A question on a well-known saying - Democratic Underground

hyphenate

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Thu Jul-31-08 04:57 PM
Original message

A question on a well-known saying

How come it's "thunder and lightning" in the saying, but in real life, lightning always precedes thunder? In fact, you can't have thunder unless you have lightning.

Is this the same as any Stephen Wright question along the same lines? Or is there a reasonable explanation, such as it's more poetic to say "thunder and lightning" instead of "lightning and thunder?" Or do we write this one off to some Neanderthal manchild who hid under his bed every time he heard noise?

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petronius

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Thu Jul-31-08 05:10 PM
Response to Original message

1. Perhaps because it's more common to experience thunder without seeing the lightning

than it is to see lightning without hearing the thunder? So, the thunder seems more 'important'...

:shrug:

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hvn_nbr_2

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Thu Jul-31-08 05:31 PM
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2. Better rhyming possibilities

It's like thunder and lightning
The way you love me is frightening.

Whereas, if the expression were reversed, it would have to be something like:

It's like lightning and thunder
The way you love me is (blunder, chunder, Down Under, dunder)

Nothing works. They'd have to make up a word, like the "pompatus of junder" or sumpthin.

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DS1

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Thu Jul-31-08 05:32 PM
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3. sounds better

and more dramatic

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Blue-Jay

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Thu Jul-31-08 05:34 PM
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4. I think I better knock, knock, knock on wood

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WinkyDink

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Thu Jul-31-08 05:48 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. The way you love me is frightenin':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p9h1ISE18I

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