Meanings
nounfurious fifties pl (plural only)
- pluralplural onlyThe area of the earth between 50 and 60 degrees south, prone to strong winds.
Its official demarcation is forty degrees south latitude. It includes the latitudes sailors long-ago nicknamed the roaring forties, the furious fifties, and the screaming sixties. It's an area of almost constant high wind and frequent gales, often exceeding hurricane strength.
1998, Derek Lundy, chapter 1, in Godforsaken Sea: Racing the World's Most Dangerous Waters, page 5
Translations
French cinquantièmes hurlants
- cinquantièmes hurlantsarea of the earth between 50 and 60 degrees south
Polish wyjące pięćdziesiątki
- wyjące pięćdziesiątkiarea of the earth between 50 and 60 degrees south
Ukrainian шалені п'ятдесяті, несамовиті п'ятдесяті
- шалені п'ятдесяті (šaleni pʺjatdesjati)area of the earth between 50 and 60 degrees south
- несамовиті п'ятдесяті (nesamovyti pʺjatdesjati)area of the earth between 50 and 60 degrees south
- буремні п'ятдесяті (buremni pʺjatdesjati)area of the earth between 50 and 60 degrees south
Cite this entry
APA
furious fifties. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/furious%20fifties
MLA
“furious fifties.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/furious%20fifties. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “furious fifties,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/furious%20fifties.
Source: furious fifties on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.