Idiom

Flotsam and jetsam

What does "Flotsam and jetsam" mean?

Assorted bits and pieces of rubbish; especially items that are found in the sea.

Flotsam and jetsam

Britain - 19th century. Derives from ‘things that float’ and ‘things that have been jettisoned’.

Assorted bits and pieces of rubbish; especially items that are found in the sea.

Mostly Britain, but more widely too.

  • You could say that the cardboard boxes that I've moved from house to house without unpacking are the flotsam and jetsam of my life.