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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009sea vs ocean
Hello, I've been in the USA for a few years, where I had quite a few arguments over "ocean" or "sea" being the broader* term to describe, in lack of better term, any marine water mass. Any opinions? *every sea is an ocean or every ocean is a sea. On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 13:45:11 -0800 (PST), "george.varsamopoulos@gmail.com" <george.varsamopoulos@gmail.com> wrote: >Hello, I've been in the USA for a few years, where I had quite a few >arguments over "ocean" or "sea" being the broader* term to describe, >in lack of better term, any marine water mass. Any opinions? > >*every sea is an ocean or every ocean is a sea. Nonsense. The Black Sea isn't an ocean. Nor is Lake Superior (a freshwater sea misnomered "lake").  Signature************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * > Hello, I've been in the USA for a few years, where I had quite a few > arguments over "ocean" or "sea" being the broader* term to describe, > in lack of better term, any marine water mass. Any opinions? > > *every sea is an ocean or every ocean is a sea. Ocean and sea can be used interchangably to describe the entirety of the earths salt water. But in specific cases oceans are bigger than seas. On Jan 2, 9:45 pm, "george.varsamopou...@gmail.com" <george.varsamopou...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello, I've been in the USA for a few years, where I had quite a few > arguments over "ocean" or "sea" being the broader* term to describe, > in lack of better term, any marine water mass. Any opinions? > > *every sea is an ocean or every ocean is a sea. When I am going to the beach, normally at Brighton (UK), I say I am going to the seaside. My cousins in New York nearly always say they are going to 'the ocean'. Of course, for them, it *is* the ocean. The US is not bounded by any seas as far as names go: and the UK is bounded by water that, apart from the southwest, is called sea. I have never said I am going to the ocean. >On Jan 2, 9:45 pm, "george.varsamopou...@gmail.com" ><george.varsamopou...@gmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >from the southwest, is called sea. I have never said I am going to the >ocean. Do we have a correspondent in the Outer Hedbrides to advise us on local usage? SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.english.usage) > On Jan 2, 9:45 pm, "george.varsamopou...@gmail.com" > <george.varsamopou...@gmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Of course, for them, it *is* the ocean. The US is not bounded by any > seas as far as names go: Carribean Sea? Bering Sea? Beaufort Sea? Chukchi Sea? > and the UK is bounded by water that, apart > from the southwest, is called sea. I have never said I am going to the > ocean. Last time I looked, the North Atlantic Ocean sat off the west coast of Scotland. >> On Jan 2, 9:45 pm, "george.varsamopou...@gmail.com" >> <george.varsamopou...@gmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Last time I looked, the North Atlantic Ocean sat off the west coast of > Scotland. "...Like a bird on the wing, over the ocean to Skye", or whatever they're going to call it now. Chris R > "The DA" <thedevilsadvocaat@hotmail.com> wrote in message >> "Offramp" <alaneobrien@gmail.com> wrote in message [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > "...Like a bird on the wing, over the ocean to Skye", or whatever they're > going to call it now. It seems to have shrunk to a sea this last century. SignatureNo, no, you can't e-mail me with the nono. >> On Jan 2, 9:45 pm, "george.varsamopou...@gmail.com" >> <george.varsamopou...@gmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Carribean Sea? Bering Sea? Beaufort Sea? Chukchi Sea? The Caribbean doesn't abound the USA; the Gulf of Mexico does. I take it back. I see the Caribbean abounds Puerto Rico, assuming that counts. Signature************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * > [ ... ] > The Caribbean doesn't The first time you wrote > abound I thought it was a typo, but .. > the USA; the Gulf of Mexico does. > I take it back. I see the Caribbean the second time > abounds I wondered if it was pondial. Is it? (I would never write "abound" in such a context.) > Puerto Rico, assuming > that counts. Signatureathel (BrE) >> [ ... ] > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> Puerto Rico, assuming >> that counts. Whatever happened to "main", as in "the bounding main". And does "bounding" here mean it leaps and bounds, or that it limits the land it encloses. > >> [ ... ] > > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > And does "bounding" here mean it leaps and bounds, or that it limits the > land it encloses. I always thought it referred to thre wave action. >>> [ ... ] >> [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >And does "bounding" here mean it leaps and bounds, or that it limits the >land it encloses. Or is it, perhaps, an abbreviation of "abounding". SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.english.usage) > >>> [ ... ] > >> [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > Peter Duncanson, UK > (in alt.english.usage) These english don't know a sea from a pond; that's why they're no longer a naval power. .a.shole ernie primeau was a Canadian paratrooper. Ever since then, he has wanted to rebound up and down on "farrel`s" a.s. > > >Whatever happened to "main", as in "the bounding main". > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > These english don't know a sea from a pond; that's why they're no > longer a naval power. Anita, what the Hell happened to you? Is it "that time of the month" or what? erniebald still loves you. No matter if you post as dpydotswm or George. Do not let him hanging. Without you (and George), he only has 2 supporters! On Jan 4, 11:37 pm, "dpydot...@hotmail.com" <dpydot...@hotmail.com> wrote: > .a.shole ernie primeau was a Canadian paratrooper. > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > These english don't know a sea from a pond; that's why they're no > > longer a naval power. >> [ ... ] > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >Is it? (I would never write "abound" in such a context.) That was a dum-dum on my part. Now I'm scratching my head trying to imagine what word I really meant. Signature************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * > >> [ ... ] > > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > That was a dum-dum on my part. Now I'm scratching my head trying > to imagine what word I really meant. "abut"? Bill ---------------------------------------------------------------- Reverse parts of the user name and ISP name for my e-address >> >> [ ... ] >> > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > >"abut"? Probably. but it doesn't sound right even if it is. Maybe my brain figured "abound" was more euphonious. Signature************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * ..An ocean is to a sea what the sea is to a lake, which lake is to a pond, and said pond to a drop. Furthermore, all oceans are connected even though many seas are landlocked. All lakes are contained by land, but ponds are always freshwater. All bodies of water are made up of collective drops (condensation) but are not to be confused with rivers, streams, or creeks. Other man-made collectives include cisterns and wells which were inspired by springs (also not to be confused with rivers, streams, or creeks as they are part of the water cycle of springs and run-offs). I hope this sheds some light on your question and resolves the confusion surrounding the usage of these terms regardless of their respective etymologies. . . . >Hello, I've been in the USA for a few years, where I had quite a few >arguments over "ocean" or "sea" being the broader* term to describe, >in lack of better term, any marine water mass. Any opinions? > >*every sea is an ocean or every ocean is a sea. |
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