message in a bottle
3
5.9
- noun
- /ˈmɛsɪdʒ ɪn ə ˈbɑːtl/
- Literature
:
mensaje en una botella
- The film centers around a message in a bottle that contains a plea for help from a castaway.
- tossing a message in a bottle
- put a message in a bottle
- found a message in a bottle
You could, you know, put a message in a bottle and throw it in their yard.
- You could, you know, put a message in a bottle and throw it in their yard.
Examples
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They call it a message in a bottle.
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You could, you know, put a message in a bottle and throw it in their yard.
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This is a message in a bottle for humanity, he calls it.
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We sent them out, like messages in bottles cast into the sea.
Fiction book (1999) -
Before his death, he carved the account of what had happened on a piece of wood, then sealed the message in a bottle.
Fiction book (1999) -
It has all the thrill of a message in a bottle, and all of the fear.
Academic text (2007) -
Messages in bottles have been chronicled for centuries and include some of the most famous names in history.
Fiction book (1999) -
VIRGINIA: An encrypted message in a bottle dating to the Civil War has been removed and deciphered by codebreakers.
Academic text (2011) -
When he discovered a message in a bottle on the beach, he was excited to read what it said.
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She often likened her heartfelt letter to her friend to a message in a bottle, hoping it would reach her someday.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning — a message placed inside a bottle and set adrift — is directly compositional from 'message' + 'in' + 'a' + 'bottle', so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the literal sense. The extended, metaphorical sense (sending information in hope of an unexpected response) is a straightforward extension of the literal image and is cross-linguistically familiar, so the expression remains predictable.
Etymology
Message in a bottle comes from the literal act of putting a message inside a bottle and throwing it into the sea so someone far away or unknown might find it. So, it now means any note or plea sent out 'in hope of a reply' or later 'found by surprise'.