proverb · Words worth keeping
Pine cones open up when good weather is coming.
Pine cones open up when good weather is coming.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes opening pine cones a sign of good weather coming. It treats a visible change as a forecast.
What the words are saying
The checked Met Office account connects opening cones with dry conditions and closing with damp conditions. That explains an observation rather than guaranteeing the weather ahead. Good is not defined in the saying, and the supplied seed-dispersal account is not independently adopted here.
Everyday example
A reader separates the cone’s observed state from the claim about future weather.
When to use it
Use it to discuss the distinction between a present condition and a forecast.
What it does not mean
The observed opening does not guarantee a future spell of good weather.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 621; PDF page 90
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
References for factual context
- The pine-cone discussion connects opening with dry conditions and closing with damp conditions, distinct from guaranteeing future weather. — Section: Pine cones open when good weather is on the way