DOG DAYS?

The topic of conversation the past several weeks has been the extreme heat we have endured, then the cooling down, and then, back up to 100+ heat index. Some of the old timers, including yours truly, call these times "dog days" of summer. But when asked to explain what we meant, we confessed that we didn't really know. So, with the amazing power of cyber communicating, the good old w.w.w. was consulted, and the following definition was found:

Meaning: Very hot days.

Origin:The ancient Romans noticed that the hottest days of the year, i.e. in late July and early August, co-incided with the Dog Star (aka Sirius, aka The Great Dog) being in the same part of the sky as the Sun. They thought the star contributed to the heat of the day.

I found this in a web site at: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/6/messages/229.html


This site is good for finding explanations for all sorts of phrases we use in every day speech. Check it out.