In this word confusion, the combined phrase, flotsam and jetsam refers to useless or discarded objects — think odds and ends.
It turns out that “under maritime law the distinction is important. Flotsam may be claimed by the original owner, whereas jetsam may be claimed as property of whoever discovers it” (NOAA).
Individually, jetsam is the goods that are thrown overboard to lighten the ship.
Flotsam is what those goods are after those goods have washed ashore or that continue to float.
Generally, flotsam and jetsam are used together:
- “Then came the bric-a-brac of personal effects — all the flotsam and jetsam that had floated into these rooms for years” (Patchin).
- “The beach was strewn for miles with the flotsam and jetsam of countless tides, an accumulation that apparently had been undisturbed for centuries” (Hornblow).
- “Use them around the house to hold all manner of flotsam and jetsam” (Rebhal).
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Flotsam | Jetsam |
|---|---|
 |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: flotsam |
Noun
Plural: jetsam Alternative spelling: jetsom |
| Noun: The wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on or washed up by the sea
Useless or unimportant items
A vagrant, penniless population |
Noun: Unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a ship and washed ashore or sink where jettisoned, especially material that has been discarded to lighten the vessel or improve its stability in an emergency |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: The flotsam of the Mary Rose continued to wash up on shore. The room was cleared of boxes and other flotsam. She felt like so much flotsam. “The composition of the feed is another sore point, especially for Twitter users repelled by its algorithmic ‘For You’ tab full of clickbait and other viral flotsam” (Li). They are the flotsam of the city slums in medieval Europe. |
Noun: “A tow-rope was requisitioned from an up-coming boat, and a pair of horses from a pack-train on the bank, and the ghastly jetsam hauled ashore” (London, ch 3). There was plenty of good kindling among the jetsam on the beach. Technology too quickly becomes so much jetsam. “The cavernous space is mostly filled with chairs, desks, filing cabinets and other bureaucratic jetsam” (Roberts). |
| History of the Word: | |
| 1600–10 from the Anglo-Norman French floteson, a derivative of floter meaning to float from the Old English flotian. | Late 15th century (as jetson), from jettison. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Flotsam versus Jetsam
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Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: flotsam, jetsam
Hornblow, Arthur. By Right of Conquest. Originally published 1890. Project Gutenberg, 2010. <https://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/3/3/1/8/33187/33187-h/33187-h.htm>. Ebook.
Li, Helen. “Threads, Meta’s Twitter Clone, Just Launched — and People are Already Complaining About It.” Technology and the Internet. LA Times. 6 July 2023. Accessed 6 Jan 2025. <https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2023-07-06/threads-metas-twitter-clone-just-launched-and-people-are-already-complaining-about-it>. Article.
London, Jack. A Daughter of the Snows. Originally published 1902. Project Gutenberg, 2020. <https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14654>. Ebook.
NOAA. “What are Flotsam and Jetsam?” National Ocean Service. 4 Jan 2021. Accessed 6 Jan 2025. <https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/flotsam-jetsam.html>. Article.
Patchin, Calista Halsey. “The Professor.” Prairie Gold. Originally published Chicago: The Reilly & Britton Co, 1917. Project Gutenberg, 2012. <https://www.gutenberg.org/files/39957/39957-h/39957-h.htm>. Ebook.
Rebhal, Sayward. “Reusing Plastic Bags: Tips for Making the Most Out of Ziplocs.” Huffpost. 6 Sept 2012. Accessed 6 Jan 2025. <https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reusing-plastic-bags-tips_n_1859303>. Article.
Roberts, Paul. “Seattle’s Government Surplus is a Cut-rate Gold Mine for Resellers.” Seattle Times. 19 May 2024. Accessed 6 Jan 2025. <https://www.seattletimes.com/business/seattles-government-surplus-is-a-cut-rate-gold-mine-for-resellers/>. Article.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Flotsam and Jetsam by Shazz is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
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