Wetterfrosch
German
editEtymology
editFrom Wetter (“weather”) + Frosch (“frog”). Some frogs climb up vegetation in warm weather, so it was erroneously believed that the same behaviour could also predict warmth.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editWetterfrosch m (strong, genitive Wetterfrosches or Wetterfroschs, plural Wetterfrösche)
- A frog kept in a jar with a small ladder; when the frog climbed up the ladder, this was seen as an indication of warmer weather in the following days.
- (figurative, humorous) A meterologist, weatherman.
Usage notes
edit- The custom was common until the first half of the 20th century and, though no longer practiced, is still generally known in the German-speaking world.
Declension
editDeclension of Wetterfrosch [masculine, strong]
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
nominative | ein | der | Wetterfrosch | die | Wetterfrösche |
genitive | eines | des | Wetterfrosches, Wetterfroschs | der | Wetterfrösche |
dative | einem | dem | Wetterfrosch, Wetterfrosche1 | den | Wetterfröschen |
accusative | einen | den | Wetterfrosch | die | Wetterfrösche |
1Now rare, see notes.