“Sea Change”? what is that? The heading for this article shows the ignorance of the MSM and many others, when they wish to indicate a major change of some kind.
The correct expression is “C” change, which refers to changing a tune from the Middle ‘C’ as the “anchor” on a piano to a higher or lower ‘C’ key for that tune or piece of music.
Once that is done the whole tenor of the music changes and is the source for the expression. Our media is so ignorant as are many of its readers that they use “sea” change without understanding why this should indicate a huge change or be the source for the experssion.
“Sea Changes” is the name of a book I used to own. I gave it to a friend. I found it to be a boring novel.
Year was 1992. It was a hard cover book. I cannot find it through google.
Thanks for the ping.
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sea change
–noun
1. a striking change, as in appearance, often for the better.
2. any major transformation or alteration.
3. a transformation brought about by the sea.
[Origin: 1600–10]
Meaning
A radical, and apparently mystical, change.
Origin
From Shakespeare's The Tempest, 1610:
ARIEL [sings]: 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
"Sea Change" has actually been in common usage for decades when describing a dramatic diiference in state.
You just taught me something I didn’t know - the “C” change referring to music!!
Sometimes when a word or phrase is used for years, correctly or incorrectly, it ends up in Webster’s Dictionary. Guess they quit fighting it, lol.
They do list ‘sea change’ as a transformation or something changed by the sea.
When a teenager in Galveston I felt a ‘sea change’ each time I swam in the ocean [Gulf]. Lying on your back and floating in the sunshine and comfort of the waves and you would feel a sense of peace and tranquility unmatched.
Just a memory that might not make sense to all.
Meaning
A radical, and apparently mystical, change.
Origin
From Shakespeare’s The Tempest, 1610:
ARIEL [sings]:
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
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Hate to bust your bubble.
Now you know.
Thanks for the ping!