proverb · Words worth keeping
A May flood never did good.
A May flood never did good.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying declares flooding in May harmful. Its absolute wording gives an unwelcome seasonal event a single verdict.
What the words are saying
Never did good leaves no room for differences in place, severity or effect. A careful interpretation describes that judgment without treating it as a complete account of flooding. It can prompt attention to disruption of a plan or provision, but an actual event needs its own assessment. The saying neither forecasts a flood nor establishes what response would be appropriate.
Everyday example
A group studying seasonal sayings identifies the negative judgment without using the rhyme to assess a particular flood’s effects.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a seasonal event judged through expected disruption.
What it does not mean
This is not a flood forecast, safety instruction or complete environmental assessment.
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 597 · Flood
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English