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The boat could use sails, but it isn't because there is no wind at the moment. The ferrier is oaring. The setting is medieval. There are no motors. It's a small boat.

The dialogue in the text is something like this: "The journey from point x to point y is a short sail."

What is the correct way to refer to the journey? The editor wants to say "short ride," but to me it lacks agency.

Not a duplicate question, as I am not asking about the "driving or steering" of the boat as much as I am asking about the journey, itself.

Writersblock
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    Possible duplicate of What is the correct verb for "driving" a boat? and duplicates (of whatever ilk). The nounal usage is parallel. CDO gives the general 'a journey across water' sense. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 03 '17 at 18:51
  • What did your dictionary have to say about this? – Canis Lupus Apr 03 '17 at 19:03
  • Do you feel that describing a modest distance as a short sail falls away if no one sails it? Saying the journey is a short sail does not change the time estimate, but rowing it would naturally increase the travel time while still giving a sense of the distance. – Yosef Baskin Apr 03 '17 at 19:19
  • Canis - My dictionary says that "sail" in the singular form can be used to describe a journey or trip in a boat, especially a boat with sails. But like I said, the editor disagrees firmly and says only use term "sail" when "sails" are employed. I feel the recommendation of "ride or trip" lacks agency when describing a journey over water in a medieval setting/small boat. I just want verification from great thinkers that "sail" can be used when referring to the journey, even if sails weren't used. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 19:30
  • I have now downvoted as you have not responded to the advice that CDO licenses the 'journey by boat' usage (as one would expect it to). Questions on ELU are expected to be accompanied by reasonable research. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 03 '17 at 19:37
  • Well then clearly the correct answer to your question, as your own research tells you, contradicts your editor's expectations. That is not a problem about the English Language and Usage, unless you rephrase your question to ask for an alternative that satisfies your intended meaning and your editor's desires. By the way, you are receiving down votes and close votes for not showing your research in your question. – Canis Lupus Apr 03 '17 at 19:38
  • Here's your compromise: The journey was said to be a short sail, but without any wind, it was a day's work on the ferrymans' oar. – Yosef Baskin Apr 03 '17 at 19:41
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    Canis and Edwin-- so quick to assume that I did not research... and so quick to be rude. I was asking for advice and maybe an explanation as to why "sail" would not be a good word choice. I take every mark from the editor with full consideration. Since I do not sail myself, I was unsure if using the term would be improper, despite what the dictionary says, and my personal interpretation. This board needs to check itself... so quick to criticize instead of provide helpful opinions or answers. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 19:56
  • @Writersblock I nowhere claimed that you did no research. I pointed out that ELU requires that reasonable research should accompany questions on ELU. This is made plain in the Help Center. How rude do you think it is to ignore a website's protocols? – Edwin Ashworth Apr 03 '17 at 20:05
  • I think you'll find what you are looking for in my previous comment. I don't mean to appear rude, but I would like you to consider that my suggestions have a literal meaning. Edwin's comments have been spot on, also. – Canis Lupus Apr 03 '17 at 20:25
  • @EdwinAshworth this is cute. I do not spend my life on ELU and have a 40,000+ reputation and a 1,258/16 answer/question ratio. I just joined, and you are my first impression of the board. I'm sure the creators of the site didn't envision it to be a forum for know-it-alls who seek only to provide critiques instead of aid to those reaching out for it. I did not cite a dictionary reference because I expect everyone here, including myself, to have that. I was looking for a word choice that lent agency. I shouldn't have to prove I can use a dictionary before posting. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 20:53
  • @CanisLupus Thanks for at least explaining yourself a little more. Maybe this board has a lot of posters with random questions and the diehards on here grow tired of it/them. My question was a word choice question, and a chance for me to be enlightened as to why my editor marked things the way she did. Instead, I got cited the rules of the ELU and asked if I have ever used a dictionary. I did not expect that I needed to post a dictionary citation to elaborate my question. I figured I was given the benefit of the doubt that I had done basic research... Wish this would have been more useful. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 21:04
  • I am not 'on the board', and did not help to formulate this close-vote reason: 'Please include the research you've done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic.' The Help Center explains what is considered to constitute an acceptable question, and points out that the site is intended for linguists rather than people asking basic questions. It would cause a lot less friction if people read this advice and took it on board. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 03 '17 at 21:28
  • @EdwinAshworth I didn't say you were "on the board". What would cause less friction is for you to work to provide answers to questions, not critiques of questions. I referred to this site (ELU) as a board, not you being on the board for the site. See how much time you've spent in retort instead of helping? ELU should provide posters the ability to down vote useless retorters. "Word Choice" is a category for question on this board. Your interpretation of the purpose of this site is limited. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 22:10

1 Answers1

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It's not improper. Sail can be used to describe a general journey on a boat, even one that does not have sails. While the definition referenced below calls out journeys on ships -- which is older, nautical terminology for a boat with 3 or more masts -- in modern times, ship can be used to describe any boat.

See these dictionary definitions for more examples:

Or try the dupe questions other responders reference above. :)

jarg jeeooorrrrb
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  • I don’t think “ship can be used to describe any boat” is correct. – Jim Apr 03 '17 at 21:24
  • It is. See noun #2 definition in the m-w link above. – jarg jeeooorrrrb Apr 03 '17 at 21:48
  • In nautical usage, I agree "ship" would not be used to describe any boat. However, in regular speech it could describe anything from a dinghy to a blimp. – jarg jeeooorrrrb Apr 03 '17 at 21:49
  • I will have to disagree. in regular speech “a ship” refers to a boat “of a certain size” and nobody would say, “Get in the ship” when they were approaching a dinghy. And certainly not, “Get *on* the ship.” – Jim Apr 03 '17 at 21:52
  • @jargjeeooorrrrb Thank you for your response/answer. This is the type of response that is helpful in making my decision over word choice. I thought it could be used for any journey over water, regardless of whether sails are used. My dictionary says the same. But I've learned seafaring, or journeying over water, for those knowledgeable enthusiasts, is a serious business, and so I wanted to make sure my use of the simple word was proper or not... And I wanted to know if there was a better word...one with more agency. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 22:17
  • @jargjeeooorrrrb Another example: All of those movie scenes where the commander has his archers lined up, ready to go, and he yells: "Fire!" I know enough about archery to know that is not the correct term to use, yet we see it in film and read it in books all the time. – Writersblock Apr 03 '17 at 22:26