Internet
sail
What does sail mean?
When a shipped couple is confirmed or clearly heading toward becoming real; 'this ship has sailed'.
"After that hug the ship is finally sailing."
Origin
Nautical metaphor extending the 'ship' pun.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when a ship sails?
It means a shipped couple is confirmed or clearly heading toward becoming real, so fans say 'this ship has sailed'.
Where does the shipping sense of sail come from?
It's a nautical metaphor that plays on the word 'ship', extending the pun so a successful pairing 'sails' and a doomed one 'sinks'.
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