大象传媒

Here are some common expressions you can use to talk about unpredictable weather, as well as some weather idioms.

sunshine one minute, rain the next
weather that changes often - from warm to rainy
Example: I never know what to wear in London in the summer. It's sunshine one minute, rain the next here. You have to be prepared for anything!

changeable
not consistent, often changing
Example: I don't know if we should have a picnic next week or not. The weather's been so changeable recently. We just can't be sure we'll have nice enough weather to be outside.

sunshine and showers
a mixture of sunny weather and light rain
Example: Bring your suntan lotion and your umbrella. The forecast is for sunshine and showers.

come rain, come shine / come rain or shine
it's predictable, whatever happens
Example: I said I'd be there. Come rain or shine I will be. Trust me!

it never rains but it pours
when things go wrong, they go very badly wrong
Example: Honestly, it never rains but it pours! First I woke up late, then I missed my train. Then, when I got to work, I realised someone had stolen my purse on the train!

save / keep (money) for a rainy day
save money for a time in the future when you might need it unexpectedly
Example: Her parents always taught her to save for a rainy day. So when she was made redundant, at least she was OK financially.

steal someone's thunder
do something to take success or praise away from someone else by focusing on what you've done, rather than what they've done
Example: I was just about to tell everyone I was getting married, when Stella walked in and announced she was having twins! Talk about stealing my thunder!

a face like thunder
look very angry
Example: She knew she was in trouble when the boss walked in with a face like thunder.

like greased lightning
very quickly
Example: As soon as I asked for some help, she went out the door like greased lightning.

be under a cloud
not be trusted or popular because people think you have done something wrong
Example: Roger was accused of shoplifting once. When some money went missing in the office, he was under a cloud until they found the person who stole it.

be on cloud nine
be extremely happy and excited
Example: I've been on cloud nine for days. I can't believe I got the top job!

have your head in the clouds
be unrealistic or impractical
Example: She always has her head in the clouds, daydreaming about being a famous film star!

weather the storm
deal successfully with a difficult problem
Example: It'll be interesting to see which businesses manage to weather the storm of this economic crisis.

the calm before the storm
a quiet or peaceful period before a period during which there is a lot of activity or argument
Example: Whenever we have a party for the children, my husband and I like to have a moment to ourselves before all the kids arrive. That peaceful cup of coffee is the calm before the storm.