TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER IN ENGLISH

In English, talking about the weather is a common small talk topic.

Small talk is the kind of conversation you make when you want to talk to
someone but neither of you wants to get into a very deep or complicated conversation.
It’s “small” because you talk about unimportant things, in a way that fills up silences
and makes you both feel more comfortable and friendly with each other.
In these pages, we’re going to learn how to use English weather idioms to talk up
a storm (“talk a lot”) about different topics.

1. Under the weather

If you’re feeling “under the weather,” it means that you don’t feel well / you feel
unwell / you feel sick or ill.
The term originally came from the phrase “under the weather bow – “the weather
bow” was the part of a ship that was getting hit with bad weather, such as heavy rain or
storms. Sailors would go below deck so they wouldn’t get seasick. In other words, they
would be “under the weather bow.”
It’s a very vague expression, but it usually refers to having a cold or some other
mild illness. However, because it’s so ambiguous, it’s a great idiom to use as an excuse
if you don’t want to do something.

 I’m sorry, I can’t come at your place to do that Geography project. I’m feeling
under the weather right now.
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2. A fair-weather friend

“Fair” weather is pleasant and sunny. It isn’t too hot or too cold. It’s perfect for
having fun, especially outdoors.
A “fair-weather friend” is someone who’s only around during the good times,
when things are going well, when you’re having fun, when you’re in a good mood or
you have money to spend. But the minute something bad happens, when something
goes wrong, they disappear. You can’t rely on “a fair-weather friend” to stand by you
during difficult times. This is the opposite of someone who is there for you “come rain or
shine”. 

 Kathleen is a fair-weather friend. Whenever I need some help, she’s nowhere to be

seen. 
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3. Keep a weather eye on someone / something
A “weather eye” doesn’t mean that rain, snow or sunshine is in someone’s eye! It
means to keep a close watch on smb / sth. Because the weather changes so much, we
have to watch it carefully. We don’t want to be surprised by a sudden storm.
If you “keep a weather eye” on someone or something, it means that you’re
worried about that person or thing, you’re concerned that a sudden change might
cause a problem.

 Gary is keeping a weather eye on his little brother playing in the garden.
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4. Come rain or shine

The verb “come” never changes here. The meaning of this usual idiom is “whatever
happens”. So if someone supports you “come rain or shine”, it means that they will be
there for you no matter what.

 Mary, you are my best friend ever! I’ll always be there for you, come rain or shine!
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5.Save up for a rainy day

The main part is “a rainy day” and it means things are going wrong, it refers to a
possible future time of hardship or relative poverty. When we add the phrasal verb
“save up”, we mean to put some money aside for whenever it may be needed, to
prepare for unexpected trouble.

 Mike isn’t using his entire scholarship this month. He’s saving up for rainy days.
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6. Raining cats and dogs

If it’s “raining cats and dogs”, you’d better take an umbrella with you or even stay in,
for that matter. The idiom “raining cats and dogs” means to rain very hard / heavily /
a lot. In this case, the form of the idiom has to do with the weather (the rain) and so
does the meaning.

 Spring is weird. Some days are sunny, while others it can be raining cats and
dogs.
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7. Take a rain check

A “rain check” is not some strange form of money. Here, a “check” means a “ticket”
— similar to a “hat check” or a “coat check” that you’d use to claim your hat or coat after
it was hung up for you at a restaurant/theatre.

A “rain check” would let you claim another chance to do something at a later
time. If you tell someone, “I’ll take a rain check,” it means that you’re willing to wait
until an event, service or product is ready for you to enjoy. It’s another way of
saying, “I understand the delay. We’ll do this later.”

 I’m afraid I can’t meet you tonight, as we discussed. Can I take a rain check with
that for the next week? 😊
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8. Weather the storm

This one can be a little confusing. When we say “weather” in English, we’re usually
talking about how hot or cold it is outside, or whether it’s rainy, snowy, windy or sunny.
“Weather” can also be a verb (action word), meaning “to deal with” / “to get through”/ “to
survive”. “The storm” in this phrase could be any difficult time or challenge.

If a person or a thing is able to “weather the storm”, they can survive a difficult
period or situation or deal with a difficult problem / overcome a challenge.

 Fred is going through a hard time right now, but he’ll weather the storm.
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9. A storm in a teacup
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 Have you ever ended up having a heated argument over something completely
irrelevant? Or maybe you’ve been worried sick about something that you then realized
was trivial? That’s exactly what “a storm in a teacup” is: a small, harmless problem
that has been blown out of proportion, something so unimportant you needn’t
worry about.

This idiom is also a common one, and it has different variations. For example,
North Americans say “a tempest in a teapot”, which is quite similar to the British idiom.

 In my opinion, the whole fight of the girls is just a storm in a teacup.

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10. The calm before the storm

This idiom refers to a quiet and peaceful period of time before a time in which
there are a lot of activities or difficulties, to the untroubled times before bad
things happen.

 We’re having a cup of tea and enjoying the calm before the storm as our seven
grandchildren are arriving soon. 
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11. On cloud nine

If you’re “on cloud nine”, you are over the moon – which, by the way, is another
idiom. So, you are extremely happy or delighted.

 Michael got a perfect ten score on the Physics test paper and he’s on cloud nine!

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12. A rainbow chase

Have you ever seen a rainbow? Duh, obviously! Okay, but have you ever seen a
rainbow up close, like really close? Nope, I don’t think so. That’s because when you get
too close, you can’t see it, can you? Well, that’s exactly the meaning of “a rainbow
chase”: if you’re chasing a rainbow, you’re after something that is impossible to get
or that doesn’t exist.

 Bobby thinks that buying the lottery will make him win some time, but I know it’s
just a rainbow chase.
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13. Run like the wind

The wind can blow very fast. When someone says to “run like the wind,” it’s time
to move quickly.

 The race is almost over and James is far behind. He must run like the wind
to get in front of the line.
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14. (Be) On thin ice

No one wants to be “on thin ice.” It’s very dangerous because thin ice could break
at any moment, and you could fall into freezing waters.
If someone tells you that you’re “on thin ice,” it means that you’ve done or said
something to anger them or put yourself in trouble / in danger. Take it as a
warning.

 You have missed 3 homework papers for your English class since last week.
You’re on thin ice here.
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