Idiom Origins - Ships that pass in the night - History of Ships that pass in the night

Ships that pass in the night

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Origin of: Ships that pass in the night

Ships that pass in the night

This expression has come to describe people or experiences of a fleeting, inconsequential nature. The source is Longfellow (1807-1882) Tales of a Wayside Inn, The Theologian’s Tale: “Ships that pass in the night, and speak to each other in passing."