How did the expression: cloud 9 find its way into our language?
…vis a vis cloud 8 or cloud 5.
Secondly, would my fellow members of the SDMB inform me where on the internet i can find the etiology of numerous other expressions such as its raining cats and dogs?
thanks in advance for your serious replies.
A theory from Phrase Finder:
“The expression ‘up on cloud nine’ to describe a feeling of euphoric exaltation is based on actual terminology used by the U.S. Weather Bureau. Clouds are divided into classes and each class is divided into nine types. ‘Cloud nine’ is the cumulonimbus cloud that you often see building up in the sky in a hot summer afternoon. It may reach 30,000 to 40,000 feet, so if one is up on ‘cloud nine,’ one is high indeed. The popularity of ‘cloud nine’ as a catch phrase, though, may be credited to the ‘Johnny Dollar’ radio show of the 1950s.
Read on for the rest.
Phrase Finder is a fairly good site, as is Take Our Word For It.
Ice Wolf: I’m on cloud 9. Your response completely answered my questions. Thank you!
w
