Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FLOTSAM

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

explore the archives: Remember the creepy minions helping the sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid? They were the aptly-named eels: Flotsam and Jetsam. "Flotsam and jetsam" means "random stuff, or wreckage from a ship," and it's so darn fun to say. Inside "flotsam and jetsam" you can almost see the words "float" and "jettison," which is appropriate because flotsam is the stuff floating on the water after the ship sinks and jetsam is the stuff that's been jettisoned from the ship. See if you can recall how to use jettison abstractly. That is, sure, we can jettison cargo from a ship or jettison a dorky CD from the window of a car (I'm looking at you, Laurel), but what can you jettison that you can't see or touch? make your point with... "FLOTSAM" After a ship wrecks, flotsam is the wreckage (the cargo and broken ship parts) that's floating on the surface of the water. More generally, flotsam is random junk that reminds you of that kind of floating wreckage.  Pronunciation: FLOT sum Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "education," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of education," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many educations." Likewise, talk about "the flotsam," "this flotsam," "our flotsam," "such flotsam," "no flotsam," and so on, but don’t say "a flotsam," "one flotsam," or "flotsams.") Other forms: none How to use it: "Flotsam" is uncountable ("wow, look at all this flotsam"), but we can also talk about individual pieces of flotsam, scraps of flotsam, bits of flotsam, etc. You can use "flotsam" to describe both real objects ("looking over all the flotsam at the flea market," "holiday mugs and other flotsam that keeps getting re-gifted") and abstract things ("an old trend that washed back up with other flotsam from the 70s"). Although "flotsam" creates a clear image on its own, it's even more fun to talk about "flotsam and jetsam," which still simply means "random junk that reminds you of ship wreckage" (but more specifically means "things floating on the water and things that were hurled down from the ship"). For example: "When I cleaned out those boxes from the garage, I had to wade through the flotsam and jetsam of my teenage years." ("Jetsam" can be used on its own, too, but that's rare.) examples: If you don't mind wading through the flotsam and jetsam at HomeGoods, there are treasures to be found. Suddenly a bizarre image from a recent dream drifts back into your mind, and you wonder where the rest of the flotsam went. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "flotsam" means when you can explain it without saying "wreckage" or "odds and ends." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Amid the flotsam (of/at/on/in) _____ (is/was) (something special or valuable)." Concrete example: "Amid the flotsam of relics from elementary school is a tiny gold-colored trophy for reading." Abstract example: "Amid the flotsam of memories from elementary school is the comforting smell of Mrs. Ashmore's perfume." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "What's the Difference?" I’ll give you two terms. Without using Google or a dictionary, explain how they’re different. Go beyond saying, "well, I know the difference, but I can’t explain it," or "show me an example and I'll tell you which it is." In your explanations, try to focus on features, not comparisons. For example, what's the difference between climate and weather? A good explanation focuses on features: "climate is what’s going on in the atmosphere over long periods of time, and weather is what’s going on in the atmosphere at a particular place and time." A weaker explanation focuses on comparisons: "climate is more concerning than weather." The game will get harder as the month goes on: we’ll start with objects—natural first, then man-made—then switch to concepts. Let’s do this! From yesterday: What's the difference between an ocean and a sea? Answer: An ocean is a geographical division of the water covering the planet's surface, while a sea is a part of that water that is partially enclosed by land. Try this today: What's the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? review today's word: 1. The opposite of FLOTSAM could be A. FREE-SPIRITED MILLENIALS B. WELL-ORGANIZED COLLECTIONS C. HIGHLY-PRAISED MUSICAL PERFORMANCES 2. Their lies _____ through the media like bits of flotsam. A. meandered B. stomped C. fluttered Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A