proverb · Source-linked selection
Any flat can talk of change of weather.
Any flat can talk of change of weather.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying dismisses routine talk about changing weather as an easy substitute for substance. Its insult should not be mistaken for a fair judgment of every casual conversation.
What the words are saying
Weather supplies a subject almost anyone can raise, and the speaker treats that accessibility with contempt. A useful reading can ask whether a conversation needs to move to its actual purpose. Small talk can also create comfort and connection, and ordinary subjects are not evidence of ignorance. The relevant distinction is between a helpful opening and avoidance of something that needs attention.
Everyday example
A meeting allows a brief friendly greeting before returning to the question everyone needs to discuss.
When to use it
Use it to examine avoidance of a conversation’s purpose without demeaning ordinary talk.
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What it does not mean
Accessible conversation can be valuable, and a casual topic does not measure intelligence.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1741 · Weather (change)
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English