![]() Since the 1980s or so, 'cloud nine' has become predominant. This early preference for seven as the significant number may have been influenced by the existing phrase 'seventh heaven'. "Cloud seven - completely happy, perfectly satisfied in a euphoric state." The early favourite was 'cloud seven' and many of the oldest citations use that form, as in this piece from The Dictionary of American Slang, 1960, which was the first printed definition of the term "That stuff is way up on Cloud Thirty-nine." "Mantovani's skilled use of reeds and strings puts this disc way up on Cloud Seven." "I think he has thought of everything, unless the authorities pull something new on him out of cloud nine."Īround the same period we find clouds seven and thirty-nine, in The San Mateo Times, April 1952 and Ross’s Hustlers, 1956, respectively: 'Cloud nine' comes a little later, for example, in The Oxnard Press-Courier, August 1946: "Cloud eight, befuddled on account of drinking too much liquor." ![]() The early references all come from mid 20th century USA and the earliest that I've found is in Albin Pollock's directory of slang, The Underworld Speaks, 1935: The imagery was originally of a 'cloud cuckoo land' or 'head in the clouds' dreaminess, induced by either intoxication or inspiration, rather than the 'idyllic happiness' that we now associate with the phrase. It seems that it is the clouds themselves, rather than the number of them, that were in the thoughts of those who coined this phrase. Early examples of 'cloud' expressions include clouds seven, eight, nine and even thirty-nine. Also, the fact that nine is far from the only number that has been linked with clouds, argues against those origins. ![]() To single out the last but one stage of either is rather like attributing the source of the 'whole nine yards' to American Football, where it is ten yards rather than nine that is a significant measure. To begin with, both the cloud classifications and the Buddhist stages to enlightenment have ten levels. Neither of these explanations holds water. Another explanation is that the phrase derives from Buddhism and that Cloud Nine is one of the stages of the progress to enlightenment of a Bodhisattva (one destined to become a Buddha). A commonly heard explanation is that the expression originated as one of the classifications of cloud which were defined by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s, in which 'Cloud Nine' denotes the fluffy cumulonimbus type that are considered so attractive. You’ll find all sorts of expressions on there.Whenever a phrase includes a number, like the whole nine yards, at sixes and sevens etc., then attempts to find its derivation usually focus on the number. Select a letter from the menu at the top to start browsing through the phrases list. Tip: Are you looking for the meaning of more popular sayings and phrases? Well, this site has that very thing, so maybe take a look around.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |