What does ‘make hay while the sun shines’ mean?

What is the meaning and origin of ‘make hay while the sun shines’? (K. Sankara, Hyderabad)

This relatively old idiom, which has been part of the English language for several centuries, is mostly used in informal contexts. When you tell someone to ‘make hay while the sun shines’, what you are suggesting is that the individual should make good use the favourable circumstances that have come his way; he should get to work immediately, and achieve his goal, for such an opportunity may not present itself again. He must make use of the opportunity before it disappears.

Suddenly, there’s a great demand for used cars. Our dealership is making hay while the sun shines.

My wife and kids are away for two weeks. I plan to get the house painted while they’re away. Making hay while the sun shines!

The word ‘hay’ is mostly used to refer to the grass that is cut and then dried during summer. It is later used to feed cattle during the winter months. To ensure there was enough hay to feed his cattle during the long winter months, a farmer had to dry enough grass during the summer months. The notorious summer weather in England made this rather difficult to do. It rained quite frequently during summer in England, and this often ruined the freshly cut grass left out to dry — making it unusable for livestock. Farmers had to ensure that they made use of the opportunities when the sun was out.

What is the difference between ‘all but’ and ‘anything but’? (Kirtiraj Singh, Rajasthan)

The expression ‘all but’ has a couple different meanings. One of them is ‘almost’. Here are a few examples.

The children had all but given up hope of seeing their puppy again.

The outcome of tonight’s game is all but certain.

In the first sentence, you are saying that the kids had nearly or almost given up hope of seeing their puppy again. The second sentence suggests that you are almost certain what the outcome of tonight’s match will be.

The expression can also be used to mean ‘except for’.

The following weekend, all but Sujatha went trekking. (Everyone except Sujatha went trekking)

For the meeting, all but Raj and Vani were present.

When you say someone is ‘anything but kind’, you mean that he is definitely not kind. He may have one or two good qualities, but kindness is not one of them.

The children’s account of the incident was anything but dull.

When I told her of my promotion, Devika looked anything but happy.

What is the meaning of ‘dour’? How is the word pronounced? (D. Alemelu, Kochi)

Dictionaries list several ways of pronouncing the word; one simple way is to make it rhyme with ‘power’, ‘shower’ and ‘flower’. The word comes from the Scottish ‘duurus’ meaning ‘hard’. Today, the word is used in formal contexts to mean gloomy and unfriendly. When you say that someone is ‘dour’, what you are suggesting is that the individual looks rather sad or unhappy. The word is generally used to show disapproval.

Shalini married a dour little man who never saw any good in others.

The normally dour Mala broke into a smile when she saw her grandkids.

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