# Flotsam and Jetsam ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253 "2001-06-18T21:55:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chubbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Chubbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chubbs)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/1 "2001-06-18T21:55:18Z")
What the heck is this? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/2 "2001-06-18T22:06:28Z")
Main Entry: flot·sam Pronunciation: 'flät-s&m Function: noun Etymology: Anglo-French floteson, from Old French floter to float, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English flotian to float, flota ship Date: circa 1607 1 : floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo; broadly : floating debris 2 a : a floating population (as of emigrants or castaways) b : an accumulation of miscellaneous or unimportant stuff Main Entry: jet·sam Pronunciation: 'jet-s&m Function: noun Etymology: alteration of jettison Date: 1570 1 : the part of a ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is cast overboard to lighten the load in time of distress and that sinks or is washed ashore 2 : FLOTSAM 2 ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/3 "2001-06-18T22:09:49Z")
The coffin Ishmael uses as a raft at the end of Moby Dick is flotsam. ---
**Author:** ![Chronolicht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Chronolicht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronolicht)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/4 "2001-06-18T22:41:02Z")
sturm und drang. Detritus. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/5 "2001-06-19T00:42:56Z")
easy mnemonic: Flotsam _floats_ off of the ship, inadvertantly, while jetsam is _jettisoned_ off the ship ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/6 "2001-06-19T00:53:49Z")
Flotsam and Jetsam were the pet eels belonging to Ursala, the sea-witch. Haven’t y’all seen The Little Mermaid? ---
**Author:** ![gwar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@gwar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/7 "2001-06-19T03:40:39Z")
It’s also the name of a band. Metallica’s current bassist used to be in it. At least that’s what they said on VH1’s “Behind the Music.” ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/8 "2001-06-19T04:04:15Z")
Doesn’t anybody around here know how to use a dictionary? Go look it up for yourself, for Pete’s sake. Good Lord, I sound just like my father. ---
**Author:** ![Chronolicht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Chronolicht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronolicht)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/9 "2001-06-19T06:59:40Z")
Not so, Ruined Eunich. Just one dictionary ain’t gonna cut it. I have eight or nine general dictionaries spanning a hundred years and a number of specialized dictionaries, couple on etymological provenance, and the Dopers who reply to these things often do so with info that even a well equipped person might not have. I wish I had the bloody OED. Drool. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/10 "2001-06-19T13:43:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gwar \* > \*\*It’s also the name of a band. Metallica’s current bassist used to be in it. At least that’s what they said on VH1’s “Behind the Music.” \*\* [Hijack]Actually, Jason Newsted quit Metallica earlier this year.[/Hijack] Now, I’m wondering if my Metallica theory can become Montfort’s Law: Will a mention of Metallica spawn a Napster-related debate? ---
**Author:** ![phartizan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba8739/32.png) [@phartizan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phartizan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/11 "2001-06-19T13:59:49Z")
Ain’t it cute how people put these rhyming binomes together (willy-nilly)? ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flotsam-and-jetsam/69253/12 "2001-06-19T14:15:59Z")
I’ve got some F&J CDs. Pretty good band - if you are into metal they are worth checking out. [http://www.flojet.net/](http://www.flojet.net/)