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Citation Information
How to Cite
Manser, Martin H. "ancient mariner." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 12 May 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOA00124>.
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ancient mariner

Definition 
A person, typically an old man, who insists upon telling his story, which is usually lengthy and melodramatic in nature. The allusion is to the epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in which the Ancient Mariner himself unfolds his extraordinary and extended life history to a hapless passer-by on his way to a wedding party. There was absolutely no escaping this ancient mariner and his tedious stories. See also albatross around one's neck; Flying Dutchman.

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