The Calm Before the Storm

Welcome to English in a minute!

We have a lot of weather expressions in American English. But some expressions that talk about the weather are not actually about the weather.

Why is everything is quiet in the newsroom today?

We are expecting breaking news from the mayor’s office.

Oh. So, this is the calm before the storm.

Exactly. When news of her arrest breaks this place is going to get crazy!

Before most big storms there is that moment of calm. The air is still. The bugs and birds are quiet. Then, the storm starts with rain, wind, thunder, and lightning! In spoken English, a calm before the storm is the period of quiet before something dramatic happens.

And that’s English in a minute.