LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Have you ever felt "under the weather" or "thrown caution to the wind"?
Weather affects us in our everyday lives — not just in how we live, but also how we talk.
But, where do these weather-related phrases come from? And how did they become a part of our everyday speech?
If you aren't feeling well, you've probably told someone you're feeling "under the weather." Well to understand the origins of this phrase, we head to the high seas!
When storms would hit out on the ocean, a ship's crew would head below deck, or "under the weather bow," to ride it out.
In a very real sense, they would go "under the weather" to avoid becoming seasick. Other sources also link this phrase back to a newspaper in the 18-30s.
Another expression you've probably heard used a lot, "it's raining cats and dogs."
One theory suggests it may have come from the Greek expression "Cata dox" meaning "contrary to experience of belief."
So basically meaning it may be raining unusually or unbelievably hard.
It's one of several similar expressions found across many languages as a way to use colorful imagery to describe heavy rain.
Finally, are you a risk taker? Do you "throw caution to the wind?"
Well if you've ever read the famous poem "Paradise Lost" from 1667, then you may remember the line: "And fear of death deliver to the winds." Sound familiar?
How about this one: In the 1300s English mystic and spiritual writer Richard Rolle penned the phrase "a fervor that throws discretion to the winds!"
One thing to keep in mind: This was originally written in Latin, so there's a chance the real meaning may have been lost in translation — like many other phrases.
But it's interesting to see how literature has been a big source in providing clues to some of these weather-based expressions.