18 March 2024

Jetsam


Such a tragically sad photo, taken in Batsen Province, Indonesia (credit Willy Kurniawan/Reuters) via The Guardian.

To get something positive out of this I decided to look up the etymologies of flotsam and jetsam.  Not too complicated - the former related to "float" (Anglo-Norman via French and German), and the title word related to "jettison," (same sources) referring to material intentionally thrown overboard to lighten a ship in distress.  I had always thought that flotsam was still in the water while jetsam was on shore, but apparently that distinction is not implicit in the terms.

For a curiously odd photo, go to this gallery and scroll down to the one that seems to depict an extra-small jockey riding on the back half of a six-legged horse...

1 comment:

  1. The Fastorslow riderless horse made for some very amusing commentary in British racing media as I looked into the situation. Thanks for the grins!

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