When March stirs its tail, and other strange linguistic expressions.
How getting familiar with proverbs and expressions on the unpredictable weather in March enriched my writing style and sense of hope.
In the last thirty years of my life I managed to move more than 20 times. I lived, studied and worked in four different countries. Wherever I am, like now in Finland, when the month March approaches something inside stirs me up. The great thing is that I can see it happening around me as well as I go on my daily walk. As if people are slowly waking up from living in the coziness and comfort of their warm homes that for month’s seemed to be enough to get through the cold and dark days. Cause finally the sun has come out and the temperature manages to climb to two degrees above zero.
No wonder we just can’t seem to stop talking about two topics:
the weather and reciting sayings (or proverbs) when talking about the weather.
The weather
The most challenging thing about March is that you never know how the weather is going to be. Some people don´t mind. On the other end, there are the people who just turn into a grumpy and are counting the days till April. Come to think of it, as if then the weather is predictable.. well no!
I lived in places where I had to shovel snow in March, while it was freezing cold. On the contrary I also remember a particular mid march day when we were all outside in the park enjoying the warm ray of sunlight on our barren skins for the first time.
Living through these unpredictable weeks is also for me a bit of a symbolic period. As it makes me realize that how much I like to plan my life, I can´t. I have to accept, again and again that unexpected events will occur and I need to let go of my plans. That is why I started writing in the first place.
In the end when all complaining about the weather stops, there is only one thing left: the hope that maybe, just maybe the weather will get better next week. And how best to emphasize this is through sayings, phrases and quotes.
Sayings
Writing and living in different countries thus dealing with different languages means also getting acquainted with specific expressions and sayings. Some go back hundreds of years and are often connected to a farmers season or fishermen´s life. The interesting thing is that some phrases are only understandable in a certain language. Like..
What is ‘March stirs its tail’ all about?!
Or ‘Maart roert zijn staart’ is an old Dutch saying that emphasizes the unpredictability of the weather in March. Just as the wind blows the tail of a cow or horse in all direction, so you have to be prepared for the unpredictable.
So when you are writing in a language that is not your mother tongue, it is great to spend some time getting to know some of these specific sayings. Just make sure you understand the meaning behind it so you don’t make a fool out of yourself!
Here are a few sayings I have collecting over the years:
A March wisher is never a good fisher. (English, Scotch).
March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb (English
If the snow of Lent is dry, the snow of Saint George is wet" (Hungarian)
When March is Maying, May is Marching (Spanish)
It is raining cats and dogs (from Norse mythology)
Probably the most used saying in the world is:
Auf Regen folgt Sonnenschein.
There will always be sunshine after rain
Na regen komt zonneschijn
Sateen jälkeen paistaa aina aurinko
Meaning after bad times, there is the hope of good times to come.
But sometimes in life you need to have rain and sunshine at the same time in order to see the rainbow of hope..
If you use a specific saying on the weather, feel free to share it with me! Just click on the button below!