# Does bad singing cause rain? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 30, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728 "2017-05-30T17:49:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/1 "2017-05-30T17:49:03Z")
This isn’t a GQ. Around here it is common to hear someone, in the event of heavy rain, jokingly ask someone else if they’ve been singing. This is because of the idea that bad singing causes rain, although no-one believes this to be literally true. Is this a common belief in other parts of the world too, or just here? Does your area have other ridiculous ideas like this? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/2 "2017-05-30T18:00:43Z")
Never heard it. And where is “here”? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/3 "2017-05-30T18:03:28Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Never heard it. > > And where is “here”? If only there waas a way to find a person’s location with only one click… Alas, we’ll never know. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/4 "2017-05-30T18:23:18Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > If only there waas a way to find a person’s location with only one click… > > Alas, we’ll never know. There are a lot of Newarks out there, although one would think NJ. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/5 "2017-05-30T18:26:29Z")
I never heard of the bad singing bit. > [@Leaffan](#): > > There are a lot of Newarks out there, although one would think NJ. As a Jersey guy, I was wondering if it was Delaware or England as I had never heard it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/6 "2017-05-30T18:31:32Z")
Yeah, if it’s NJ both sides of my family are from North Jersey (and I go up there frequently) and I’ve _never_ heard of this. And if it’s DE, I went to college near Philly (close to DE) and never heard it there, either. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/7 "2017-05-30T18:41:24Z")
No, it doesn’t. But random, loud, tuneless whistling is strongly associated with kick-the-whistler’s-ass syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/8 "2017-05-30T18:46:01Z")
I was born in Newark NJ, and I’ve never heard of this. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/9 "2017-05-30T18:52:11Z")
I have never heard of that in Britain; but I shouldn’t affirm that no peasants here 150 years ago didn’t jocosely make such rustic humour. ---
**Author:** ![Delayed\_Reflex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/delayed_reflex/32/3172_2.png) [@Delayed\_Reflex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delayed_Reflex)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/10 "2017-05-30T19:11:57Z")
One reference to this that I’m familiar with is [Cacofonix](https://asterixonline.info/cacofonix/) from the Asterix comics. There was [an entire issue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix_and_the_Magic_Carpet) centered around the concept. Apparently there is some old French saying along these lines. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/11 "2017-05-30T19:47:26Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Never heard it. > > And where is “here”? Given the connection of bad singing and rain, I’m guessing Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/12 "2017-05-30T20:12:02Z")
Never heard it before. Mostly what I’ve heard is that washing your car causes rain. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/13 "2017-05-30T20:54:37Z")
Never heard of bad singing causing rain, but I know that if you kill a spider, you’ll make it rain. For me, hanging laundry on the line and then going out for a few hours usually does the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/14 "2017-05-30T23:34:26Z")
It can’t rain all the time ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/15 "2017-05-30T23:46:04Z")
Bad singing can make me cry. That creates a small localized form of rain. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/16 "2017-05-31T01:26:29Z")
I’ve heard of rain dancing. Not the singing thing though. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/17 "2017-05-31T01:51:38Z")
Never heard this. Who told you this? A parent when you were a kid? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/18 "2017-05-31T15:37:30Z")
Heh. _MY_ singing causes desertification. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/19 "2017-05-31T15:56:39Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I’ve heard of rain dancing. Not the singing thing though. [If you’re lucky, you get rain.](http://img.allw.mn/content/vg/bi/lhap2kly.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728/20 "2017-05-31T16:04:20Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > As a Jersey guy, I was wondering if it was Delaware or England as I had never heard it at all. :: waves :: Delaware Man here (My not-so-secret identity); Yes, we have some (LOTS!) rain here. Yes, there’s been some singing - Maybe we’re to blame? 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-bad-singing-cause-rain/787728.md?page=2)