h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A180758

This is a really old project I started ages ago in which I was seeking weather 'wisdom' from various h2g2 Researchers around the globe, specifically stuff like:
- proverbs
- folklore
- old wives' tales
- strange but true facts

I'd like to compile this and of course credit everyone who donated bits and pieces to it. This started up before there were talking points and calls for entries on the front page, but the principle is the same.

Thanks!

- Jimi X

Oh!

*When you see that the ants are excited, many coming out at unusual hours to do their work, it means that it is going to rain.

That's what they say where I live (Mexico, Huastec region more specifically)... is that said elsewhere, I wonder?

Ah, and, feel free to edit what I said in any way if you use it, since it seems unclear and long in a bad, cluttered way.

A couple or three for you.
'Rain before seven, fine for eleven'

'Ne're cast a clout 'till May be out'
Meaning you shouldn't shed your winter clothing till June.

'Rain on St Swithins day means rain for 40 days.'
The poem/saying associated with St Swithin goes (approximately):

St Swithins day if it dost rain,
for fourty days 'twill remain,
St Swithins day if thou be fair,
For fourty days 'twill rain nae more.

All the best
A.M.

Oak before Ash,
In for a splash;
Ash before Oak,
In for a soak.

In other words if the oak leaves are out before ash leaves in the spring, then it will be a dry summer, and conversely vice versa.

A green christmas means a full church-yard.

Not really weather wisdom - but the observation that flu, colds, pneumonia, etc are all worse in warm winters.

And the lovely Irish one:

If you can see the mountains it is going to rain.
(Of course if you cannot see the mountains, it is because it actually is raining).

***B

Wow! Thanks everyone those were all great!

I'll add them all into the entry (with proper credit of course) no later than Monday!

Again, thanks!!

Anyone else?

Good idea

You should keep in mind that some rules are specific for the area where they were coined! West wind in Ireland is something different than west wind in NZ.

Unfortunately I could only provide silly german ones which will annoy the mods (hi there ). I'll give it a try:

Wenn der Hahn kräht auf dem Mist,
ändert sich's Wetter oder bleibt wie es ist

that is,
when the rooster crows on the heap of dung
the weather will change or stay as it is

This one will work everywhere on the globe

Aiming a raspberry (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A284528 ) at the sky will lead to crop failure...

Bossel

Well, my German is only good enough to shop in, but I can vouch for the fact that it DOES say what it is translated as saying.

(ie:
when the rooster crows on the heap of dung
the weather will change or stay as it is )

Just for fun I ran the German through the Babelfish engine on Alta Vista and this is what I got:

If the cock crows to weather on the muck, modifies sich's or remains
like it is

As Pink Floyd don't say: "Hey Mod's leave our posts alone!" ( for the moderators - we know you are only doing your jobs!)

Another one I like is

Whether the weather be fine
Whether the weather be not
We must weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.

***B

hee hee, it survived moderation!

umm, that poem Don't ask me to write it down from memory, I wouldn't know where to put in the 'h's and where not

Wonderful!

I'll update accordingly!

Anyone else?

In the Netherlands there is an old wives belief, that if you sneeze three times within a few seconds, next day will be sunny.

Let's try the moderators again with a silly dutch rhyme:
"Als het regent in mei,
dan is april voorbij."
Translation: When it rains in may, april is over. I cannot get it to rhyme in english, alas.

Oh, this one exists in Germany as well

Another mod challenge following...

Gewitter im Mai - ist der April vorbei

Translation:
(if there is) thunder and lightning in May, then April is over

Hang on guys....

If the date is May, then April's over...

March winds
And April showers
Go to make
May flowers.

Cute, eh?

***B

I've seen the proverb you've got as "Red sky at night is a sailor's delight. Red sky in morning - sailor take warning." refer to shepherds as well. This one goes back a while: it can be found in the New Testament (Matthew 16:2-3) as "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.'

Here are a few more:

If St Paul's day be fair and clear,
It does betide a happy year;
But if it chance to snow or rain,
Then will be dear all kinds of grain;
If clouds or mists do dark the skie.
Great store of birds and beasts shall die;
And if the winds do file aloft,
Then war shall vex the kingdom oft.


Rainbow to windward foul fall the day
Rainbow to leeward, rain runs away


If Candlemass day be dry and fair,
The half o winter's to come and mair;
If Candlemass day be wet and foul,
The half o' winter's gane at Yule.


When a halo rings the moon or sun
Rains approaching on the run


Sneachta chugainn nuair a níonn an cat taobh thiar dá chluasa.
Snow is due when the cat washes behind both ears.


Comhartha drochaimsire é má itheann an gadhar féar.
It is a sign of bad weather when the dog eats grass.


Gennaio secco, massaio ricco
A dry January means a rich farmer.

De San Juan a San Blas, la cigüeña verás; y si no la vieres, mal año de bienes.
From St John's day (St John the Apostle - December 27) to St Blaise's day (February 3) you'll see the story, and if not it will be a bad year.


When the chairs squeak, it's of rain they speak.


If the oak’s before the ash,
then you’ll only get a splash;
if the ash before the oak,
then you may expect a soak.


Lastly, here's one which sums up the lot of them:

He that is weather wise
Is seldom other wise

Rainbow to windward foul fall the day
Rainbow to leeward, rain runs away

There is probably a good explanation for this which I am going to try to work out.

The rainbow appears in the sky opposite the sun. So you have the sun, the rain and the rainbow in a straight line from horizon to horizon with you in the middle.

If the rainbow is windward (bringing good weather), then the wind is coming from the west, north or east.

If the rainbow is leeward (bringing bad weather) then the wind is coming fom the east, south or west.

... well it makes some sense, I suppose, since the worst weather in Britain does come with northerly and easterly winds.

***B

The trouble with many of these sayings is that most the ones which have a grain of truth to them and aren't just twee rhymes that someone liked the sound of are only applicable in a specific area, and when they get applied in other countries they are usually no longer true.

It might be an idea to categorize these things into those which work universally (e.g. I suspect many of the ones relating to animal behaviour could fit here), those which work in certain regions, and those which are completely useless.

Hang on - I dont think my logic works at all. I cut a bit out for readability, and I think I messed it up entirely.

Sun - East, South, West
Therefore Rainbow - West, North, East

Windward - bad - wind from West, North, East - does make sense
Leeward - good - wind from East, South, West - also makes sense

So the logic holds even though I cocked it up writing about it.


an overhasty poster called Ben

The windward/leeward version should work anywhere: if the rainbow's windward of you then the chances are that rain's heading your way unless the wind changes pretty quickly. I've seen a version of the same rhyme which says rainbows to the west mean rain, and it'll be fair if they're to the east, so this one's only going to work in places where the wind blows predominantly from the west.

I have another one From Mexico...

Animal behaviour: children.

Whenever children are really hyper, it means a North wind is coming.

And it really is quite true, since I remember that it happened to me and to children I've seen. Maybe it is due to the lower air pressure? Maybe it always happens and it is just incorrectly tied with the north wind?

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'The Writing Workshop' to 'Weather wisdom'. This thread has been moved back to the Entry as it's been rescued from the Writing Workshop! :-) A new PR thread exists at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F48874?thread=142979