At 12:08 last night, I turned on the TV to check out my local weather report. I want to know what I’m in for this weekend.
partly cloudy. mostly sunny. partly cloudy and so on.
Which reminded me of a conversation that I’ve had several times with several people. All inspired by one friend who posed this question:
What is the difference between partly cloudy, and mostly sunny?
Wouldn’t it make more sense to describe the conditions as “mostly cloudy” and “mostly sunny”. The word “partly” means to me that a part of my sky will be cloudy, rendering the rest of it…sunny. Mostly sunny, if you prefer. This could just be a “glass-half-full” kind of thing. When the meteorologist is in a good mood she’ll say “it’s mostly sunny!” and when she’s fighting with her husband and her cat just destroyed her new comforter, “it’s partly cloudy, dammit.”
My favorite weather description is “abundant sunshine.” Besides the fact that “abundant” is a great word, it just puts a little hop in my step. She must have been in a great mood that day.
Tell me your thoughts. I know it doesn’t really amount to anything and we all know what the forecast means, it’s just one of those things.
“What is the difference between partly cloudy and mostly sunny?”
Not to put too fine a point on it, but should not the parallel structure be: “partly cloudy/partly sunny” and “mostly cloudy/mostly sunny”?
Be that as it may, my take on this topic
closely corresponds to your “glass-half full” metaphor: a “half- full sky” or a “half-empty sky” that is half-full with sunshine or half-empty with sunshine–depending upon your worldview. For those of us with a positive worldview, our starting point and default point is a sky
with an abundance of sunshine, to paraphrase you, Mindy; or a sky that is at once pristine and brilliant, to use my characterization. I believe that the sun and its sunshine and warmth is always “up there”, but from time-to-time clouds get in the way–as is often the case in our personal lives as well as in the atmosphere and beyond. ( This may sound hokey and Pollyanish, but for me it is what it is.)
I noted in your post that you described only female television meteorologists and the emotions that creep into their forecasts. Actually, I’ve often noticed that female meteorologists are rather factual and sang froid, if you will excuse my French. The male television meterologists, however, seem to lace their forecasts with emotion. Consider, Jeff F. and Dr. M. (wthn:channel
who cackle with glee and prattle on, respectively–especially with the mere possibility of less than abundant, pristine, and brilliant
sunshine. And what about Scott H. (wfsb: channel 3) who is
downright gushy and overly-dramatic about the weather?
Howe about those meterologists–male and female alike who tell us “It’s gonna be a perfect day out there tomorrow”. “Perfect for what,” I always say to myself? A perfect day for banannafish? I sure hope not!”
Before I go back to reviewing for tomorrow morning’s–actually this morning’s eight o’clock social psychology exam, let me ask you if you are ever puzzled by
new reports that inform us of a “near miss” in the sky between airplanes. I’ll be the first to concede that I’m no rocket scientist, but to my simple mind a “near miss” inarguably implies, if not connotes an actual collision that almost did not occur. Does that make sense to you?
I often ask my son, a Navy pilot about this, only to be given dismissive responses such as
“Whatever,” and ” You must have entirely too much time on your hands to be thinking about this. ” But I digress, and I have psychology notes to review before I sleep.
By the way, I like the literary allusion of your headline “partly cloudy, with a chance of meatballs”. Is it a homage to Judi Barrett? One day I hope to progress to the
advanced reading level of her books. (Only kidding.)
By the way, your expression that abundant sunshine “puts a hop in your step”. Is that an expression with origins in Australia? Does the”hop” derive from the fact that kangeroos hop”That’s a new one for me, who appreciates an interesting turn of phrase when I come across one. I’m accustomed to the phrase “have a bounce in my step?” Oh, well; viva la difference!
My thinking is, if a “part” of something is less than half, then the majority would be the opposite. So, partly cloudy / mostly sunny are one and the same really – they describe the same thing.
Partly cloudy = less than half of the sky is cloudy, leaving more than one half (or most of) the sky sunny.
Mostly sunny = more than half of the sky is sunny, leaving the lesser (or part of) the sky cloudy.
I wasn’t basing the gender of my hypothetical meteorologist on anybody in particular. I don’t watch local news often enough to know anybody by name. Except this Christine woman who’s an anchor for Fox 61 because she presented me an award one time, but that’s another story.
I’ve heard of a “near miss” a few times but I never gave it much thought. I’m not afraid of flying but maybe I should be.
Yes, it was a reference to Judi Barrett. I loved that book when I was younger.
I don’t know if this “hop” in my step is Australian or just me, but I always say “hop” instead of bounce. I’m sure both are equally good times.
As for the bananafish…i love an obscure references to JD Salinger. Well played, Jack.
I think that covers everything.
I wish I was the weather woman…
-”yea, dood, today looks like crap.”
-”oh man, bitchin weather today, I don’t even know why i’m inside letting you people know…i’m out (drops the mic), time to hit the beach!”
-”lots of snow and ice, sorry guys your plans are foiled”
-”oh yuck”
i’d say things like that. people know wussup.
“partly” cloudy makes it sound less yuck – makes the negative of “cloudy’”more appealing with only “partly” as opposed to saying “mostly”
mostly sunny is all around positive. “partly” might bring it down.
that’s my 2-second analysis of the subject
<3
I agree with the weather person’s mood dictating the vocab. And the forecast for that matter! (who else can go to work and just GUESS about their job everyday, and get away with it? what if cops just shot everyone they thought was a bad guy? or if engineers guessed if a bridge would hold?) My big question of the weekend was Sweet Potato vs Yam; What’s the difference?!?
Six of one, half a dozen of the other-except the yam is supposed to have a sweeter taste; neither, however, is my cup of tea.
I’d never even heard of a “yam” before coming to this here country. It sounds kind of silly doesn’t it. Yam. That’s not real. ‘Yam’ is the name of a cartoon character, not a delicious vegetable.