The challenge of finding exactly the right word to describe the state of the Conservative campaign has given rise to an interesting linguistic conundrum. Would one describe Stephen The Arrogant as “foundering”, or as “floundering”?
A fascinating question. The verb “to flounder” means is to thrash about in the water (like a flounder), struggling to stay alive. This desperate flailing suggests the verb’s metaphorical application, describing one who is engaged in the last stages of a life and death struggle.
“To founder”, on the other hand, means “to fill with water and sink.” It is also suggestive of catastrophic failure in a marine environment, but at a later stage of disaster.
Put simply, if you’re sunk, you’ve foundered. If you’re still struggling, you’re floundering.
To help you remember this distinction, we’ve prepared the following visual aid.
Have a great day, my fellow prisoners…
Well it should be founder, as in the “The ship’s captain was asleep when the ship came upon the storm and hit the reef and his ship foundered and was never seen again,… In his hold were tonnes of salted flounder that Canadian had worked hard on catching for the last year and their labours were wasted due to the incompetence of the Captain.”
See you could both as metaphors