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Joined: Jan 2010
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Jan 2010
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I would like to know the origin of the phrase "sea change". Thanks.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
It comes from a song in Shakespeare's The Tempest ( link). Full fathom five thy father lies, Of his bones are coral made, Those are pearls that were his eyes, Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change, into something rich and strange, Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell, Ding-dong. Hark! now I hear them, ding-dong, bell. [Fixed misspelling.]
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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It comes from a song in Shakespeare's The Tempast That's fine for Tempast, but what about Tempresent?
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
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Zmjezhd's sea-change for tempest. So from the original meaning ' a change caused by the sea' it is more generally used as 'transformation'? link
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Generally it seems to me it means a major change. Transformation might be a good definition.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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formerly known as etaoin...
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
I had assumed it was a sailor's term for the complete change in sailing conditions that you sometimes get very quickly on the ocean.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Welcome, Letia. zmjezhd is right; however, here is a more reliable source than that dumb old Wikipedia.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 618
addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 618 |
I must admit that I have never heard the phrase used as a generic "transformation"; only ever to describe the move from the rat-race of the city to relaxed sea-side living (most commonly applied to middle-aged couples who move once the nest is empty). The general meaning may well have been (mis-)appropriated by the real-estate industry for all I know. However, I suspect many people would think the general meaning of transformation derived from the concept of a drastic change of lifestyle. cf "tree-change"
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
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The Shakespeare line is clear enough, but maybe he uses it as a metaphor from a real sailors' term.
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