merry chase? bounding main?

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Punchinello

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"The charismatic character leading the merry chase over the bounding main is, of course, Captain Jack Sparrow, played for a fourth time by Johnny Depp. "

What do "merry chase" and "bounding main" here mean? Thank you very much!
 

konungursvia

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They are from a sailor's song. Merry chase means happy travel or happy hunting, while bounding main means jumping or gyrating main-mast.
 

Rover_KE

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The bounding main is the ocean.

Main Entry: ocean
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: very large body of water
Synonyms: Davy Jones's locker, Seven Seas, blue*, bounding main, brine, briny deep, briny, deep, drink*, high seas, main, pond, puddle, salt water, sea, seaway, sink, tide
* = informal/non-formal usage
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Konungursvia, please state that you are not a teacher.

Rover
 

konungursvia

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The bounding main is the ocean.

Konungursvia, please state that you are not a teacher.

Rover

I am a teacher, why would I state that I am not? And why would this be of interest to you?
 

bhaisahab

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The bounding main is the ocean.

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Konungursvia, please state that you are not a teacher.

Rover
Konungursvia is a teacher, of long standing.
 

konungursvia

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I do admit however that I answered the question above quickly, and had been thinking of the poem "Stella" by Victor Hugo. It does of course refer to the ocean (bounding main) but at that moment I was thinking of masts and the like. Sorry if I made an error.
 

Rover_KE

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Konungursvia is a teacher, of long standing.

His public profile does not say so.
 

Punchinello

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Thank you guys...
 
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