Since the weather is occupying news headlines these days, it would be interesting to look at some weather idioms in English; the first that came to mind was “feeling under the weather”, meaning feeling unwell. Currently it is used mostly when someone is ill with a cold or flu. Its historical origin, however, appears to be nautical, not directly related to colds and such illnesses at all - it was used in sailing when some passengers were sent below deck, to protect them from the weather, for feeling seasick or generally unwell ("God Bless You! Idioms for Those With the Cold and Flu Idioms"). Sea sickness occurred mostly in bad weather, when waters were rough and ships rocked violently.Another common weather metaphor is being “snowed under”, as in having too much work to do all at the same time. On the other hand, as I write, many parts of the world are literally getting “snowed under” in harsh winter climate. In the U.S., this could be one of the most terrible winters in history.
If you are a university student resting between semesters, this may be “the calm before the storm” for you. Hopefully, you will have no trouble “breaking the ice” with your new teachers and classmates, and if you are really lucky, and organize your time, your new courses will “be a breeze”. Besides, depending on how much effort you put into your course work, you might end up “on cloud nine”. Don’t go “chasing rainbows” (expecting too much) though if you do not invest time and effort in your work.
To those who do work hard and do not succeed immediately, one can say , “ Every cloud has a silver lining”. Good luck!
