"Flotsam' and 'Jetsam'"

Flotsam and jetsam is a fancy way to refer to junk, waste or unimportant loose ends. The term refers to cargo from a ship that ends up in the sea. Flotsam is goods lost in a wreck that float on the water. Jetsam is goods tossed overboard (jettisoned) in order to stabilize a ship. Jetsam sinks. According to maritime law, flotsam and jetsam forever belong to their original owner, but if someone else finds the stuff, he or she is entitled to a salvage award.