proverb · Words worth keeping
A cold May, Plenty of corn and hay.
A cold May, Plenty of corn and hay.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying expects a cold May to be followed by plenty of corn and hay. The short rhyme makes an uncomfortable condition a promise of provision.
What the words are saying
Cold and plenty are joined directly, with two products making the hoped-for abundance concrete. This expresses the verse’s expectation rather than verified growing advice. A careful interpretation identifies the supposed compensation without extending it to every place, crop or year. It may also prompt a question about why a difficult condition is being treated as beneficial.
Everyday example
A reader describes the rhyme’s promised harvest without relying on it to assess actual supplies.
When to use it
Use it to examine a seasonal promise of abundance.
What it does not mean
A cold May is not established here as a guarantee of corn or hay.
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 1053 · May (cold)
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English