:

According to definition 12 at The Free Dictionary, "stand" can mean "To take or hold a particular course or direction", so "standing into danger" is equivalent to "sailing into danger".