EDITORIAL QUICKIES
Is there a difference between flotsam and jetsam?

The Answer:

Ham and cheese, jacket and tie, love and marriage--some things just seem to go together. Flotsam and jetsam is another pairing that so easily rolls off our lips. But when it does, what are we saying? What are they? Is there a difference between them?

Today, flotsam and jetsam describe debris of any kind. But originally they specifically referred to debris left on the sea by ships. Flotsam was whatever was left floating when a ship sank, while jetsam was anything that was intentionally thrown (or jettisoned) overboard. Between the two, they covered anything that left a ship between ports but did not sink to the bottom.

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