dry lightning

[Jonathan Lighter]

Reichmuth has just explained that "Dry lightning is the kind that strikes from a thunderhead into drought conditions and has the possibility of starting fires." This time he didn't mention the leaves.

  If intended as a definition, maybe it's overly precise. But that's what he said.

  I report. You deride.

  JL


"Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Arnold M. Zwicky"
Subject: Re: dry lightning
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On Jul 8, 2007, at 8:03 AM, Larry Horn wrote:

> At 7:40 AM -0700 7/8/07, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> All electricity is equally dry, but according to Rick Reichmuth,
>> _Fox & Friends_ weekend meteorologist, "dry lightning" is the kind
>> that starts a wildfire by striking dry leaves. I don't have the
>> precise quote, but it sounds as though it's a recognized term.
>>
>> Kind of a poetry thing.
>>
>> JL
> I know it only from the eponymous Bruce Springsteen song: etc.

my understanding of "dry lightning" is that it's just lightning not
in a rainstorm. the expression is almost entirely transparent.

arnold

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