# Groundhog Day (mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989 "2005-02-02T15:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/1 "2005-02-02T15:43:28Z")
News flash: Once again, the groundhog saw his shadow, therefore we have six more weeks of winter. The thing is, I could have told you that. We _always_ have six more weeks of winter. Or more like 8-12 more weeks. We always do. Every fucking year. It doesn’t take an overgrown rat to “predict” it. Fucking rodent. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/2 "2005-02-02T15:49:40Z")
“There is no way this winter is _ever_ going to end as long as that groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any way out of it. He’s got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/3 "2005-02-02T15:50:34Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > “There is no way this winter is _ever_ going to end as long as that groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any way out of it. He’s got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.” You can say that again. And again. And again. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/4 "2005-02-02T16:10:25Z")
So it’s Groundhog Day . . . again!? “It’s gonna be cold, and it’s gonna be gray, and it’s gonna last for the rest of your life.” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/5 "2005-02-02T16:11:02Z")
Sure it’s mildly annoying but at least it keeps a few groundhogs off the streets and out of trouble, and I’m all for that. A roving gang of groundhogs once bit my sister … and stole her purse. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/6 "2005-02-02T16:11:55Z")
Ground Hog day is a lot more fun if you just forget about the rats and eat sausage instead. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/7 "2005-02-02T16:12:31Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > You can say that again. And again. And again. “They say we’re young and we don’t know. We won’t find out until we grow…” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/8 "2005-02-02T16:26:50Z")
Candlemas Day (the old name for Groundhog Day) is approximately the midpoint of winter, from a “piles of snow on the ground” perspective. There was an old maxim to the effect that: _The provident farmer on Candlemas Day Has half of his fires and half of his hay_ In other words, if he still has half of his woodpile left and half of his feed for his stock, he will last out the winter in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/9 "2005-02-02T17:08:43Z")
Groundhog, its what’s for dinner. (Are those guys in the hats Freemasons?) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/10 "2005-02-02T17:49:24Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > “They say we’re young and we don’t know. > We won’t find out until we grow…” > > 😛 Heh. My local radio station played this at the beginning of the morning show today (6:00 a.m.). I’m hoping they do it tomorrow as well. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/11 "2005-02-02T18:01:38Z")
“This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/12 "2005-02-02T18:13:11Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Heh. My local radio station played this at the beginning of the morning show today (6:00 a.m.). > > I’m hoping they do it tomorrow as well. I understand it’s an annual tradition on WPXN, Punxsatawney, PA, to start the day Feb. 2 with that song – ever since the movie came out. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/13 "2005-02-02T18:20:22Z")
[http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/219233-8162-009.html](http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/219233-8162-009.html) Dimwad state representative Robert Hoffman (R-Connersville) says, “Save the groundhog. Yeah!” :rolleyes: Sheeesh! ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/14 "2005-02-02T19:02:11Z")
Groundhog: the other white meat. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/15 "2005-02-02T19:28:34Z")
I once saw a man throw a pair of hedge clippers at a groundhog and kill it. Not pleasant. I can see how boomerangs are effective hunting tools; moreso, if they were to have giant scissor blades on them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/16 "2005-02-02T19:37:37Z")
“Ned? Ned _Ryerson?_” “BING!!” ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/17 "2005-02-02T19:48:09Z")
Funnily enough, I’m originally from Punxsutawney. WRT GHday, the residents of that quaint town hope for only one thing: That everybody continues to pay attention. Play along, bitch about it, it’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/18 "2005-02-02T20:31:44Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > A roving gang of groundhogs once bit my sister … and stole her purse. Miind yoo, a groundhoog biite can be rather naasti… ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/19 "2005-02-02T20:59:16Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Candlemas Day (the old name for Groundhog Day) is approximately the midpoint of winter, from a “piles of snow on the ground” perspective. There was an old maxim to the effect that: > > _The provident farmer on Candlemas Day > Has half of his fires and half of his hay_ > > In other words, if he still has half of his woodpile left and half of his feed for his stock, he will last out the winter in good shape. For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, So far will the snow swirl until the May. It’s the same day, but isn’t strictly accurate to say Candlemas is the old name for Groundhog day. Groundhog day is older, anyway. Well, Hedgehog day is older. It’s only Groundhog day in the US and Canada, since they don’t have hedgies. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989/20 "2005-02-03T06:44:27Z")
In the US, hedgehogs are not the furry kind. They are humans who make (tat) lace by hand. My sister-in-law is still in tatters. That is, she still makes lace. Groundhogs can bring down a strong barn by burrowing under the corners. They should be “honored” with hollowpoint bullets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/groundhog-day-mild/287989.md?page=2)