Summer Sayings & Expressions

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Date:

Instructions: Settle into the shade and enjoy these sunny old sayings about lazy days, harvest wisdom, and the fleeting joys of summer.

1.
What are the 'dog days of summer' referring to?
A
The hottest, most sluggish days of summer
B
A season for training hunting dogs
C
The first cool days of autumn
D
A traditional midsummer dog show
2.
What does it mean to 'make hay while the sun shines'?
A
To dry laundry outdoors in summer
B
To take advantage of a good opportunity while it lasts
C
To plant crops early in the season
D
To avoid working during hot weather
3.
What does the term 'Indian summer' describe?
A
A monsoon season in South Asia
B
The hottest week of July
C
A spell of unusually warm, calm weather in late autumn
D
A summer festival honoring the harvest
4.
What does the old saying 'one swallow doesn't make a summer' mean?
A
Birds must migrate in groups to survive
B
Summer officially starts when swallows return
C
One bad meal ruins the whole day
D
A single good sign doesn't prove that everything is fine
5.
What does the expression 'you reap what you sow' mean?
A
Your actions will eventually bring matching results
B
Farmers should harvest before autumn rains
C
Hard work always pays more than luck
D
Seeds should be planted in rows
6.
In Shakespeare's line 'summer's lease hath all too short a date,' what is he saying about summer?
A
Summer rent was expensive in his era
B
Summer, like beauty, doesn't last very long
C
Summer always arrives later than expected
D
Summer marks the end of the farming lease
7.
What feeling do the 'lazy, hazy days of summer' describe?
A
Frustration over summer heat waves
B
Anxiety about the end of vacation
C
A relaxed, slow-paced, carefree stretch of time
D
The busy back-to-school rush
8.
The famous lyric 'summertime, and the living is easy' suggests what?
A
Groceries cost less in the summer
B
Summer jobs are easy to find
C
People sleep more during summer
D
Life feels relaxed and worry-free
9.
If someone tells you to 'soak up the sun,' what are they encouraging you to do?
A
Relax outdoors and enjoy the warm weather
B
Apply extra sunscreen
C
Water the garden at midday
D
Check the weather forecast
10.
What does it mean to 'catch some rays'?
A
To photograph a sunset
B
To sunbathe or spend time in the sunshine
C
To go fishing for stingrays
D
To watch a fireworks display
11.
What do people mean by the 'summer doldrums'?
A
A dance popular at summer parties
B
A type of summer thunderstorm
C
A sluggish, low-energy period with little activity
D
The last day of summer vacation
12.
What does it mean when something is 'in full bloom'?
A
It is wilting and about to fade
B
It has just been planted
C
It is out of season
D
It has reached its peak of beauty or development
13.
What does 'the Summer of Love' refer to?
A
The summer 1967 gathering of hippies and counterculture in San Francisco
B
A royal wedding held in July 1967
C
A World War II romance film
D
The first Woodstock festival
14.
What does the saying 'there's nothing new under the sun' mean?
A
Sunscreen technology hasn't changed
B
Every idea or event has happened before in some form
C
Summer looks the same every year
D
Nothing exciting happens during summer
15.
What is a 'beach read'?
A
A book specifically about ocean life
B
A waterproof book cover
C
A light, entertaining book that's easy and enjoyable on vacation
D
An audiobook meant to be played outdoors

Answer Key

Question 1

A. The hottest, most sluggish days of summer

The 'dog days of summer' are the hottest, most humid weeks of the season, typically in July and August. Ancient Greeks and Romans named this stretch after Sirius, the 'Dog Star,' which rises alongside the sun at that time of year.

Question 2

B. To take advantage of a good opportunity while it lasts

This old proverb advises taking full advantage of favorable conditions while they last. It comes from farming — hay had to be cut and dried while the sun was out, before rain could ruin it.

Question 3

C. A spell of unusually warm, calm weather in late autumn

An 'Indian summer' is a period of unseasonably warm, calm weather that sometimes arrives in late autumn, after the first frost. The phrase has been used in American English since at least the late 1700s.

Question 4

D. A single good sign doesn't prove that everything is fine

Traced back to ancient Greek philosophy, this proverb warns against assuming a lasting trend from just one hopeful sign — the arrival of a single swallow doesn't prove that warm summer weather has truly settled in.

Question 5

A. Your actions will eventually bring matching results

'You reap what you sow' means the consequences of your actions, good or bad, will eventually catch up with you. It's a farming metaphor with roots in the Bible, where the harvest naturally matches the seed that was planted.

Question 6

B. Summer, like beauty, doesn't last very long

This line from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 ('Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?') reflects on how summer's warmth and beauty fade all too quickly — much like youth and beauty themselves.

Question 7

C. A relaxed, slow-paced, carefree stretch of time

Popularized by Nat King Cole's 1963 hit 'Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer,' the phrase captures the unhurried, carefree mood many people associate with warm summer afternoons.

Question 8

D. Life feels relaxed and worry-free

This line opens 'Summertime,' a beloved song from George Gershwin's 1935 opera 'Porgy and Bess.' It paints a picture of a season when worries seem to melt away and life feels effortless.

Question 9

A. Relax outdoors and enjoy the warm weather

'Soak up the sun' simply means to relax outside and enjoy the sunshine, much like a sponge absorbing water. It's a cheerful way of encouraging someone to slow down and enjoy a sunny day.

Question 10

B. To sunbathe or spend time in the sunshine

'Catch some rays' is a casual way of saying you plan to sunbathe or simply spend time outdoors soaking in the sunshine — a favorite summer pastime.

Question 11

C. A sluggish, low-energy period with little activity

The 'summer doldrums' describes a slow, sluggish stretch — often used for a quiet spell in business, sports, or social life during the hottest months. 'Doldrums' comes from an old word meaning 'dull,' and sailors later applied it to the calm, windless seas near the equator where ships could sit stranded for days.

Question 12

D. It has reached its peak of beauty or development

'In full bloom' describes something at its peak — just as summer flowers open to their fullest, most vibrant state. The phrase is often used for people, projects, or talents reaching their high point.

Question 13

A. The summer 1967 gathering of hippies and counterculture in San Francisco

The 'Summer of Love' refers to the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 young people gathered in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, embracing peace, music, and the counterculture movement.

Question 14

B. Every idea or event has happened before in some form

This saying means that everything happening now has, in some form, happened before — there's little that's truly original under the sun. It comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible.

Question 15

C. A light, entertaining book that's easy and enjoyable on vacation

A 'beach read' is a light, engaging, easy-to-enjoy book — perfect for relaxing on a summer vacation. The term has become popular shorthand in publishing for breezy fiction ideal for leisure time.

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