Provençal expression

fai un caud ensucant

Nature

Literal translation

It's a heat that knocks you out.

Meaning

it's a dazing, heavy heat

Explanation

This expression describes overwhelming heat through its effect on the mind: ensucant, the present participle of the verb ensuca, to stun or to knock out, pictures the heat as a blow to the head, capable of momentarily dazing whoever is exposed to it. The word ensuca shares its root with suc, the head, which reinforces the idea of a localised shock to the skull, well beyond a diffuse feeling of discomfort. The expression thus captures a phenomenon well known in Provençal summers, that of a heat so intense it numbs thought, slows movement, and produces a sense of dizziness or stupor. It belongs to a family of weather expressions that personify extremes of temperature through an aggressive physical action, a family that also includes fai un fre de loup and fai fre que pelo for cold. It is said in ordinary register, typically in the height of summer, to comment on heat judged barely bearable.

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Other expressions on the same theme

fai mi vèire uno oulivo à Sant Jean, t'en farai vèire milo à toussantshow me one olive at Saint John's, I'll show you a thousand at All Saints' quand plòu lou proumié de mai, de coudoun n'i a gairain on the first of May means few quinces À-n-Aubagno, quand plòu, si bagnoin Aubagne, when it rains, you get wet (a mock statement of the obvious) Juga à gàrri/à gàrri-babauto play at flashing sunlight in someone's eyes with a mirror Lou soulèu mi fa canta…the sun puts me in a singing mood Miés un que saup que cènt que cerconbetter one who knows than a hundred who search