APAD: Mackerel Sky

Meaning:

   A Mackerel sky is a sky that is streaked with rows of small white clouds

   which resemble the pattern of scales on a mackerel's back.

 

Background:

   There was no idiomatic dexterity involved in the derivation of this phrase;

   mackerel skies do look like the markings on a mackerel's back.

 

   The term has been in use since the 17th century and was first out into print

   by the appropriately named Thomas Sprat, in The History of the Royal-Society

   of London, for the improving of natural knowledge, 1667:

 

     Let Water'd signifie a Sky that has many high thin and small Clouds,

     looking almost like water'd Tabby, called in some places a Mackeril Sky.

 

   Meteorologically speaking, a mackerel sky is created when mid-level moisture

   is trapped between dry air below and cold dry above.

 

   The compressing of the cloud between the two air pockets forms the

   characteristic rippled formation.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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When it comes to clouds, I knew nimbus and cirrus and had always wondered what

to call those arrayed like fish scales. Also learned the word 'sprat' above.

Wonderful!

下一句是："not twenty-four hours dry". per WeatherChannel ;-)

So M.Sky's just descriptive of cloud patterns not a weather

funnyEnough, I was taughtThat2 young, &my4cast was 50%right:

indicator. unlike red sky could indicate storm/sunshine on

its way.

I think so but they seem meteorologically related.

That's a great way to remember it! Thank you.

西岛: not 24hr dry. So there you go :-)

thx to whoever taught me when I was little ;-)

sorry, but guess we all were typing at sameTime ;-)

Indeed. Thanks to him/her, too :-)

No worries. APAD is a race not to the swift :-)

normally IClaim dibs for APAD notMine. mayb I shouldWait ;))

马鲛鱼般的云/天空。It stuck with me right away. Thanks.

Nice word！Just learned all kinds of clouds！

学习了。下个ID就取这名字。