It's not 'whale vomit', it's ambergris. It's a nice word, and useful, so let's use it [View all]

[struggle4progress]

It's condescending and banal to reach for simpler, less accurate words for something when perfectly good ones already exist
Deborah Orr
The Guardian, Friday 1 February 2013

Ambergris is a beautiful and long-established word for a strange and unusual substance, produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, and eventually excreted through one of only two possible exits. It has been used since ancient times in the manufacture of perfume. So it's rather a shame that the media now prefers to refer to it as "whale vomit" or, for a bit of variation, "whale poo" – as if the world is a kindergarten. It has been in the news because Ken Wilman found a lump while walking on the beach with his dog. Unlike whale vomit or whale poo, it's valuable.

So, if you're of a romantic nature, but for some reason unable to say "amber" or "gris", you can opt for "floating gold". And ... you can refer to gold as "ground riches", in case anyone in your audience is three.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/02/whale-vomit-ambergris-words