All at sea

[carlos]

Today I was listening to a song from my teenage years by British singer Colin Vearcombe aka "Black":

 

I make no promises,
I make no guarantees,
it makes no difference
when you're all at sea.

I had always taken that "all at sea" literally, meaning that he was sailing somewhere far from the coast. But listening more carefully today I realized it must be some idiom since its literal meaning didn't make any sense.

 

This expression is not included in most dictionaries I have checked, but Mr. Webster says "at sea" means "lost, bewildered". I am surprised though that I had never come across it before.

 

Did you know it? Is it common where you live? Is it just a British thing or an old expression? I confess I am all at sea about it.

 

 

[Mykyl]

It is a British thing. Old nautical term. Being an island nation they tended to implement sea faring nautical terms into the English language.

[carlos]

Thank you, Mike. I'm always curious when I find new expressions. :-)

Never thought of Black using Moby Dick jargon. :-D

Edited March 1, 2015 by cvillarrubia

[hatcheckgirl]

It's in our parlance too, though we do speak British English here (with an Aussie accent).

 

It is actually very interesting to read of this phrase's origin:

 

Meaning

In a state of confusion and disorder.

 

Origin

This is an extension of the nautical phrase 'at sea'. It dates from the days of sail when accurate navigational aids weren't available. Any ship that was out of sight of land was in an uncertain position and in danger of becoming lost.

'At sea' has been in use since the 18th century, as here, in Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries on the laws of England, 1768:

"If a court of equity were still at sea, and floated upon the occasional opinion which the judge who happened to preside might entertain of conscience in every particular case."

The earliest reference to 'all at sea' in print that I can find is from Travel and adventure in south-east Africa, 1893, by Frederick C. Selous:

"I was rather surprised to find that he seemed all at sea, and had no one ready to go with me."

See other Nautical Phrases.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/all-at-sea.html

Edited March 1, 2015 by hatcheckgirl

[Greg Dent]

The first time I heard that term was in a movie with Mathew Modin and Geena Davis called Cutthroat Island. Mr Modine's charicter says.

 

"I'm all at sea about things Nautical." Meaning I am confused about this of the sea. So it is Old English. It was a great Pirate movie BTW.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Greg Dent

[carlos]

The first time I heard that term was in a movie with Mathew Modin and Geena Davis called Cutthroat Island. Mr Modine's charicter says.

 

"I'm all at sea about things Nautical." Meaning I am confused about this of the sea. So it is Old English. It was a great Pirate movie BTW.

 

I remember that movie. Thank you, Greg.

 

Oh, Lucy, I forgot to thank you too. When you look at the origin of the expression, it makes sense.

Edited March 3, 2015 by cvillarrubia