St. Bartholomew brings the cold dew.
St. Bartholomew brings the cold dew.
Meaning in plain English
The saying uses St. Bartholomew as a calendar marker for the arrival of cold dew. It associates an observance with a seasonal condition.
Example
Someone cataloguing calendar sayings records the marker and expected condition without applying it as a fixed rule for another location.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The saint’s name is given the action of bringing weather. This personification can make an expected seasonal transition memorable. It does not establish a universal date for dew, a guarantee of cold conditions or the earliest origin of the expression. A careful reading distinguishes the named marker from an actual forecast and from a claim of supernatural causation.
When to use it
Use it to examine personification in seasonal calendar lore.
Keep in mind
The calendar association is not a verified forecast or universal seasonal boundary.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 420 · Dew
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗