# Weather and sayings



## Necsus

Someone told me that the funny expression "raining cats and dogs" means 'raining very heavily', and I've received confirm of this from WRforum.
Maybe we could start here a thread about I/E sayings regarding weather, like Italian "cielo a pecorelle, pioggia a catinelle", or "rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera".

By the way, does anyone know where the expression "raining cats and dogs" comes from?


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## SweetSoulSister

"It's raining cats and dogs"

I would like to add that this is a very well-known saying, however, it is not used very often.  It is more common to hear:

"It's pouring!"

or tra amici, "It's pissing down rain!"


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## lsp

SweetSoulSister said:


> It's pissing down rain!"


Mai... I think saying it's said among friends implies that it's commonly said among any random group of friends, and I think that's a really big overstatement for the whole English speaking world!


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## TrentinaNE

Necsus said:


> By the way, does anyone know where the expression "raining cats and dogs" comes from?


Many theories, no real answer. 

In inglese, quando si dice "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," si parla anche del cambiamento del tempo.  C'è un'espressione di simile in italiano?

Elisabetta


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## Trina

Fa un freddo cane / Fa un freddo da cani / Fa un freddo da morire = It's bitterly cold
Fa un caldo da morire = It's terribly hot


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## Necsus

In my previous post I didn't include the translation of two sayings I quoted:
for "cielo a pecorelle, pioggia a catinelle" I've found 
"mackerel skies always bring rain", 
and for "rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera (rosso di mattina, il tempo si rovina)" I've found 
"red sky at the night, shep*h*erd's delight (red sky in the morning, shep*h*erd's warning)".


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## Victoria32

SweetSoulSister said:


> "It's raining cats and dogs"
> 
> I would like to add that this is a very well-known saying, however, it is not used very often.  It is more common to hear:
> 
> "It's pouring!"
> 
> or tra amici, "It's pissing down rain!"


My cousin in England said - "raining stair rods"! (The rods connecting the riser to the banister, I am assuming.)

Necsus, your second saying is _so_ similar to the English one I rememer from my childhood...


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## GavinW

Necsus said:


> In my previous post I didn't include the translation of two sayings I quoted:
> for "cielo a pecorelle, pioggia a catinelle" I've found
> "mackerel skies always bring rain",
> and for "rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera (rosso di mattina, il tempo si rovina)" I've found
> "red sky at the night, sheperd's delight (red sky in the morning, sheperd's warning)".


 
Almost!

"Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning"

By the way, it has recently been discovered (I kid you not) that _no-one_ actually says "it's raining cats and dogs". This seems a shame, as it is such a colourful expression. So colourful that there is (still) great resistance to the idea that no-one can use the expression any more (without running the risk of ridicule). 

I guess it belongs to a past also made up of the British "bobby", and fog ("pea-soupers") in London and other parts of the British Isles. Ah me, them were the days....


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## Saoul

The strange thing is that we learners have that sentence in every single grammar book. Something along the lines of "If you can't say that, you'll never be able to say anything else in English". 

Another curious expression, is "I giorni della merla" (January, the 28, 29, 30). They are supposed to be the coldest days of the year. Anything similar in English?


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## GavinW

Saoul said:


> The strange thing is that we learners have that sentence in every single grammar book. Something along the lines of "If you can't say that, you'll never be able to say anything else in English".


 
I know! Rather than "strange" it's criminal!!

I giorni della merla: sorry, dunno..... But I doubt it, except maybe for some semi-archaic expression out there, possibly. We're losing all this nature-wise traditional verbal lore.


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## Cloudy-aw

TrentinaNE said:


> Many theories, no real answer.
> 
> In inglese, quando si dice "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," si parla anche del cambiamento del tempo. C'è un'espressione di simile in italiano?
> 
> Elisabetta


 
Su Marzo c'e' il piu' o meno famoso detto :
"Marzo pazzerello, esce il sole e prendi l'ombrello"
che pero' ha forse un significato diverso dal detto inglese...

Ciao
Claudio


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## TimLA

In response to Saoul's additions:

Colder than a gravedigger's heart
Colder than a witches breast (modified for general audiences)
Colder than a well digger's posterior (modified for general audiences)
Colder than a brass monkey's balls (this is NOT obscene, it's origin is very interesting)


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## TrentinaNE

TimLA said:


> Colder than a brass monkey's balls (this is NOT obscene, it's origin is very interesting)


Ah, this brings to mind one of the first EO threads I ever participated in.

Elisabetta


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## Saoul

TimLA said:


> In response to Saoul's additions:
> 
> Colder than a gravedigger's heart
> Colder than a witches breast (modified for general audiences)
> Colder than a well digger's posterior (modified for general audiences)
> Colder than a brass monkey's balls (this is NOT obscene, it's origin is very interesting)



I don't know why, but in recent years I frequently heard and obviously  used this expression:

C'è un sole che spacca il  culo  ai passeri.

Poor sparrows.


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## MemberD

'fa un caldo / freddo boia' ...


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## stanfal

Leggete che bello, a proposito dei giorni della merla (musichetta a parte!)
merla

S.


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## Necsus

TrentinaNE said:
			
		

> In inglese, quando si dice "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," si parla anche del cambiamento del tempo. C'è un'espressione di simile in italiano?


L'unico altro detto che mi viene in mente su marzo, oltre a quello ricordato da Cloudy-aw, è "se marzo non marzeggia, giugno non festeggia"...


			
				Victoria32 said:
			
		

> Necsus, your second saying is _so_ similar to the English one I remember from my childhood...


Why only in your childhood? Then what's happened to the sun (or to the shepherd)?


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## Poianone

I'd like to add:
C'è una nebbia così fitta che si taglia con il coltello!
The fog is so thick that you can cut it with a knife!


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## Victoria32

Necsus said:


> L'unico altro detto che mi viene in mente su marzo, oltre a quello ricordato da Cloudy-aw, è "se marzo non marzeggia, giugno non festeggia"...
> 
> Why only in your childhood? Then what's happened to the sun (or to the shepherd)?



There is a lot less sun around! 

But really, I just meant that I haven't heard that for a while, my parents used to say it, and funnily enough, the last person I heard say it was my former student Gianpaolo! 

Mind you, he spent two years in London (where come to think of it, there are few shepherds!  )

VL


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## Akire72

c'è un tempo da lupi (awful weather)
c'è un freddo che si pela
c'è un caldo che s'abbaia


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## cas29

Well..... in my family we say it's raining cats and dogs (generally followed by "don't step in a poodle" and a groan!)

I've heard "red skies at night, sailors delight, red skies at morn, sailors be warned", not shepherds.... interesting.


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## Necsus

Sempre parlando di mesi, mi vengono in mente anche:
"aprile dolce dormire", "giugno la falce in pugno" e "agosto moglie mia non ti conosco".

I've also found another version of 'red sky' (that seems to be an English saying), a little different: 
"*A* red sky at night *is the* shepherd's delight".


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## thyme

In our "neck of the woods", West of Scotland, the saying is "Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning sailor's warning"


Thyme


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## Akire72

Necsus said:


> In my previous post I didn't include the translation of two sayings I quoted:
> for "cielo a pecorelle, pioggia a catinelle" I've found
> "mackerel skies always bring rain",
> and for "rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera (rosso di mattina, il tempo si rovina)" I've found
> "red sky at the night, shep*h*erd's delight (red sky in the morning, shep*h*erd's warning)".


 
Io ne sapevo altre 2 versioni:

Rosso di sera bel tempo si spera, rosso di mattina l'acqua/la pioggia s'avvicina;

Rosso di sera bel tempo si spera, rosso di mattina pioggia o pioggerellina


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## Necsus

Akire72 said:
			
		

> Io ne sapevo altre 2 versioni:
> 
> Rosso di sera bel tempo si spera, rosso di mattina l'acqua/la pioggia s'avvicina;
> 
> Rosso di sera bel tempo si spera, rosso di mattina pioggia o pioggerellina


Non siamo da meno dei nostri amici angloscozzesaustraliancanadesamericani, allora!  
Immagino che una delle caratteristiche dei proverbi e dei modi di dire sia proprio quella di subire piccole modifiche a seconda della zona in cui vengono usati.


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## Panpan

TimLA said:


> In response to Saoul's additions:
> Colder than a brass monkey's balls (this is NOT obscene, it's origin is very interesting)


In BE the most commonly used phrase is 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.
I agree, it is not obscene, and has an interesting origin in the ships of the British Navy.

Panpan


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## Akire72

Dopo una tesi di laurea sull'argomento (esiste una scienza che studia i proverbi e si chiama paremiologia) ti posso dire che ci sono gli stessi proverbi (variati nei termini, ma non nei concetti) in tutto il mondo! Esempio dove in italiano si trova _lasagne_ in ungherese c'è _piccione arrosto_ e in giapponese c'è una specie di dolcetto che si chiama _mochi _


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## ElaineG

cas29 said:


> Well..... in my family we say it's raining cats and dogs (generally followed by "don't step in a poodle" and a groan!)
> I say it's raining "cats and dogs" as does my Mom.  We didn't get Gavin's memo about no one using it obviously .
> 
> I've heard "red skies at night, sailors delight, red skies at morn, sailors be warned", not shepherds.... interesting. I always heard sailors too, but then I grew up in a part of the world that has sailors but no shepherds.


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## lsp

ElaineG said:
			
		

> I say it's raining "cats and dogs" as does my Mom. We didn't get Gavin's memo about no one using it obviously





			
				ElaineG said:
			
		

> I always heard sailors too, but then I grew up in a part of the world that has sailors but no shepherds.


Another vote for cats, dogs and sailors! We learned: Red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky at dawn, sailors take warn


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## fiorilù

TrentinaNE said:


> Many theories, no real answer.
> 
> In inglese, quando si dice "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," si parla anche del cambiamento del tempo. C'è un'espressione di simile in italiano?
> 
> Elisabetta


 

We have something about March, but I fear it has other meaning;

Marzo pazzerello , un po' sole un po' l'ombrello...


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## kan3malato

Ciao
Where I come from, we say:"se Febbraio non ferra Marzo spella".
Traduzione: Se a Febbraio non fa molto freddo(come dovrebbe), a marzo farà sicuramente molto più freddo.


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## Girino

dei altri/ some others:

April showers bring May flowers.

And for heavy rain:

"like a cow pissing on a flat rock" (my favorite/il mio preferito)

"a gully washer"

"a toad strangler"


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## Necsus

Girino said:
			
		

> degli altri/ some others:
> April showers bring May flowers.
> Questo potrebbe corrispondere più o meno all'italiano: "aprile fa il fiore e maggio ne ha l'onore"...
> 
> And for heavy rain:
> "like a cow pissing on a flat rock" (my favorite/il mio preferito)
> per questa non credo proprio che ci sia un equivalente...
> "a gully washer"
> non saprei neanche come tradurla...
> "a toad strangler"
> un rospo strangolatore ???
> comunque sulla pioggia c'è anche il vecchio "pioveva che Dio la mandava".


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## narmoriel

Hi,
I've found:
"A Natale sul balcone, a Pasqua col tizzone"
http://www.meteoappennino.it/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=141

http://www.meteo.milano.it/proverbi.htm
There is one about Candelora but I don't remember well it.
Narmoriel

I've found it:
_Se per la candelora _(2 Febbraio)_ nevica o fa gragnola dall'inverno siamo fuori se invece c'e' sole o solicello siamo sempre dentro all'inverno _​


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## narmoriel

An other thing. In a Stephen King's book there's a story where is said that " it rained frogs " or somethiing of similar.
Which is the origin of this way to say?
Narmoriel


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## fratello

Non a caso oggi è "l'estate di San Martino".
Indian summer? isn't it?


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## Necsus

narmoriel said:
			
		

> _Se per la candelora _(2 Febbraio)_ nevica o fa gragnola dall'inverno siamo fuori se invece c'e' sole o solicello siamo sempre dentro all'inverno _​


I knew this:
"Quando vien la Candelora de l'inverno semo fora; ma se piove o tira il vento de l'inverno semo dentro",
but I've found this in English too:
"If Candelmas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight
If Candelmas Day bring clouds and rain
Winter is gone and won't come again"
cioè, più o meno: 
"se il giorno della Candelora è bello, tornerà l'inverno, se invece è nuvoloso e piovoso, l'inverno è ormai finito"


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## fiorilù

Akire72 said:


> c'è un tempo da lupi (awful weather)
> c'è un freddo che si pela
> c'è un caldo che s'abbaia


 

We are never gonna end-up:

fa un caldo becco
fa un freddo boia...


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## MünchnerFax

The heavy rain thing:

_Piove che Dio la manda!
Piove come le mele!  _(I wonder if this one makes a sense whatsoever! Anyway, I heard it quite often andI like to say it.)


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## rocamadour

fiorilù said:


> We are never gonna end-up:
> 
> fa un caldo becco
> fa un freddo boia...


 
Io "fa un caldo becco" non l'avevo mai sentito, ma "fa un freddo becco" sì... Ed è un'espressione che mi ha sempre divertita: da bambina pensavo che si dicesse così perché il freddo era pungente (come un becco), poi mi hanno spiegato che invece "becco" era da intendersi nel senso del maschio della capra (= cornuto)! 
E mi ha sempre fatto ridere anche l'esclamazione: "Piove... governo ladro!"


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## Necsus

Anche per me "becco" ha sempre definito il freddo (che una volta era anche "birbone"), non il caldo...

Tornando a mesi e stagioni, ricordo il sempreverde "una rondine non fa primavera".


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## ElaineG

> _Se per la candelora _(2 Febbraio)_ nevica o fa gragnola dall'inverno siamo fuori se invece c'e' sole o solicello siamo sempre dentro all'invern_


 
This sounds like the origins of our Groundhog Day (Feb. 2), if the Ground Hog sees his shadow (i.e., if it is sunny), he goes back in his hole, and we have 6 more weeks of winter.

If he doesn't see his shadow -- if it is overcast or snowy -- he remains out of his hole, and that means spring will arrive early.

(I am not sure if the groundhog is ever right, but he is damn cute:  http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&q=punxsutawney phil&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi


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## Necsus

ElaineG said:
			
		

> This sounds like the origins of our Groundhog Day (Feb. 2)...


Oh yes, it's "il giorno della marmotta", I saw the movie with Bill Murray...


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## joanpeace

GavinW said:


> Almost!
> 
> By the way, it has recently been discovered (I kid you not) that _no-one_ actually says "it's raining cats and dogs". This seems a shame, as it is such a colourful expression. So colourful that there is (still) great resistance to the idea that no-one can use the expression any more (without running the risk of ridicule).


 
Gavin,
Where was it discovered that no one says "it's raining cats and dogs" anymore? I certainly use the expression and I don't recall receiving any strange looks for doing so. 
Joan

(P.S. It's snowing today)


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## Victoria32

narmoriel said:


> An other thing. In a Stephen King's book there's a story where is said that " it rained frogs " or somethiing of similar.
> Which is the origin of this way to say?
> Narmoriel


There are legends and stories about rains of frogs, fish (of various types) and odd things like chestnuts... (castagno)


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## Necsus

Speaking of Stephen King, in the Italian version of the movie Shining the character of Jack Nicholson repeat continuously the saying "il mattino ha l'oro in bocca", that in English I think is "the early bird catches the worm".


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## Victoria32

Necsus said:


> Speaking of Stephen King, in the Italian version of the movie Shining the character of Jack Nicholson repeat continuously the saying "il mattino ha l'oro in bocca", that in English I think is "the early bird cathces the worm".


Yes, it would be the equivalent, I think... Stephen King is awesome!


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## GavinW

Joan Corcoran said:


> Gavin,
> Where was it discovered that no one says "it's raining cats and dogs" anymore? I certainly use the expression and I don't recall receiving any strange looks for doing so.
> Joan
> 
> (P.S. It's snowing today)


 
Hmm, the proverb seems to be making a comeback, despite the memos...


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## Trina

Poianone said:


> I'd like to add:
> C'è una nebbia così fitta che si taglia con il coltello!
> The fog is so thick that you can cut it with a knife!



thick fog (in England, anyway) is referred to as "pea-soup" or a "pea-souper."

When it rains, many people say: "It's a good day for ducks!"

Melbourne, gets criticised a lot for its weather. (Nowadays with global warming, this more or less applies to everywhere). We say, "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes". We can have all four seasons in one day.

I have heard of "marzo pazzo" and believe it has something to do with the weather in March. Can anyone tell me what it is referring to?


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## ElaineG

Some more:

"April showers bring May flowers"

"the dog-days of summer" (isn't there an Italian saying about cane and heat, also?  It's escaping me right now).


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## Necsus

ElaineG said:
			
		

> Some more:
> "April showers bring May flowers" (Post # 32)
> "the dog-days of summer" (isn't there an Italian saying about cane and heat, also? It's escaping me right now).
> As far as I know there is a saying about dog and cold: "fa un freddo cane", or about dog and weather: "un tempo da cani/da lupi".





			
				Trina said:
			
		

> thick fog (in England, anyway) is referred to as "pea-soup" or a "pea-souper."
> In Italy we say "c'è una nebbia (così fitta) che si taglia con il coltello".
> I have heard of "marzo pazzo" and believe it has something to do with the weather in March. Can anyone tell me what it is referring to?
> See posts #11 and 30


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## Trina

> from Necsus: See posts #11 and 30


Grazie, Necsus.
(March weather here is also one day of sun, next day it rains.)
I had an Italian friend (whose family home is 2 hrs south of Rome - I don't know if this will make any difference but I threw it in anyway) but she lived in Australia. She used the term "marzo pazzo" and I was wondering if anyone else has heard it used just as "marzo pazzo".


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## Henry63a

ElaineG said:


> Some more:
> 
> "April showers bring May flowers"
> 
> "the dog-days of summer" (isn't there an Italian saying about cane and heat, also? It's escaping me right now).


The Italian translation of  "_the dog-days of summer_" is '_i giorni di/della canicola_'.

Another Italian saying about weather is '_Aprile ogni goccia un barile_'.


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## ElaineG

> '_i giorni di/della canicola_'.


 
Grazie Henry!  I couldn't remember it, and I looked up canic_u_la, but that was wrong.  I can sleep now!


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## Necsus

Henry63a said:
			
		

> The Italian translation of "_the dog-days of summer_" is '_i giorni di/della canicola_'.


Ahhh....!!! Geniale! Grazie.


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## rocamadour

Per necsus, appassionato di citazioni cinematografiche: esiste un poliziesco francese (1984, con Lee Marvin, Pierre Clémenti e Miou-Miou) intitolato *Canicule*.


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## Necsus

rocamadour said:
			
		

> Per necsus, appassionato di citazioni cinematografiche: esiste un poliziesco francese (1984, con Lee Marvin, Pierre Clémenti e Miou-Miou) intitolato *Canicule*.


Grazie, rocamadour!
In effetti vedo che il termine deriva proprio da 'cane' (Garzanti):
"Dal lat. _canicu°la(m)_, propr. dim. di _ca°nis_ 'cane', per traslato 'Sirio', la stella più brillante della costellazione del Cane, il cui levarsi coincide con il periodo dell'anno di maggior caldo" (tra la fine di luglio e la fine di agosto).


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## clare lorraine

I agree with other posters here: we English DO still use the expression 'raining cats and dogs', though not every day (global warming ??)

As for some other expressions, what happened to March winds ?
*March winds *and April showers bring forth May flowers

And mackerel sky, mackerel sky, Not too wet and not too dry

when the wind is in the east
'tis good for neither man nor beast
when the wind is in the north
the skilful fisher goes not forth
when the wind is in the south
it blows the bait in the fishes' mouth
when the wind is in the west
then 'tis at the very best

A swarm of bees in May
is worth a load of hay;
a swarm of bees in June
is worth a silver spoon;
a swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly

and finally
St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain
Forty days it will remain:
St. Swithin's Day, if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair

(for Italian readers, 'nae mair' is no more in Scottish dialect)

not to mention

A sunshiny shower
Won't last half an hour 

and

Rain, rain, go to Spain
And never, never, never
Come back again


All you need for some good old-fashioned sayings is a book of good old-fashioned children's Nursery Rhymes !!  Enjoy

Lorraine

P.S. In my opinion something really lacking in Italian literature are nice children's nursery rhymes.... apart from Gianni Rodari, whom not everyone likes...   I wonder is it because dialects were so widely spoken, maybe there are good traditional dialect rhymes but no traditional  Italian ones ?


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## Necsus

You are right, Lorraine, also nursery rhymes are a good way to hand on sayings. But yes, maybe this tradition isn't so engrained in Italy (or at least in Italian)...
Here a saying about rain and sun, and then a nursery rhyme about same subject:

"Piove col sole e tutte le vecchie (/le donne) fanno l'amore."

Piove e c’è il sole
la Madonna innaffia un fiore,
innaffia i fiori per Gesù
e domani non piove più.
Piove e c’è il sole
la Madonna coglie un fiore,
poi ne coglie uno di più
per donarlo al suo Gesù
e ne coglie uno di meno
perché poi venga il sereno.


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## Necsus

clare lorraine said:
			
		

> In my opinion something really lacking in Italian literature are nice children's nursery rhymes.... apart from Gianni Rodari, whom not everyone likes... I wonder is it because dialects were so widely spoken, maybe there are good traditional dialect rhymes but no traditional Italian ones ?


After your observation I've opened a thread about nursery rhymes in Solo Italiano Forum, here.


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## Necsus

"If New Year's Eve night-wind blows south,
It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;
If north, cold and storms there will be;
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
If north-east, flee it, man and brute!"

Che vento tira dalle vostre parti?


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## confusion

Necsus said:


> "If New Year's Eve night-wind blows south,
> It betokeneth warmth and growth;
> If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;
> If north, cold and storms there will be;
> If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
> If north-east, flee it, man and brute!"
> 
> Che vento tira dalle vostre parti?


 
"betokeneth" --> Cosa significa?


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## Necsus

Ah, non lo so, io l'ho trovata così... Però suppongo che significhi "fa presagire".


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## Panpan

-th and -eth are present indicative archaic and mostly redundant verb endings.
be- prefix isn't used much in modern English, and as I understand it, makes the word into a sort of reflexive.  E.g. the wind is, of itself, a token of warmth and growth.  I would understand it as ' a promise of warmth and growth to come'.
Panpan


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## Panpan

Trina said:


> thick fog (in England, anyway) is referred to as "pea-soup" or a "pea-souper."


A real 'pea souper' is a combination of smoke (from non-smokeless 'house coal') and fog (smoke + fog is the original source of the word 'smog') that is trapped under a temprature inversion.  They were particularly bad in London when the wind blew the wrong way up the Thames Valley, causing the trapped air to accumulate in the Thames basin.  
Pea-soupers don't occur any more in England since the clean air acts, I'm only just old enough to have experienced them, and not old enough to remember them.
Panpan


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## Necsus

Panpan said:
			
		

> -th and -eth are present indicative archaic and mostly redundant verb endings.
> be- prefix isn't used much in modern English, and as I understand it, makes the word into a sort of reflexive. E.g. the wind is, of itself, a token of warmth and growth. I would understand it as 'a promise of warmth and growth to come'.
> Panpan


Thank you, Panpan!
Anyway, the dictionary says that the verb 'betoken' means 'annunciare, indicare (to announce, to indicate)'. Actually I've found the sentence "le rondini annunciavano/annunciano l'arrivo della primavera" translated as "swallows betokened/announce the arrival of spring"...


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## Amatus

TimLA said:


> In response to Saoul's additions:
> 
> Colder than a gravedigger's heart
> Colder than a witches breast (modified for general audiences)
> Colder than a well digger's posterior (modified for general audiences)
> Colder than a brass monkey's balls (this is NOT obscene, it's origin is very interesting)


Re: Colder than a brass monkey's balls.

A brass monkey was a brass plate upon which cannon balls were placed, and in cold weather the monkey would contract, thereby dislodging the balls. 

Here in England I've often heard the phrase "It's brass monkey weather".

It's more commonly heard as "It's enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey".


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## AntonyM

narmoriel said:


> An other thing. In a Stephen King's book there's a story where is said that " it rained frogs " or somethiing of similar.
> Which is the origin of this way to say?
> Narmoriel


*Can it rain frogs, fish, and other objects? (from the US LIbrary of Congress web site)

Answer*
There have been reports of raining frogs and fish dating back to ancient civilization. Of course, it doesn’t “rain” frogs or fish in the sense that it rains water – no one has ever seen frogs or fish vaporize into the air before a rainfall. However, strong winds, such as those in a tornado or hurricane, are powerful enough to lift animals, people, trees, and houses. It is possible that they could suck up a school of fish or frogs and “rain” them elsewhere.


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## ohbice

Trina said:


> I have heard of "marzo pazzo" and believe it has something to do with the weather in March. Can anyone tell me what it is referring to?


"Marzo pazzerello un giorno è brutto un giorno è bello". 
In marzo il tempo è particolarmente variabile, è un mese di transizione. In questo senso si dice che è "pazzo" ;-)


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