A chill wind / that blew nobody / any good.

Twoku: The weather last week / brought in a chill wind that blew / no one any good.

Derivation: obviously the Haikook is commenting herein on the big chill currently resident in many parts of the USA and North America. But some of you may recognize some of the wording and cadence of these two haiku (senryu actually) as being derived from one or more of these old sources:

1. Common/Modern Version: “It’s an ill wind, that blows nobody any good.” (most well-known and recognizable version today…)
2. Original, Archaic; first known use in print: “An yll wynde that blowth no man to good, men say.” (from John Heywood’s 1546 writing: A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue.)
3. A Twist in the Meaning: “Nane were keener against it than the Glasgow folk, wi’ their rabblings and their risings, and their mobs, as they ca’ them now-a-days. But it’s an ill wind blaws naebody gude.” (written by Sir Walter Scott in Rob Roy, 1817)
4. Adaptation, jokingly spoken by Danny Kaye on film: “And the oboe it is clearly understood, Is an ill wind that no one blows good.” (from the 1947 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)
5. I heard it oft repeated as: “An oboe is an ill wind that nobody blows good.” (adapted and spoken by my late Father, the poet and wordsmith, throughout my life at odd moments)… 🙂

Check out this interesting language/reference website in the UK for more information and details (and fun): http://www.phrases.org.uk

Nevertheless, and regardless of the origin of the phrase, stay warm out there with the ill wind, and chill winds, blowing no good…

 – the Haikook