proverb · Source-linked selection
When the wind's in the south, It blows the bait into the fishes' mouth.
When the wind's in the south, It blows the bait into the fishes' mouth.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying claims that a south wind favours fishing. Blowing bait into a fish’s mouth makes success seem almost effortless.
What the words are saying
The wind is given an active role in bringing the bait and fish together. This can express a hope that conditions support a task, with exaggeration making the connection memorable. It is not established here as a reliable fishing rule or a description of how all fish behave. A useful reading distinguishes the direction named and the promised result from evidence needed for an actual outing.
Everyday example
A reader notices the effortless-success image while keeping a practical fishing decision separate from the rhyme.
When to use it
Use it to examine a wind-based fishing belief as folklore.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
This is not fishing guidance or a guarantee of success under a south wind.
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 589 · Fishes' mouth
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English