A wet August never brings dearth.
A wet August never brings dearth.
Meaning in plain English
The saying claims that a wet August prevents scarcity. Its absolute promise makes an expected relationship between rain and provision stronger than the wording can prove.
Example
A group discussing the rhyme identifies its concern with scarcity without using it to predict the available food supply.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Dearth gives the weather a direct connection with people’s needs. The expression can reveal concern for an adequate supply rather than simply for pleasant days. It does not establish that wet weather prevents shortages or that every crop responds alike. A careful reading distinguishes the wish for abundance from a factual guarantee and recognises that supply has more than one possible influence.
When to use it
Use it to discuss seasonal hopes about provision.
Keep in mind
The word never is an unverified absolute; this is not a forecast or food-supply guarantee.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 49 · August
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 ↗