proverb · Words worth keeping
Under water famine, under snow bread.
Under water famine, under snow bread.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying contrasts water-covered ground with snow-covered ground, assigning scarcity to the first and bread to the second. It gives two winter conditions opposite values.
Example
Someone studying harvest lore notes the opposite outcomes without using the rhyme to estimate real food availability.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Famine and bread turn the appearance of the ground into a prediction about provision. This can show weather judged through the needs of a household or community rather than immediate comfort. It does not establish that floodwater always causes shortage or that snow guarantees food. A careful reading describes the contrast while keeping actual effects and supply conditions open to evidence.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a seasonal contrast expressed through provision.
Keep in mind
This is not a verified agricultural or food-supply rule.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English