proverb · Source-linked selection
So many mists in March you see, So many frosts in May will be.
So many mists in March you see, So many frosts in May will be.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying claims that the number of March mists matches the number of May frosts. It offers a countable early sign for a later event.
What the words are saying
So many makes the relationship seem exact, while two distinct conditions are linked across months. The formula can illustrate the appeal of a simple calendar pattern. It does not prove that the counts correspond or establish how they should be measured. A useful reading distinguishes a rhyme’s proposed rule from an independently assessed record.
Everyday example
Someone comparing seasonal formulas notes the matching-count claim and asks what observations could actually test it.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a numerical seasonal prediction as folklore.
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What it does not mean
The correspondence is not a verified forecast.
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 1089 · Mists
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English