Indian Summer

[poliphilo]

I haven't checked, but I suspect yesterday was even warmer than the day before. I was sitting out in the backyard yesterday evening, looking at the stars through my binoculars, wearing jeans and a T shirt- and that really shouldn't be feasible at this time of year.

Nakisha next door doesn't wear the hijab- except as part of her school uniform. I caught her yesterday, returned from school,  unwinding yards of material from around her head. I wish the human race would hurry up and outgrow the Abrahamic religions. They've served their turn and now they're holding us back. Buddhism can stay. Buddhism is more flexible.

The phrase Indian summer" is an Americanism. And there was I thinking it had to do with chaps in pith helmets drinking chota pegs on the verandah. The usual suspects have been saying it should be "Native American Summer"- but really it's too late to develop a conscience about something so well-embedded in the language. The old English alternative is St. Martin's Summer- which  is pretty, but doesn't convey the same immediate impression of heat.

My friend who died in March wrote academic theology. I was reading some of it yesterday. It used words only a professor could love and had no discernible passion.  I picture myself handing it back to him with a smile, saying, "Yeah, interesting,"- and hoping he wouldn't press me any further.

Comments

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

I strongly suspect that the Dharma is passing out of this world. I am not alone in this suspicion.

Personally, I'd always assumed that "Indian summer" derived from the same idea as "Indian giver", but as usual I see there is debate about it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I always associate the phrase with John Galsworthy's "Indian Summer of a Forsyte"- the story of a tough old Victorian businessman who turns into a mellow granddad before dying peacefully in his garden chair.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

What a fine way to go. We should all be so lucky.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I too had always assumed that "Indian summer" came from the subcontinent, but without giving it any real consideration. I'd certainly never thought of it as in any way pejorative.

I say Martinmas summer rather than St Martin's summer, though I suspect that's influenced by The Mayor of Casterbridge, where Mrs Henchard's second bite at married life is so described. But that ought to be a little later, the feast falling in November.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I certainly won't complain if another spell of this weather turns up in November.

Martinmas summer has a lovely ring to it.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

Interesting about "Indian". I'm trying to find a reference that flew past me about it being too early to be Indian summer - I wish I'd read it more carefully - but that suggestion might be explained by the American origin
September/October are often sunny here - but not usually this hot!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

They were telling us yesterday that today would be the hottest October day on record. It looks to me as if they got it right.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

Interesting! It's warm here today, but nothing like as hot as yesterday. Today is sort of muggy, and it's only 20 indoors - yesterday was 24 indoors and brilliant sunshine

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think we're cooler than yesterday- but not by much. It's been a glorious day.

[calizen.livejournal.com]

Really feel for you on your side of the Pond. I saw the temperature charts on an Asian network -- of course, I immediately confounded my brain doing quick conversions to Centigrade. Lucky for me we had a brief unexpected shower here in the quasi-deserts of California or I would have overheated my increasingly enfeebled brain.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Britain has switched to Centigrade, but I still think in Farenheit- and I've no idea how to convert from one to the other.

I was talking across the wall to our neighbour this morning- we were all outside because of the sunny weather- and she was saying that there's snow coming.

[zen-punk.livejournal.com]

I hope we never switch away from fahrenheit. The range of the scale and the size of the units are far more appropriate for describing the sorts of temperatures a human is likely to encounter in daily life, something that's glossed over in the rush to bash the "antiquated" way of doing things.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You're right. It makes human sense for the point at which it starts to be too hot for comfort to be around 100 degrees.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

After a day of brilliant sunshine and warmth yesterday, we're drowning in grey, murky rain now. It's 'orrible. And all we get is smiling BBC presenters chirping on about how lovely the weather is.

It's enough to make me want to vote SNP...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's beginning to cloud over now, and I suspect there's rain on the way, but right now it's still very pleasantly warm.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Make the most of it!!

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Our Native Americans say "Indians". The only people who use the term "Native Americans" are the Caucasian PC crowd. Regular folks say "Indians" too.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised. The whole business of tiptoeing round people trying not to give offence can get to be very precious and over-protective.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Definitely!