FSF - Dog Days

DOG DAYS

Meaning: The hottest, most sultry days of summer..

Origins: This saying has nothing to do with dogs. The expression originated in Roman times as 'canicularius dies,' 'days of the dog,' and was an astronomical expression referring to the dog star Sirius, or possibly Procyon. The Romans linked the rising of the Dog Star, the most brilliant star in the constellation, 'Canis Major,' with the sultry summer heat, believing that the star added to the extreme heat of the sun. 'Canicular days,' of course, have nothing to do with heat from the Dog Star, but the ancient expression remains popular after more than 20 centuries."

From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997, http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/10/messages/722.html

Farm Sayings Friday is weekly feature of Yield Starts Here. You might think your grandparents made it up, but that old saying likely goes back many years. In this feature we will figure out who said it first and what it really means! Do you have a well used saying in your family, send to us and we'll feature it in a future blog.

Yield Starts Here is a blog for farmers, focusing on increasing yield and profitability by focusing on the soil. It is managed by Craig Dick, a Blogronomist and Sales and Marketing Manager at Calcium Products. Find other articles by Craig and guest writers at http://blog.calciumproducts.com/ .