A hot May makes a fat churchyard.
A hot May makes a fat churchyard.
Meaning in plain English
The saying associates a hot May with a full churchyard. It makes a month’s warmth an ominous sign of deaths without providing a measured relationship.
Example
A reader distinguishes the seasonal warning in the text from evidence needed to understand an actual period’s conditions.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Fat churchyard gives the predicted harm a striking image. A responsible interpretation identifies that image and the month named, while leaving the actual connection unverified. It does not explain who is affected, how much heat is meant or when the deaths are expected. The rhyme is a historical claim to examine, not a health assessment.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a month-based mortality claim as folklore.
Keep in mind
The explanation does not verify a climatic cause of death or provide health guidance.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 810 · Hot May
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗