# What happens to fog? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 14, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421 "2011-06-14T13:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/1 "2011-06-14T13:49:57Z")
Based on local terminology and/or weatherperson lingo, which term is most popular in your area? (poll on the way) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/2 "2011-06-14T14:16:12Z")
The fog burns off. Sometimes the sun burns through the fog. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/3 "2011-06-14T14:24:15Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > The fog burns off. Sometimes the sun burns through the fog. That makes sense to me and my wife, but what brought this issue up enough to poll it was that a local weather person used the “burn through” version in a recent weathercast and it reminded my wife of the New England usage she had heard or read of long ago. I mean, how is water vapor going to “burn through” anything? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/4 "2011-06-14T14:25:55Z")
What’s the New England usage? Around here, burn off is all I hear. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/5 "2011-06-14T14:26:48Z")
This is a monster bete noir of mine. And I always shout at the radio: _It’s fucking water vapor! It doesn’t burn!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/6 "2011-06-14T14:30:02Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What’s the New England usage? > > Around here, burn off is all I hear. All I know is that my wife’s recollection may have been from trips to Maine or some book she read. Her reaction to the local usage was that it was very reminiscent if not quaint. My reason for the poll is that that version is unfamiliar to me and I wondered how many other versions there must be. I think I have used all the other options than “burn through” at one time or another, with “burn off” being what I voted for. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/7 "2011-06-14T14:40:20Z")
Burns off here. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/8 "2011-06-14T15:43:16Z")
Lifts, here. If someone said dissipates or evaporates, I’d understand. Never heard “burn off” before, though. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/9 "2011-06-14T15:47:03Z")
Burn off is definitely the most common here but I’ve also heard lift. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/10 "2011-06-14T15:47:28Z")
It comes on little cat feet, then moves on. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/11 "2011-06-14T15:56:36Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It comes on little cat feet, then moves on. Damn! I should have used that one, too. Ideal. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/12 "2011-06-15T05:46:56Z")
I was born and raised in the Boston area and “burn through” and “burn off” sound unfamiliar to me. I said it lifts. But I don’t watch a lot of weather reports so I probably picked it up from talking to regular people, not from meteorologists. I also call Coke, Sprite, root beer, etc. “tonic” so I guess that says something about me. Not sure what but something. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/13 "2011-06-15T06:03:27Z")
I personally say “lifts,” but hear “burns off” with some regularity. I think I wouldn’t bat an eye at dissipate or evaporate, either, but “burns through” and “burns away” sound weird. Those are terms I generally associate with something that is on fire. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/14 "2011-06-15T06:42:38Z")
“Dissipate” is the word I thought of on reading the thread title, but I voted “lift,” because I think that’s the more common usage around here. I’m not 100% sure what the usual terminology is in Chicago. “Burn off” sounds fine to my ears, too. “Burn away” and “burn through,” I can’t say I’ve heard before. “Evaporate” also sounds odd, but not completely weird. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/15 "2011-06-15T09:12:56Z")
Burns Through, baby. Omg, that fog burns. ~rubs eyes~ ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/16 "2011-06-15T09:32:59Z")
It left. The fog just left. I hope it wasn’t angry. Seriously, we don’t get fog much and this is what they say: “The fog left late this morning to sunny skies for the rest of the day.” When I was in SoCal: We have a marine layer that should burn off by late morning. Sounded so hateful. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/17 "2011-06-15T10:59:44Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What’s the New England usage? > [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > I was born and raised in the Boston area and “burn through” and “burn off” sound unfamiliar to me. I said it lifts. But I don’t watch a lot of weather reports so I probably picked it up from talking to regular people, not from meteorologists. Yeah, I don’t recall hearing anyone, meteorologists or otherwise, saying “burn ”. meteorologists say dissipate. I guess some people might say lift, but I haven’t heard that much either - mostly it just ends. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/18 "2011-06-15T12:53:49Z")
We don’t get much fog here. I can’t recall what the forecasters say about it. Maybe something like “early morning fog which should be gone by 9 am”. For sure they don’t say any variation of ‘burn’. Dissipate or lift maybe. Now I’m curious. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/19 "2011-06-15T13:00:59Z")
Thanks to everyone who has posted and/or voted. As far as I know my wife has yet to offer any input here (she hasn’t posted for sure), so this set of results ought to help her jog her memory about just where she encountered the “burn through” version. It was news to me! And apparently most of y’all. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-fog/585421/20 "2011-06-15T14:28:26Z")
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