Flying Dutchman

American  

noun

1. a legendary Dutch ghost ship supposed to be seen at sea, especially near the Cape of Good Hope.

2. the captain of this ship, supposed to have been condemned to sail the sea, beating against the wind, until the Day of Judgment.

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Flying Dutchman British  

noun

1. legend

   1. a phantom ship sighted in bad weather, esp off the Cape of Good Hope

   2. the captain of this ship

2. a type of dinghy, designed to be crewed by two people

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Example Sentences

“I just want to eat my Flying Dutchman in peace,” her friend said, referring to an off-menu item at the burger chain.

From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2022

His flag also features the England three lions badge and the names of two pubs in Lowestoft - The Flying Dutchman and The Blues Bar.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2022

Now, my social media accounts are filled with former customers who vow to never again chow down on a Flying Dutchman washed down with pink lemonade.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2021

The following year, the Kroll Opera, Otto Klemperer’s progressive Berlin company, delivered a counterblow to the nazification of Wagner when it mounted The Flying Dutchman in proletarian modern dress.

From The Guardian • Sep. 17, 2020

For a while I worried that Viking 1 had been condemned, like the legendary Flying Dutchman, to wander the skies of Mars forever, never to find safe haven.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan