Any thoughts?Ĭalm before the storm ( also tempest) and variants: a period of tranquillity or stability viewed as a precursor to a time of difficulty, upheaval, frenzied activity, etc. But it also noted this phrase started with a different word than “storm”. The OEDs definition included more flowery language that said basically the same thing. I think the Cambridge Dictionary has the most accessible definition, so I’ll use it:Ī quiet or peaceful period before a period during which there is great activity, argument, or difficulty So I thought we’d look into that phrase for this week. And then I realized that what we are describing in that situation, without using the phrase, is the idiom “the calm before the storm”. I was thinking about this the other day because it came up in casual conversation… and I have a habit of saying “too quiet” whenever someone says “it’s quiet for some reason”. Too quiet.” which always seems to come just before things just get wildly out of hand in the movie? Shauna, do you know the phrase in many movies where somebody says something to the effect of “It’s quiet. Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase.Įvery week, we take an idiom, or other turn of phrase, and try to tell the story from it’s entry into the English language, to how it’s used today. Click on "Read More" to view the full show notes.
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