Twenty Idioms for the Start of Summer

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Last week marked summer solstice – the longest day of the year. The word 'solstice' has been used in English since the mid-13th century. It comes from the Latin ‘sol’ meaning ‘sun’ and ‘sistere’ meaning ‘stand still’.

To celebrate the end of spring and the beginning of summer, here are twenty idioms about the warm weather seasons:

  1. a place in the sun – a position of advantage
  2. a touch of the sun – slight sunstroke
  3. come rain or shine – whatever the weather/situation
  4. everything under the sun – everything on earth
  5. happy is the bride the sun shines on – old proverb saying that if the sun shines on your wedding day, you will have good luck
  6. high season – the most popular time to visit an attraction or resort, the time of year when the prices are the most expensive
  7. Indian Summer – a period of unexpected hot and dry weather, often in the Autumn months
  8. knight in shining armour – an idealised and chivalrous hero who rescues someone from a difficult situation
  9. midsummer madness – foolish/reckless behaviour which seems to escalate at the height of summer
  10. on which the sun never sets – worldwide
  11. one swallow doesn't make a summer – one good/lucky event should not always be seen as an indication that what follows will be good as well
  12. one’s day in the sun – the time when someone achieves the highest possible level of success
  13. ray of sunshine – a person who brings happiness into the lives of others (often used sarcastically to refer to someone with a gloomy outlook on life)
  14. spring cleaning – thorough house cleaning
  15. spring chicken – a young person
  16. spring forward, fall back – a mnemonic to help you remember that the clocks move an hour forward in the spring and an hour back in the autumn
  17. sun-drenched – getting a lot of sunshine
  18. to brighten up – to become more cheerful
  19. to make hay when the sun shines – to make the most of an opportunity while it lasts
  20. to take a shine to – to develop a liking for

If you enjoyed this post, why not check out our other articles about idioms?


24 Jun 2018
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