proverb · Words worth keeping
When the wind's in the north You need not go forth [to fish].
When the wind's in the north You need not go forth [to fish].
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying discourages fishing during a north wind. Its instruction makes wind direction the reason an outing is judged unpromising.
What the words are saying
Need not go forth saves the imagined effort of a trip by predicting an unfavourable result. The explanation identifies the rule without certifying that it applies to particular fish, waters or conditions. A useful reading notices how simple an instruction can sound when other factors are omitted. Actual decisions need information beyond the rhyme.
Everyday example
Someone studying fishing sayings records the discouraged direction without using it as a complete plan for an outing.
When to use it
Use it to examine a directional fishing belief as folklore.
What it does not mean
This is not fishing or travel-safety advice.
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 1781 · Wind (north)
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English