Talk:Strait

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[edit] Hydroelectricity Source

What is the potential of this strait and others being used as a source for generating hydroelectricity? With the currents being so powerfull, any size power plant can be constructed to generate electricity silimar to a wind mill, but underwater. Because the strait is so large, countries on both sides could build huge hydroelectric plnats at the sides that would potentially prowide power for hundreds of thousands of homes without much environmental impact.

Is the English Channel really a strait? Especially considering that its narrowest part is itself a strait: the Strait of Dover. -- 81.132.225.23 21:44, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Straits, channels, and passages are names for the same concept: that of a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water and lies between two land masses. In that case, the English channel is a "strait" in a sense. Though it is actually interesting that the narrowest part is also named an as an actual strait. --seav 22:41, Mar 12, 2004 (UTC)

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Nadyes (talk • contribs) 21:28, 1 May 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Hole?

Is a "hole" in the nautical sense the same as a strait? For example, Woods Hole and others along the Elizabeth Islands. —Ben FrantzDale 22:08, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Misuse/Confusion with "Straight", and plural usage

Would it be considered appropriate to add a section on the common mistake of using "straight" instead of its homophone, "strait"? One sees this frequently on the Web and elsewhere, e.g. "the Straights of Gibraltar". (Though not directly on topic, one also sees this in "straight-jacket" for "strait-jacket", and "straight-laced" for "strait-laced", meaning "morally strict or prudish"; in each case, the word is derived from "strait" as meaning "narrow or confined", as in the "strait" body of water.)

Also, it might be worth mentioning that "strait" is often used in the plural, such as "Straits of Gibraltar". Is this usage common only in the US? -- Unimaginative Username 22:29, 23 November 2006 (UTC)