![]() The sense is still the same – making the most of the chance to do something while it lasts – but it is now applied more generally. Without the advantages of modern machinery and weather forecasting, mediaeval farmers knew that it would take several days to cut, dry and gather in their hay, so they had to seize a dry spell. Although the etymology is clear – to sail a boat as near as possible to the direction the wind is coming from – what is less evident is when or why it developed negative connotations.Īs you would expect, make hay while the sun shines has farming origins dating back to Tudor times. Passengers who were feeling seasick during a storm would go below deck where the motion was less intense hence they were literally ‘under the weather’ that was occurring above deck.Īnother common maritime idiom is sailing close to the wind, which is used when someone is doing something that is dangerous or borderline legal or acceptable. Under the weather is believed to originate from a time when boat travel was common. Many idioms used today had a more literal meaning in the past, which is how they came about in the first place. ![]() Popular weather idioms with historical origins Grammar Girl’s definition is somewhat clearer: “Idioms are phrases that don’t mean what they literally say, but have meaning to native speakers.”įor example, most native English speakers understand that under the weather means that someone is feeling unwell, but this is unlikely to be grasped by a foreigner carrying out a literal translation of every word in the phrase. The Oxford Dictionary defines an idiom as “A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g. What exactly is an idiom?īefore we start, a quick look at what the word “idiom” actually means. This is the first in what will hopefully be an enlightening (no pun intended!) series of blog posts on idioms. It’s not surprising, therefore, that a number of weather-related idioms have crept into the English language over the years.Īs a word nerd and linguist, I enjoy finding out where words and phrases come from, together with their associated meanings. ![]() the violent storms which whipped America's East Coast storm An individual low pressure disturbance, complete with winds, clouds,and precipitation Examples include thunderstorms, tornadoes, or even tropical cyclones The name is associated with destructive or unpleasant weather Storm-scale refers to disturbances the size of individual thunderstorms storm Wind with a speed between 56 and 63 knots (64 and 72 mph) Beaufort scale number 11 storm To blow with violence also, to rain, hail, snow, or the like, usually in a violent manner, or with high wind used impersonally as, it storms storm a direct and violent assault on a stronghold storm violent disturbance of the atmosphere accompanied by thunder, lightning, rain, snow or hail storm A heavy shower or fall, any adverse outburst of tumultuous force violence storm A change in the ordinary conditions of the atmosphere which may include any or all meteorological disturbances such as wind, rain, snow, hail, or thunder storm Wind with a speed between 48 and 55 knots (in EM-DAT, « storm » is a disaster subset of the disaster type « wind storm ») storm Surge (Feet) storm Extreme weather, such as thunderstorms and gale force winds storm a general term applied to any type of weather system associated with strong surface winds storm If someone or something takes a place by storm, they are extremely successful.It dominates our everyday conversations and is always a reliable opener for small talk. ![]() storms of fırtınaların storm blow with great force (of wind) fall heavily, come down with great force (of precipitation) rage charge, forcefully assault storm To assault to attack, and attempt to take, by scaling walls, forcing gates, breaches, or the like as, to storm a fortified town storm A storm is very bad weather, with heavy rain, strong winds, and often thunder and lightning. We took refuge in a cave and waited for the storm to pass. Mülteciyi bir mağaraya götürdük ve fırtınanın geçmesini bekledik. Definition of storms in English Turkish dictionary akımlar Related Terms storm fırtına ![]()
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