Cloud nine

Don Gardner don.gardner at anu.edu.au
Mon Apr 23 11:17:31 EST 2001


Dear All,
      Can't say anything at all about TP use of "klaut nain," but wondered
about the strange expression discussed by John. I found this, courtesy of
Google, at
http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/bulletin_board/6/messages/861.html.

Don.

>Re: Cloud nine
>
>Posted by ESC on November 20, 2000 at 04:55:31:
>
>In Reply to: what is the meaning of on cloud nine? posted by jessica on
November 20, 2000 at 02:53:50:
>
>: i thought i knew but i guess i didn't, can someone tell me for sure what
it means? i think it came from a song or something... i dunno. THANKS!!
>
>CLOUD NINE – “The expression ‘up on cloud nine’ to describe a feeling of
euphoric exaltation is based on actual terminology used by the U.S. Weather
Bureau. Clouds are divided into classes and each class is divided into nine
types. ‘Cloud nine’ is the cumulonimbus cloud that you often see building
up in the sky in a hot summer afternoon. It may reach 30,000 to 40,000
feet, so if one is up on ‘cloud nine,’ one is high indeed. The popularity
of ‘cloud nine’ as a catch phrase, though, may be credited to the ‘Johnny
Dollar’ radio show of the 1950s. There was one recurring episode, like
Fibber McGee’s famous opening of the closet door. Every time the hero was
knocked unconscious – which was often – he was transported to ‘cloud nine.’
There Johnny could start talking again.” From “Morris Dictionary of Word
and Phrase Origins” by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins Publishers,
New York, 1997).
>
>
>
>

Don.

At 09:24 20/04/01 +1000, you wrote:
>Dear Mihalic subscribers
>
>As you may have noticed, little has happened recently on this front. I have
>been settling in at home in Canberra after a year away and am nearly right
>to get started again. A minor problem was that I was locked out of part of
>my ANU account due to a technical problem but this is all fixed now.
>
>In the meantime, having railed against a certain provincial governor for his
>constant use of weird English expressions, including 'yupela bai stap long
>cloud nain' when addressing landowners, I am now reliably informed that
>"everyone talks about 'cloud nain' in the village" (in Western Highlands).
>
>1. Should this be klaut nain or cloud nain or "cloud nine" (etc)???
>
>2. You wouldn't believe how many businesses (rainforest lodges, quilt
>makers, marriage celebrants, ISPs ...) are called 'Cloud Nine', not to
>mention the rock band (http://members.aol.com/cloudnines/index.htm) and the
>George Harrison appreciation site
>(http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/8446/). But where on earth did
>"cloud nine" originate?
>
>The last site usefully contains the lyrics to Harrison's eponymous song
>("I'll show you cloud nine...", "I'll see you there on cloud nine...",
>"While you're out looking for cloud nine...") but I'm none the wiser.
>
>Can anyone (perhaps aged hippies) help with a derivation of the phrase?
>
>3. How did this get into Tok Pisin and what do speakers use it to mean,
>other than the usual idea of a state of rapture? Are there allusions to
>marijuana usage??
>
>The mind boggles, eh.
>
>John Burton
>----------------------
>12 Lilley Street
>O'Connor
>ACT 2602 Australia
>tel +61 2 6257 6724
>
>
Visit the home page of anthropology at ANU on
http://anthropology.anu.edu.au/
____________________________________________
Don Gardner,
Archaeology & Anthropology, Arts,
Australian National University,
Canberra, A.C.T 0200
Australia.
Ph: + 61 (0)2 6125 3610
Fax: + 61 (0)2 6125 2711
Email: Don.Gardner at anu.edu.au
or dongardner at ozemail.com.au





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