Know which way the wind blows


What's the meaning of the phrase 'Know which way the wind blows'?

To understand what is happening in changing circumstances and to be able to anticipate the future.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Know which way the wind blows'?

The weather or windward side is the side from which the wind blows. For sailors, huntsmen and farmers knowing where the windward was at any time was obviously important, and it isn’t difficult to see why ‘knowing which way the wind blows‘ came to be synonymous with skill and understanding.

The figurative sense of ‘the way the wind blows’, that is, meaning the tide of opinion, was in use by the early 19th century. In November 1819, The Times published an advert for a forthcoming book – The Political House that Jack Built, which was said to be “A straw – thrown up to show which way the wind blows”.

Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues, 1965, encouraged the young to make their own decisions with the lines:

You don’t need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Know which way the wind blows

Phrases & Meanings

A-Z

Categories

How did we do?

Have you spotted something that needs updated on this page? We review all feedback we receive to ensure that we provide the most accurate and up to date information on phrases.