proverb · Words worth keeping
A drunken night makes a cloudy morning.
A drunken night makes a cloudy morning.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An evening of excessive drinking can leave an unpleasant aftermath. The cloudy morning gives that aftermath a visible, gloomy image.
Example
Someone regrets making careless promises during a party and has to revisit them the following morning.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The saying contrasts the enjoyment or abandon of a night with what follows it. Cloudiness can describe a mood, confusion or regret rather than the weather. Its point is to include the aftermath when considering an immediate pleasure, instead of treating the evening as separate from the next day. More generally, it can describe indulgence whose consequences become apparent later. The expression does not establish what a person’s symptoms mean or prescribe how to deal with them.
When to use it
Use it to draw attention to the aftermath of an excessive evening.
Keep in mind
It is a figurative warning, not medical advice or a judgment on every social occasion.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English