"like thunder upon beer"

[Jonathan Lighter]

I've never seen this striking simile elsewhere, and I choose to rescue it
from oblivion:

1834 Francis Bond Head _Bubbles from the Brunnens of Nassau_ (ed. 3)
(Brussells: Whalen) 371: In short, his Highness's words acted upon my mind
like thunder upon beer.

A search of GB shows that when a brewing was inexplicably spoiled, the
blame was frequently laid upon thunder.  So Major Head was disconcerted and
discouraged by the remarks of the Russian Prince. And he didn't think his
readers of nearly 180 years ago required an explanation.

And speaking of GB, it took many, many tries to persuade it that this
passage is actually in its memory-bank.

JL
--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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