According to Sebastian Junger in The Perfect Storm, in
the United States it is defined as: "more that three miles from shore"; what
phrase is it?
Etymology, Etymology, and more Etymology
as well as grammar, usage, euphemism, slang, jargon, semantics (meaning), linguistics, neologism, idiom, word origin, syntax, dialect, lexicon (vocabulary), diction, pidgin, synonym, antonym, homonym, cant, argot, lingo, and redundancy.
The critically-acclaimed board game
MooT
consists of tough questions about the nuances of the English language.
Answer:
the high seas
According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the high seas
are the "open seas not within anyone's jurisdiction."
According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: "The sea up to
three miles out from the coast belongs to the country and is called territorial
waters. High seas, like high-ways, means 'for public use.' In both cases the
word high means chief [or] principal."
[But isn't there a
250 mile limit now?]
Please note that these are draft questions for the board game MooT.
If you spot an error or disagree with anything I've said here,
please let me know and I'll fix it.
(the Mootguy)
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