The OED merges its entry for ‘on cloud seven or nine’ with that for ‘in the clouds’, meaning ‘obscure, mystical fanciful, unreal … (generally combining the notions of obscurity and elevation)’. This caught my eye because it ties in with some of the early examples given in the Oxford English Dictionary (if you have a UK library card, you may be able to log in to the OED online should you want to see more). The Flavells also acknowledge the US Weather Bureau theory and that the height of cumulonimbus is ‘an apt metaphor for being on top of the world, with hints of being in a dream-like, floating state’. There was also an American radio programme in the 1950s called Johnny Dollar, in which a character was frequently knocked unconscious and went to cloud nine, where he recovered (the Flavells credit this with fixing the number nine in the phrase, as does Albert Jack in Red Herrings and White Elephants). They suggest that it was popularised by jazz singers looking for a way of expressing a feeling of being ‘high’ (whether emotionally, as in the ‘happy’ meaning, or one caused by drink or drugs).
They say that versions of the phrase first appeared in the 1930s (‘on cloud eight’) and referred to drunkenness. Linda and Roger Flavell in their Dictionary of Idioms and their Origins say there’s ‘a good deal of uncertainty’ about the origin. She says it was the US Weather Bureau’s classification in the 20th century, and that each category of clouds was further subdivided into nine types of clouds – of which the ninth was the highest. Judy Parkinson in Spilling the Beans on the Cat’s Pyjamas gives more detail. And apparently an older version of the saying was ‘on cloud seven’. Send us feedback.Very happy, as in: ‘I passed my exam – yippee! I’m on cloud nine!’ Where did it come from?Īpparently the phrase comes from an old system of classifying clouds.įrom the Horse’s Mouth, Oxford’s dictionary of idioms, says it was a 10-part classification so nine was very high. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cloud nine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, 12 June 2021 See More 2021 The kindness of a sensitive partner can put you on cloud nine. 2021 Of course, this post immediately put fans of the couple on cloud nine.
Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 Nov.
2021 The Academy Award winner has also been on cloud nine in her personal life with her boyfriend, Van Hunt. 2022 Jadeveon Clowney and Garrett have to be on cloud nine this week. 2022 Nabela Noor was on cloud nine as her family and friends helped to celebrate her baby girl on the way. 2022 Bride-to-be Simone Biles is seemingly still on cloud nine after getting engaged to NFL player Jonathan Owens on Feb 15.Įlizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 4 Apr. Recent Examples on the Web While Hughie's busy floating on cloud nine, not everyone's having such a good time in this premiere.Īlex Raiman, EW.com, 3 June 2022 There, the couple departed in a wedding white Bentley getaway car, clearly on cloud nine.Īlexandra Macon, Vogue, 6 Apr.
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