Weather words we no longer use
Moonbroch -
"Moonbroch" is an old word from the north of Scotland for a hazy halo of cloud around the night moon.
Mare’s tails -
"Mare’s tails" are cirrus clouds, which are long with thin wisps. They are traditionally said to hint at good weather.
Bows of promise -
In Victorian English, rainbows were nicknamed "bows of promise," due to one of the verses in the Book of Genesis.
Gleen -
Dating back to the 17th century, "gleen" is a sudden burst of warm sunshine.
Armogan -
Believed to come from an even older French dialect, "armogan" is 19th-century naval slang for good weather.
Blenky -
To "blenky" is an 18th-century word that means "to snow very lightly."
Hunch-weather -
"Hunch-weather" is an 18th-century name for bad weather, such as rain and strong winds, that makes people hunch over when they walk.
Monkey’s wedding -
"Monkey’s wedding" is South African slang for sun-shower, a period of simultaneous sunshine and rain.
Pikels -
"Pikels" are heavy drops of rain. The word itself is an old Lancashire dialect for "pitchfork."
Twirlblast -
"Twirlblast" is an old 18th-century name for tornados. Another synonym from the same period is "twirlwind."
Drouth -
An old Irish-English word, "drouth" means the perfect weather conditions in which to dry clothes.
Mokey -
"Mokey" describes dull or dark weather conditions. It's derived from"moke," an old northern English word for the mesh part of a fishing net.
Lawrence -
"Lawrence" is believed to have been derived from an old myth that Saint Lawrence of Rome was martyred by being burnt alive.
Foxy -
Apparently, if the weather is "foxy," then it's misleadingly bright. Which means sunny and clear, but freezing cold.
Messenger -
A "messenger" is when sun rays shine through gaps in thick clouds.
Halta-dance -
On top of meaning "to run around frantically," "halta-dance" is also a heat haze.
Smuir -
"Smuir" is an old Scots word meaning "choke" or "smother." It later came to refer to stiflingly hot weather conditions.