How To Tell Which The Wind Is Blowing By A Drawing

Have you ever heard the phrase, do y'all "know which style the wind is blowing?" Has this phrase confused you? Peradventure this is considering you lot've taken the phrase at its literal significant which isn't how it's meant to be taken.

The phrase, "know which way the wind is blowing" isn't meant to be taken literally. It's not asking where the wind is coming from. Instead, it's meant to exist taken figuratively. As such, information technology is used to mean you're able to anticipate how a situation will likely develop or what the result volition be.

Meaning of the Phrase

"Know which way the wind blows" is a phrase that tin can be said in many different ways, including:

The way the current of air blows
The way the wind is blowing
Which way the wind blows

Regardless of which manner you say it, the phrase volition e'er mean the same thing. Information technology means that you lot understand what's happening even though the circumstances are changing. In this regard, the person who's using this phrase is saying that they're able to anticipate what volition happen in the future (east.g. how a certain course or situation volition develop). This is because before taking any other activity they've made the effort to attempt to discover information regarding a state of affairs, especially when it comes to other people'due south opinions.

There are a lot of other idioms that are also similar to "know which style the wind is bravado." Some of the ones you may be familiar with include:

Go wind of
The best of both worlds
No pain no gain
On sparse ice
Throw circumspection to the wind
Twisting in the wind
Sail close to the wind
Pull yourself together
Interruption the ice
7 sheets to the wind

Origin of the Phrase

Proverbs referencing the current of air are aboriginal, dating as far back as 700 years. In some cases, the wind is used to refer to how popular opinion or another prevailing force is going to unfold. Co-ordinate to the Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs, some of the other well-known proverbs that have to exercise with wind include:

To sail with the wind and tide (1546)
The wind keeps not ever in ane quarter (1579)
The air current in one's face makes one wise (1640)
As the wind blows, yous must prepare your sail (1846)

Which Way The Wind Is Blowing

The one affair that all these proverbs have in common has to do with the characteristics of the wind: Information technology can accident things in its direction (eastward.one thousand. flags, a gunkhole's sails). This is why the air current's direction has come up to be used when discussing determining the direction of people's lives or what influences their decisions. For example, "which way the wind is bravado" is used when referring to the way certain events are unfolding. A good way to explicate this is to offering up the following example: Imagine that you're running for public office. As a candidate, y'all have to have a position that is acceptable to people's wishes (the direction of the wind) if you desire to exist successful.

Understanding the literal sense of this phrase is important if you want to understand that in the figurative sense information technology'due south used to mean the tide of public stance. This is something that we know dates back to the early 19th century. Nevertheless, like with other idioms and proverbs, we don't have a articulate idea of where information technology originated from.

Historically, "which manner the wind is bravado" is something that'south ever been important in a physical or literal sense. This is considering farmers and sailors needed this information in order to exercise their merchandise. For this reason, many people believe that this phrase has naturally evolved throughout the course of fourth dimension as it was used in numerous situations when it really was of import to know the current of air's management. Of course, today this phrase is far more than normally used regarding various circumstances but especially in regard to public opinion.

While many people do believe that this phrase was used prior to the 19th century, its kickoff written record is establish in The Times in 1819. At this time there was an advertisement for the book "The Political House that Jack Congenital" in which there's a passage that reads, "A straw – thrown upward to show which way the wind blows."

We also have this phrase being used in pop culture when Bob Dylan wrote the song "Subterranean Homesick Dejection" in 1965. In this song, in that location'due south a phrase that says "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." This phrase alludes to both metaphorical and literal interpretations. It suggests that you don't need someone to tell you what's happening in the world effectually you. Instead, yous should make your own decisions.

"Which way the current of air blows" was at the very to the lowest degree popularized past the American vocaliser-songwriter, author, and visual artist Bob Dylan who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941. This shouldn't come as a surprise though since Bob Dylan is regarded as one of the world's greatest songwriters. As such he's been a major figure in popular culture for over 50 years. He also wrote many anthems for the ceremonious rights and anti-war movements during his time. In doing so he used many literal phrases to share a figurative meaning. One such song with which he did this was "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

Know Which Way The Wind Is Blowing

"Subterranean Homesick Blues" was recorded on January 14, 1965. Dylan so released it as a unmarried on Columbia Records on March viii, 1965. Not simply did this song get Dylan's first Top xl hit in the United States merely it was also used in D. A. Pennebaker's documentary "Don't Look Dorsum." The popularity behind this song and its phrase "Yous don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" is just one of the many examples of how Dylan would take a literal phrase and give information technology a figurative meaning. In this instance, he besides helped to popularize the phrase, "which way the wind is blowing."

There is as well a saying that's closely related to this phrase that has originated at some time over the years. The proverb says, "you don't need a weatherman to know which style the wind blows" which ways "You don't need an expert to tell you what you already know."

When to Apply This Phrase

With how popular this phrase is, you may similar to know that it's possible to use it in a variety of situations. It's even common in everyday conversations now. For example, if someone were to ask some other person if they're going to take a certain course of action the other person may tell them that they're going to wait and meet "which way the air current blows." This would imply that they aren't quite ready to brand a decision. They want to meet what other people are doing before they make their minds up. While this may non be the preferred choice, it could be seen as correct since information technology'd be in line with their peers – something they could apply to their reward.

Politicians are oftentimes quoted equally proverb this as well. For instance, they may say that they're not going to publish a statement until they "know which way the air current blows." In other words, they want to align themselves with public stance offset.

Example Sentences

While the origin of the phrase "which way the wind is bravado" is somewhat unknown, the popularity of this phrase tin't exist denied. With its popularity in mind, yous may want to use information technology in some of your writing or conversations. Here are a few examples of sentences to help you go started with doing so:

When it comes to public opinion regarding this issue, yous can bet that these politicians not simply know which way the wind blows but they'll act accordingly.
Before I make up one's mind which mode I'll vote I'k going to run across which mode the wind is bravado.
I'm non sure what I want to do near it yet. I recall I'll wait to meet which fashion the wind is blowing earlier I make upwardly my listen.
Unfortunately, until we see which way the wind blows, there'southward nothing more we can do.
I think that if we expect to see which way the current of air blows we'll have a better thought of what's happening.
She said that she was going to look to see which way the wind blows instead of making a rash decision.
Before nosotros make a decision I think nosotros should talk to him and see which way the wind blows.
You don't demand to look dorsum at history to know which mode the wind blows.
He's known for non making pronouncements until he sees which manner the wind blows.

Conclusion

Whether it was Bob Dylan or someone else that brought the phrase "which manner the wind is blowing" into today's pop vernacular we may never know. One affair is for certain though, this phrase means that yous're joining up with something or someone because information technology'due south popular.