proverb · Legacy record
If the goose honks high, fair weather. If the goose honks low, foul weather.
If the goose honks high, fair weather. If the goose honks low, foul weather.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying connects a goose’s high honk with fair weather and a low honk with foul weather. It turns a contrast in the bird’s sound into a forecast.
What the words are saying
High and low are not clearly defined in the wording. The supplied gloss shifts toward flight altitude and pressure, which is not the same observation as a honk. A responsible explanation preserves that distinction rather than claiming the bird reliably predicts a change.
Everyday example
A reader notices that the words concern a honk while the supplied explanation concerns altitude.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a claimed weather sign with its observation kept distinct.
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What it does not mean
Neither the intended high-low measure nor forecasting reliability is established.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 592; PDF page 86
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.