A chum of mine in the Mother County used the phrase "right as rain" in a recent note to me. This stirred my sluggish brain to wonder "what is so right about rain?".
Any brilliant ideas?
"what is so right about rain?".Perhaps it was coined in the midst of a shower after a seven-year drought in the Australian outback?
Michael Quinlon to the rescue again:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-rig1.htm Bingley
...and neat as a pin.
They don't seem to make much sense, but we all know what they mean. Curiouser and curiouser.
Means normal. As in everything is as normal as the existence of rain.
But there's a dissenting opinion. I did a google search and came up with this. I'm nopt certain whether I accept it, but it's out there. I also laooked up right in OED -- goes on for pages, and I scanned quickly without coming up with right as rain.
Consider the phrase “right as rain”. Someone might say, “I felt like
the sun was going to come out, and I was right as rain.” Aside from the
mixed metaphor, why “right as rain”? What does correctness have to do
with rain? Nowadays in the English language “right as rain” is a kind
of opaque cliché. Perhaps its basic meaning can be expressed as
“straight as rain”, or “straight as rain falls”, aside from effects
winds may have. Years ago, people used to call straight lines in
English “right lines”, derived no doubt from the Latin linea recta, the
term once in common use. The words “right” and “recta” appear to have
come from an Indo-European root which means “to move in a straight
line.” The metaphor plays on a resonance between geometric straightness
and correctness of judgment. The basis for this metaphor appears to
have been propagated by way of Indo-European languages for thousands of
years. It seems to work by virtue of some underlying, hidden process
that takes place when we acquire an Indo-European language.
All Micheal's website does is raise more questions for me: e.g. "right as a trivet"?
Wouldn't it be more sensible to say "neat as that which is pinned"?
teD>I also laooked up right in OED -- goes on for pages, and I scanned quickly without coming up with right as rain.
here's what having a searchable OED turns up:
14b. In good health and spirits; sound, well, comfortable. Now chiefly Austral. and N.Z. colloq. (influenced by all right: see sense 15c below), exc. in various colloq. phrases, as right as my glove, ninepence, rain (see also sense 15a below), a trivet, etc.
15a. In a satisfactory or proper state; in good order. to get+right, to set in order. to make it right, to square or settle matters. Also in colloq. phr. right as rain (see also sense 13b above).
FS>All Micheal's website does is raise more questions for me: e.g. "right as a trivet"?
that does indeed sound strange, but explaining 'right as rain' as an alliterative variation on a theme sounds quite sensible.
Perhaps the original was coined by a monarch, as "right as reign", or something similar. More likely, I think, is that it came about as a happenstance of conversation in an
agrarian culture, and became commonplace because of the alliteration.
Most interesting to me was Quinlon's 'right as an adamant'
(thank you, Bingley, for the link), adamant being at the time a "lodestone or magnet". Nowadays, if we speak adamantly, it means we stick tightly to what we are saying!
Cool!
In reply to:
Most interesting to me was Quinlon's 'right as an adamant'
(thank you, Bingley, for the link), adamant being at the time a "lodestone or magnet". Nowadays, if we speak adamantly, it means we stick tightly to what we are saying!
Cool!
Whereas when I read that phrase, my mind leapt to diamonds, as I still like the word adamant for diamond. The OED reference to the phrase right as rain to being now chiefly Australian and New Zealand colloquial would explain why my relatives in those countries use the phrase so liberally.
The OED reference to the phrase right as rain to being now chiefly Australian and New Zealand colloquial would explain why my relatives in those countries use the phrase so liberally.
Harumph!I think the OED may be nursing a grudge against the former "colonies" especially us rabble rousers here in New England!
"Right as rain" is often heard here. I don't know about teenagers but heard it from a 30-something not long ago.
Mumble mumble mumble
wow
just a note, folks: it's Michael Quinion (not Quinlon).
also note that the OED has two senses for the phrase, and only the one sense is listed as Oz/N.Z. colloquial; that is, the "proper state" usage is more widespread than the "good health" usage (as I read it).
You hear "right as rain" all the time in Zild. But I've heard it on British TV shows, and no doubt when I've been in Britain, and stressing the Australasian connection would seem to be over the top. Certainly I've read "right as a trivet" and "right as ninepence", but almost exclusively in older English books or in historical novels. [single raised eyebrow emoticon].
I like the idea of "right as rain" meaning something true or plumb. Rain being something that falls in a straight line from our earthbound perspective. Maybe from "wright" as in shipwright or wheelwright, one who constructs or repairs things, one who works with precise measurements.
Right as a trivet? Something sound or stable? I believe most early trivets were set on three legs, like a milking stool, as an object supported by three points can't wobble.
Right as ninepence? Something unchangeable or secure. Ninepence is ninepence.
Just some thoughts.
Only Doug says: Rain being something that falls in a straight line...
Overheard during a news broadcast about a hurricane in Florida: The rain is coming down horizontally
Re: Rain being something that falls in a straight line...
Doesn't need to be a straight vertical line neccessarily.
Rain coming down horizontally? That's skewed!
Interesting to note the varying responses to this one. For me also, Michael Quinion's entry did not provide an answer - just left me wondering whether the lineal connotations of "right" are a false trail.
I agree with the responses from my Antipodean brethren that it seems to be something we can lay claim to - the breaking of a drought - what could be more right! This seems supported by the OED's "14b" definition - that the phrase is now mainly in common use in Oz & Zild.
It was also interesting to note the date of the phrase was first documented (according to Quinion) - the late 19th century. Much earlier and I'd have had doubts, but this timing perhaps reflects Oz language and culture ("kulcha") reaching critical mass??
Has anyone considered the homophonic nature of the word "rain" in this context? What about, "It's as right as a rein on a horse" - subsequently shortened???
Or is this just a furphy??
stales
I'm not quite sure a right as a rein on a horse is the correct path to follow. Most riders I know tend to leave the reins somewhat in a curve towards the horse's mouth. They only tug and tighten them straight (or right) when bringing a horse about or halting him - and even then, in a very quick fashion. When the reins are tight the horse keeps his head down and, on joy rides at least, this is not what the rider wants. I may be wrong about competition riding though.
I found a listing for "as right as ninepence" at
http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/list/"Curiously, this expression and 'as nice as ninepence' are unrelated. The ninepence here referring to the silver ninepenny pieces that were in common use in England until 1696." Mr Bingley and I remember them well.
I didn't see a reference for "bent as a nine bob note" though!
Now, what I've always heard is bent as a two quid note -- a reflection of north/south economic differences?
Bingley
is there such a thing as a two quid note? or is it keeping company with"queer as a three dollar bill?" (there is a two dollar bill available in US currency, but not a three)
And of course, you all betray your posh childhoods. In 1960, when my grandfather fell ill, my mother packed the whole family off to see him (and left my father behind in NY) I remember farthings.. ha'pence, pence, tu'pence, thru'pence, six pence, and if i was very lucky a whole shilling! Bob's, and half bob's, crown's and half crown's, pounds and quids where terms-- but not money i'd see.
Curiously, my mother had totally forgot how to compute L/s/d, and relied on my elders sister and me...and for us it was double math-- since we then had to convert to US value. the Irish L was then worth about $5.40- to $5.60-
we were expected to (and did) tally up purchases mentally, and then converted the total to dollars.. I still remembered how to do it, 10 years later when in 1970 i went to England on honeymoon.. by my next trip, money had been decimalized, and third time, i was forced to deal with the metric system of measurement-- since no trip to england was complete with a buying some fabic... and while there is only a small difference between a yard and meter-- which is fine for a simple skirt, if you're thinking of buying 10 to 20 yards of linen-- then those 2.7 inches start adding up... and desiding whether or not it was a good buy was harder..but by then, i was working too, and had money to spent.
I meant "as appropriate as a rein on a horse"
stales