Jet Skis just went overboard

[Mike Hussey]

Context: Yacht sailing in stormy sea:

Jordan: What the f*ck is going on out here?
Captain Ted: The Jet Skis just went overboard!

What does "Jet Skis just went overboard" mean?

Source: The Wolf of Wall Street (a 2013 American biographical black comedy crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter)

 

[Mike Hussey]

I imagine it is meant literally.The jet skis have been swept off the boat.

jet skis damaged the yatch ?

 

[Mike Hussey]

We are not told.

So what does "swept off the boat" mean?

 

[Mike Hussey]

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/sweep+off

There are more than 5 meanings, which one fits in the given context?

 

[Rover_KE]

No offence, Mike, but I think you should have spotted that #3 hits the spot.

A huge wave crashed onto the bridge, sweeping dozens of people off and carrying them out to sea.

 

[emsr2d2]

MikeHussey, did you look up "jet skis" or "went overboard" online before asking here?

 

[Mike Hussey]

MikeHussey, did you look up "jet skis" or "went overboard" online before asking here?

Yes, But I am confused with "go overboard" which meansreact in an immoderate way.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, but I [STRIKE]am[/STRIKE] was confused [STRIKE]with[/STRIKE] by "go overboard" which means (space here) react in an immoderate way.

Note my corrections above.

I apologise that my suggestion to look up "went overboard" wasn't very helpful. I genuinely thought "go overboard" would be in dictionaries as an alternative to "fall overboard" (meaning "to fall off a boat/ship"). However, as you said, the only definitions all relate to an unnecessary reaction or effort.

I would be very surprised if you hadn't found "jet ski(s)" in online dictionaries. There was no need to capitalise it in your original dialogue transcription.

 

[Tdol]

They could also be a group who have left the criminals at the core of this film. People who once took risks have abandoned ship. It's many years since I saw this movie.

 

[jutfrank]

went overboard = fell off the boat

This is the primary (literal) meaning of go overboard.

 

[emsr2d2]

went overboard = fell off the boat

This is the primary (literal) meaning of go overboard.

I would have said that was the case but the first few online listings for it all gave the other meaning. Perhaps "fall overboard" is the generally accepted term for falling off a boat.

 

[jutfrank]

I would have said that was the case but the first few online listings for it all gave the other meaning. Perhaps "fall overboard" is the generally accepted term for falling off a boat.

Online listings? Are you talking about dictionary entries? Dictionaries don't tend to list the literal sense of a phrase. If a phrase is meant literally, you can just look up each word separately.

 

[emsr2d2]

I Googled "definition of go overboard". Even with two-word phrases, Googling "definition of [word/phrase]" usually gives a decent result. I was surprised to see that it was down in hit 12 (The Free Dictionary) where I saw the first mention of falling off a boat.

I do it that way so I can get a good idea of what learners will see when they do the same - we know many of them don't use physical dictionaries or OneLook.

 

[jutfrank]

Even with two-word phrases, Googling "definition of [word/phrase]" usually gives a decent result.

I'm not sure I follow. Decent in what way? Do you mean that the results are all links to online dictionaries? That's what I just got when I tried.

Anyway, I'm not surprised that go overboard is not listed in its literal sense. There would be very little point in doing so.